User blog:Incorrect3/So I Saw Paper Towns...

Okay, I decided to post this because... well, there aren't too many places I can share this to be honest. A few days ago, I hesitantly went to go see Paper Towns with a friend and... damn, it was not what I was expecting. Really, if you're hesitant on seeing it, or are thinking of passing it off as another cheezy teen romantic comedy/romantic movie, I definitely suggest that you read this, even though a lot of it relates, well, mainly only to me, I feel as though it may sway your pre-watching opinions. Please note that this also really isn't a review, just really my thoughts on the movie. Also, this was originally a YouTube comment I made, but I thought it was written pretty decently, so I decided I'd post it here too.

My Thoughts on the Movie
I've never read the book, I've never seen The Fault In Our Stars or read any John Green books, but I fucking loved this movie. Then again, I'm not sure if that is simply because it's an excellent film, or because it relates so much to a situation that my friends and I friends have been going through for the past year. Right now, I think it's a mixture of both, given how this was certainly an entertaining movie either way.

Like, seriously, me and my best friend went (the only two guys in the theater xD) and my best friend ended up crying because of how much it resembled the real situation he was going through. The shortened story is that his girlfriend at the time had to move to upstate NY last year (about 6 hours from where we live) in the middle of their relationship. They both decided it'd be best if they ended it in their hometown and didn't go long distance, since that would limit their options in either place. As time went on, he remained in love with her while she began to move on and see other people. He really never tried to be with anyone else, always claiming she was the only one he wanted to be with. The prolonged absence of her in his life caused him to build her up as this flawless woman that was stolen from him but is still waiting. Upon seeing this movie, it finally hit him that things were over between them, and that he needed to move on. He also realized she was just a girl, not some legend like he'd built her up to be. That girl also happened to be one of my best friends, so it also kind of made me realize that she was having fun over in her "new life" and that although it's fun to remember all of the good times we shared, that it's pointless to drone over the times we didn't. But going back to my friend, the movie finally got him to open up to new people/things again and really let her go, which is something that I don't think just about anything else could do.   The movie also related to me because, like I said, that girl was one of my best friends too, and I know I would've been right along with the whole gang going up to meet her again; even if it was by unconventional means. This movie also taught me to stop being such a wimp, to go out there and do something, and also to appreciate the friendships I have. The similarities between me and the blonde kid in the film and me in real life are astounding actually, right down to the point where he starts to sing the Pokemon theme song to make things less weird in a creepy situation, which is something I know for a fact I would do , because that's just how I am as a person.

Overall, this movie was something I was not expecting it to be. I'll be honest, my friend and I walked in to that movie because The Vacation was sold out and we went to see it as a bit of a joke, but we walked out learning something and having an unforgettable experience that made an impact on us. I went in with low expectations, that this would be just another sappy teen movie, and I got so much more in return.