Based on a book by pop provocateur James Franco, “Palo Alto” is that rare teen movie that vividly captures the beautiful rapture and intense indifference of youth in a manner that is both decidedly of its time and somehow also timeless. A dreamily evocative portrait of teenagers trapped in their suburban milieu, this film follows April (Emma Roberts), the prototypical girl next door—shy, sensitive, and yearning for Teddy (Jack Kilmer, whose father Val makes a cameo), the sweetly lost boy next door. But despite a shared affection, adolescent indecisiveness keeps them apart and April suddenly finds herself engaged in an illicit flirtation with her soccer coach (James Franco). A remarkable debut from director Gia Coppola—proving some things really do just run in the family—her decidedly mature direction marks the entrance of a bold and exciting new voice in American cinema.