the paperboy (2012). once in awhile i would like to write about a more current film (one after the 1990s) that i feel must be on hello scarlett. not necessarily because it was good, but because it just needs to be discussed. the paperboy is said film. also, it was set in 1965 so it’s kind of like i’m talking about a classic movie, right?

the paperboy is based on the novel by pete dexter. ward jansen and yardley acheman have come to moat county, florida to help clear hillary van wetter of his charges in killing the town’s sheriff. ward employs his young brother jack as their driver. they also enlist in the help of hillary’s fiance, charlotte bless. however, given that this story takes place decades ago in the deep south, with one of the main characters being gay and two characters (yardley and anita/narrator) being black, there are many issues involving race, acceptance, and sexuality.  

the new york times described the book as “eerie and beautiful” and the film does not fall short of that description either. it is also very thrilling. inwardly, ward jansen battles a great number of demons. physically, he strives to help everyone around him regardless of whether they are good or bad people, and goes so far as to putting his life on the line in order to do so. this is such a complex role and yet matthew mcconaughey plays him to perfection.

when i heard that the film was going to come out and saw the list of stars that were in it, i groaned when i heard zac efron’s name. hearing that he was playing jack jansen made it even worse. seeing the movie and realizing that he is a believable actor? priceless.

nicole kidman gives a fair performance as a sexed-up charlotte bless, while john cusack as hillary van wetter is beyond disturbing. beyond!! he remains one of my favorite actors but until i see him in another role, i will continue to be haunted by his performance.
 
i will also be haunted by the ending of the film. although very different from the novel, it is quite an ending at that.
 
this talkie was given mixed reviews, and did not rate highly overall. however, it rated extremely high in my books. 
 
if dark, sexy, or thrilling, well-written scripts with great actors interest you, then you must watch the paperboy.