Gia Coppola, the next generation in the Coppola family of filmmakers, is making her debut with PALO ALTO, a teenage drama based on the short story collection by James Franco, entitled "Palo Alto: Stories." The film stars Emma Roberts (American Horror Story: Coven), Val Kilmer, Nat Wolff, Christian Madsen, Chris Messina, Keegan Allen, and James Franco in what looks like an engaging look at contemporary teenagers living in Palo Alto, California. The trailer certainly has the dreamlike quality of sibling Sofia Coppola's work and looks to be a more graphic look at teenage life than a lot of the more whimsical tales about high school days.
Take a look:
Here's the synopsis:
Shy, sensitive April (Emma Roberts) is the class virgin -a popular soccer player and frequent babysitter for her single-dad coach, Mr. B. (James Franco). Teddy (Jack Kilmer) is an introspective artist whose best friend and sidekick Fred (Nat Wolff) is an unpredictable live wire with few filters or boundaries. While April negotiates a dangerous affair with Mr. B., and Teddy performs community service for a DUI – secretly carrying a torch for April, who may or may not share his affection – Fred seduces Emily (Zoe Levin), a promiscuous loner who seeks validation through sexual encounters. One high-school party bleeds into another as April and Teddy finally acknowledge their mutual affection, and Fred's escalating recklessness spirals into chaos.
The film has played at numerous festifals, including TIFF, Telluride, and Tribeca, gaining a lot of positive attention. Emma Roberts has received much of this acclaim for her performance and I'm glad to see her moving forward with roles like this. I thought Roberts was excellent in this past season of American Horror Story and would love to see her in more projects (okay, I may have a slight crush, too). Like Kate Mara, another American Horror Story alum, I think Roberts has the potential to move on to bigger and better work. Time will tell.
PALO ALTO opens in limited theaters on May 9, 2014.