Paper Towns

While it might be dressed up with precocious pearls of wisdom and a working knowledge of contemporary suburban high-school social circles, Paper Towns revisits some pretty familiar coming-of-age territory.

The latest adaptation of a novel by John Green (The Fault in Our Stars) deals with lingering memories of a first crush and the bittersweet transition of senior year, all from a perspective filled with middle-class teenage angst.

The most neurotic of them all is Quentin (Nat Wolff), a band geek who’s too shy to approach Margo (Cara Delevingne), the popular and impetuous girl next door. Then she shows up late one night at his window, convincing Quentin to accompany her on an epic night of mischievous pranks intended as revenge on classmates.

They grow closer throughout the night, but then the enigmatic Margo suddenly disappears from their Orlando enclave. Her motive is unclear, although she drops hints: “I’ve lived here 11 years and I’ve never come across anyone who cares about anything that matters.”

Quentin soon realizes that Margo left behind some clues for him, so he enlists the help of fellow nerds Radar (Justice Smith) and Ben (Austin Abrams) in his search. A road trip ensues that might jeopardize prom and graduation for all involved, leaving Quentin torn between the desires of his heart and his brain.

Just as the characters aspire to be universal, the screenplay strains to be profound while dispensing self-help mantras about realizing what’s important in life. The specifics of the mystery itself are a little flimsy, but that’s missing the point. It’s a journey of self-discovery, after all.

Bolstered by appealing performances and sharp dialogue, there are moments that feel authentic in portraying the anxiety and awkwardness of relationships among modern teens. Although it doesn’t add up to much in the end, the film — dutifully directed by Jake Schreier (Robot and Frank) — is more sincere than subversive, managing a certain level of tenderness and honesty beneath its impulsive shenanigans.

There’s not much nostalgic value here, since the author’s devotees are clearly the target demographic. So even if it’s unlikely to draw many outsiders, Paper Towns should please the legions of fans devoted to the book, the characters, and the ready-made catchphrases.

Rated PG-13, 109 minutes.