John Green

Green beautifully tackles mental illness in ‘Turtles All the Way Down’ (2017, 2024)

John Green does a magnificent job of getting into the head of a teen girl with mental-health struggles in “Turtles All the Way Down” (2017,

READ MORE

Green and his prankish teens seek meaning in ‘Looking for Alaska’ (2005)

In my review of the 2019 TV miniseries adaptation of John Green’s “Looking for Alaska” (2005), I argued that the series breaks down the trope

READ MORE

‘Let It Snow’ is a light but watchable Gen Z X-mas gathering (Movie review)

“Let It Snow” (November, Netflix) comes from a 2008 novel co-written by coming-of-age chronicler John Green. It’s adapted by Kay Cannon (“Pitch Perfect”) and two

READ MORE

Eulogy for a trope: ‘Looking for Alaska’ turns its Manic Pixie Dream Girl into a full-fledged character (TV review)

The eight-episode Hulu series “Looking for Alaska” shatters the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope while also being one of the best MPDG stories ever told.

READ MORE

‘Paper Towns’ is ‘American Graffiti’ for a new generation … but it’s no ‘American Graffiti’ (Movie review)

On the surface, there’s a lot to like about “Paper Towns” (now available from Redbox), as a group of high school seniors goes on one last (or

READ MORE

‘The Fault in Our Stars’ romanticizes cancer … beautifully (Movie review)

Have the Kleenex ready for “The Fault in Our Stars,” a story about a teen stricken with the death sentence of cancer. Or have your stress pills

READ MORE