• Skip to content
  • Skip to navigation
Raising Children Network
  • Pregnancy
  • Newborns
  • Babies
  • Toddlers
  • Preschoolers
  • School age
  • Pre-teens
  • Teens
  • Grown-ups
  • Autism
  • Disability

Story

Paper Towns is a romantic drama about Quentin Jacobson (Nat Wolff), a shy, conscientious and romantic student. He has had a long-term crush on his beautiful and popular neighbour, Margo Roth Spiegelman (Cara Delevingne), who used to climb through his bedroom window at night when they were both children.One night, Margot appears again and asks Quentin to take her around the neighbourhood. She wants to revenge herself on people who have betrayed her, including her cheating boyfriend (Griffin Freeman). During their brief journey, Quentin falls more and more in love with Margo’s independence and determination.The following day, people discover that Margo has disappeared. Quentin becomes obsessed with finding out where she went and what happened, particularly after he discovers some clues that she has left behind. Eventually he learns a valuable lesson about idealising people that he doesn’t really know and taking people who are close to him for granted.

Themes

Romance and love; revenge; mystery

Violence

Paper Towns has minimal violence. It briefly shows a corpse, but the scene isn’t graphic and there is very little blood.

Sexual references

Paper Towns has some sexual references. For example:

  • Teenagers talk about sexually transmitted diseases.
  • Some characters talk about the sexual attractiveness of older women and a boy’s mother.
  • Teenage characters talk in sexually suggestive ways and flirt with each other.

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

Paper Towns shows some use of substances. For example, many teenage characters drink alcohol socially – for example, at house parties. There isn’t much parental supervision at these parties.

Nudity and sexual activity

Paper Towns shows some nudity and sexual activity. For example:

  • There are scenes of partial but non-sexual nudity.
  • Two characters kiss and embrace.

Product placement

Paper Towns has no product placement of concern.

Coarse language

Paper Towns has some coarse language.

Ideas to discuss with your children

Paper Towns is a touching and inspiring movie based on a novel by John Green. It focuses on Quentin as he searches for his missing neighbour Margo, with whom he has long been in love.

The movie shows how putting people on pedestals often ends in disappointment. Quentin thinks Margo is perfect, but he soon discovers that she has a troubled past. The movie highlights the need to see people as complex individuals, rather than as stereotypes. It also demonstrates the importance of friendships in keeping people grounded, and the value of taking risks and going outside your comfort zone.

There is very little in the movie to disturb young children, but its story and themes make it more suited to older teenagers. As parents, you might be concerned about scenes of teenagers talking about sex, drinking alcohol and using coarse language.

This movie could also give you the chance to talk with your children about real-life issues like:

  • the complex nature of relationships, romantic or otherwise, and the way that some relationships can encourage you to grow and others can bring you down
  • teenage cliques and the importance of not stereotyping young people into groups – for example, the ‘popular’ girls or the ‘nerdy’ guys
  • the pressure that teenagers feel from parental, social and cultural expectations.

Supported By

  • Department of Social Services

Raising Children Network is supported by the Australian Government. Member organisations are the Parenting Research Centre and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute with The Royal Children’s Hospital Centre for Community Child Health.

Member Organisations

  • Parenting Research Centre
  • The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne
  • Murdoch Children's Research Institute

Follow us on social media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Twitter
Join 60,000 subscribers who receive free parenting news. Sign up now
Aboriginal flag (c) WAM Clothing
Torres Strait Islands flag
At raisingchildren.net.au we acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we live, gather and work. We recognise their continuing connection to land, water and community. We pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging.
  • Privacy statement
  • Terms of use

© 2006-2023 Raising Children Network (Australia) Limited. All rights reserved.

Warning: This website and the information it contains is not intended as a substitute for professional consultation with a qualified practitioner.

This website is certified by Health On the Net Foundation (HON) and complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information.