SummaryShy, 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 aff... Read More
Directed By:Gia Coppola
Written By:Gia Coppola, James Franco
Palo Alto
Metascore
Generally Favorable
69
User score
Generally Favorable
6.8
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
69
74% Positive
25 Reviews
25 Reviews
24% Mixed
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
May 6, 2014
100
The movie perfectly captures the vibe of late high school, in a way that's both of its time and timeless.
May 8, 2014
80
With Palo Alto Coppola transforms weakness into strength, vulnerability into armor.
User score
Generally Favorable
6.8
59% Positive
48 Ratings
48 Ratings
30% Mixed
24 Ratings
24 Ratings
11% Negative
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
Jan 12, 2018
9
A powerful and sofisticated journey in high school, where every character represents the difficulties of being a teenager: anger, love, madness, loneliness and most of all, fear. "Palo Alto" isn't afraid to show a new, desperate and lost youth.
May 18, 2014
9
I didn't love it while watching, but after letting it sit for awhile, I decided that I really, really enjoyed this movie. It's a lot like a Sofia Coppola movie-somewhat plotless, but Gia Coppola does a good job and it comes together. She uses a lot of scenes as vignettes of sorts, and towards the end I could generally see the themes it was attempting to convey. The plot is really not what won me over though, the way this was shot and the elegant soundtrack are awesome, but the acting! Damn. Jack Kilmer and Nat Wolff are great, especially Wolff's cynical, **** character. Emma Roberts and James Franco were great and equally convincing as well. It's really kept me thinking about it since I left the theater, and for that it earns my respect. It's not a movie for everyone though and on a purely plot basis, it doesn't do much to distinguish itself from other teenage flicks. But still, everything else adds up to a really fantastic debut for Gia Coppola.
May 16, 2014
75
Palo Alto may not be the most exciting film about high school life to come along in the past few years, but it is among the most honest and words like "pandering" and "insulting" don't apply.
May 29, 2014
70
The story has something of a flow, but the film feels more like someone dropping in on the characters' lives. It's more about observation than connecting dots. This isn't a detriment, particularly with strong performances to carry things along.
Sep 16, 2013
67
Coppola's screenplay neatly restructures Franco's source material into a deceptively tight narrative, and mostly proves to be raw, authentic and often very funny.
May 30, 2014
50
Palo Alto is "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" without the wit; "River's Edge" without the depth. It's like reading a first novel by a talented writer who has something to say but isn't yet sure how to say it.
May 4, 2014
25
Mr. Franco must have had a very boring adolescence, because Palo Alto is a very boring movie.
Dec 23, 2015
7
The cinematography was awesome, and it's the perfect movie for showing what teenagers do in a rich nice laid-back environment. Totally pointless aside from that, however.
Sep 11, 2014
6
A film that does a good job at showing the potential real life of a teenager, but struggles to get a good feel for the characters. Their is definitely a feel of realism coming from these teens and for the most part the film doesn't hold back, but after a while I started to wonder how much I cared. All in all it's a mild recommendation. B-
May 11, 2014
6
I wouldn't say the movie was boring, but it was definitely themeless, or at least seemed so to me. The characters were solid enough to lead the narrative, but the the story as a whole was quite disconnected.
May 14, 2016
2
To summarize, Palo Alto was PONDEROUS. I can't fathom any critic giving this movie a positive review. If you want to watch a bunch of decidedly unrealistic, dysfunctional families plod through "life", well I suppose this movie is right up your alley. Everyone is always high. um, ok. (yet they don't act high, other than the touchy feely dad). Everyone is always drunk. um, ok. Everyone is constantly smoking (cigarettes when not weed). um, ok. TOTAL CRUTCHES. WEAK. Cinematography is OK, but should have been WAY edited down. Acting is OK for the most part, but the actors weren't given anything to work with. Teddy is the best, BY FAR. And speaking of direction and editing, that scene near the end where Emma's clearly blows a scene, but they decide to "leave it in" because "it looks realistic", maybe!? OMG. Oh, and as a soccer coach, those scenes were simply UNBEARABLE. The soccer game "kickoff" shot. U8-rec-level. I'm at a loss.
Aug 8, 2014
0
you need special skill to make a unwatchable movie with Emma Roberts in,Eureka they just did it . This is so boring and unbearable.Another proof that James franco not suited for lead actor role.
Production Company:
- American Zoetrope
- Rabbit Bandini Productions
Release Date:May 9, 2014
Duration:1 h 40 m
Rating:R
Tagline:In every city some seek love, some look for trouble, others look for both.
Awards
International Online Cinema Awards (INOCA)
• 2 Nominations
Venice Film Festival
• 1 Nomination
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival
• 1 Nomination
