Adapted from the novel with the same name by John Green, The Fault in our Stars follows Hazel Grace Lancaster, a 16 year old girl who is a thyroid cancer survivor due to an experimental drug she was given when she contracted the disease 3 years ago. Her parents decide that attending a support group would be best for her, despite her protests. But there she meets Augustus Waters, a boy who lost his leg to osteosarcoma but is currently in remission. The two almost instantly bond over a book written by mysterious author Peter Van Houten who ended the book mid sentence. As Hazel and Gus go on a journey to find answers to the novel, they fall in love...and the real journey begins.
Cast
Shailene Woodley as Hazel Grace Lancaster
Ansel Elgort as Augustus Waters
Nat Wolff as Isaac
Laura Dern as Frannie Lancaster
Sam Trammell as Michael Lancaster
Willem Dafoe as Peter van Houten
Mike Birbiglia as Patrick
Who will like this
It is always a safe bet that if you liked the book, you will enjoy a movie made about it. Having not read the book myself, I have been assured by many different sources that THIS movie follows the book almost to the letter. As the novel was geared towards the "tween-ager", it follows suit that they, especially female tweens, will be a large part of it's audience. It's a tear-jerker. It makes for a good date movie, although I would advise against it being a FIRST date movie.
Phantom Thoughts
This was not one of the Phantom's top picks to see last weekend. However, my 13 year old daughter REALLY wanted to see it, so off to the theater we went. And although I went expecting kind of a young person's movie, I have to admit that there a few times my eyes welled up a bit.
But more on that in a moment. For now, I would like to focus on the cast. Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort and Willem Dafoe are all fine actors, and as such did a fantastic job in the parts they played. However, there was a surprise that took me out of the movie for a moment. Mike Birbiglia. Mike Birbiglia? For those who don't recognize the name (and I assume most of you won't) he is a stand-up comedian. And the part he played was a far cry from his on-stage persona. He played the support groups' counselor, a Jesus-loving, self-focused, mediocre guitar playing musician. I have to admit that a smile crossed my face during his on-screen performance, but not for the reasons the filmmakers intended. His uncomfortable counseling methods were cringe worthily humorous, but seeing Mike Birbiglia do it....well....THAT was where the real humor was.
The story itself was a decent one. Even with the expected "plot twist" (SPOILER: one of the main characters die. PLOT TWIST SPOILER: it isn't the one you think it is) it's still well done enough to pull at your heart strings enough to force an emotional response. So the fact that I knew what was coming, didn't interfere with the message of hope, love and loss enough to deter bringing those emotions to the surface just as what I believe was the goal of both the author John Green and Director Josh Boone.
The only thing I think I'd change....was to end both the book, and the movie, in mid-sentence. This is the crux of why Hazel and Gus come together and the fuel in continuing down this road together. What better way to wrap it up than to do the same? Now, I'm not one for leaving loose ends. I like a conclusion as much as the main characters do (although some of my favorite movies do have unresolved endings) so part of me would have hated it ending like that. But I could definitely respect a decision to do so.
Until next time...see you in
