Emma Roberts Engages In An Illicit Affair With James Franco In The First Trailer For Gia Coppola's High School Drama, 'PALO ALTO'

The new trailer for PALO ALTO, Gia Coppola's directorial debut based upon James Franco's short stories, is only a minute and a half long but I can already smell a hint of her aunt Sofia's signature suburban blues. I first mentioned this film, starring Franco, Emma Roberts and Val Kilmer a few weeks ago in my Tribeca Film Festival previews and we finally get to see how it's taken shape. 

In case you missed it before, here's the premise of the film:

From writer-director Gia Coppola comes an astonishing debut feature that deftly captures the complicated ties, heightened emotions, and romantic highs and lows of adolescence. Based on several linked stories by James Franco, PALO ALTO is a teenage movie for the ages, made indelible though its ensemble cast featuring some of the most gifted up-and-coming young actors working today.

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.

In case you're wondering, the Jack mentioned above is Val's son in his big screen premiere. 

I'm still fatigued by the swollen number of coming of age films we endured last year, so I may not have the most enthusiastic reaction to this trailer. It's moody, cataclysmic and seemingly derivative. But, I do plan to see it, if only in hopes that it will be the edgy, different and important film as which it's being described. I'm sure a lot of pressure is on Coppola to deliver, seeing as she's a member of one of Hollywood's most popular dynasties. So I'd also like to see if she rises to the occasion. 

Here's an image from the film:

Watch the trailer: