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Product Details
- Released on: 2014-08-26
- Rating: Unrated
- Subtitled in: English
- Running time: 133 minutes
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
104 of 110 people found the following review helpful.
A bittersweet celebration of love and life...
By M. Bullions
There’s a critic’s quote on the back of my copy of “The Fault in Our Stars,” by John Green, which I really felt captured the book’s essence and how it felt to read it. “This is a book that will break your heart – not by wearing it down, but by making it bigger and bigger until it bursts.” This is true. But, don’t be mistaken. This is an emotionally exhausting story. All a movie of a beloved book can hope to accomplish is to do justice to the book’s essence, and to give the viewer the same feeling they had when reading it as a novel. “The Fault in Our Stars” does this, and then some.
“Stars” follows Hazel (Shailene Woodley), who was diagnosed with cancer at the age of thirteen. A clinical trial gave her a few good years, but she has never been really anything but terminal. Her behavior leads her parents (Laura Dern and Sam Trammel) to believe she’s depressed, and force her to attend an insufferable cancer support group, where she meets who turns out to be the love of her life, Augustus Waters (Ansel Elgort).
So first, I’ll calm the book readers down a bit. Woodley, who proved in 2011’s “The Descendants,” that she is a dynamic actress, and could helm YA-novel adaptations without being compared to Kristen Stewart, makes for a dynamic Hazel, giving a sublime and beautiful performance that could (and should) earn her some Academy attention this winter. Elgort is brooding, romantic and infectiously charismatic – a pitch perfect Augustus. And best yet, these two young actors have a chemistry that is electric, and should hit non-fans just as hard as it does those familiar with the source material.
Amy Jellicoe, I mean, Laura Dern is lovely as Hazel’s martyr mother. Dern played Amy Jellicoe in one of my favorite television series of all time, HBO’s cancelled-too-soon “Enlightened,” and she plays exactly the character from the book, and doesn’t change much. Sam Trammel (HBO’s “True Blood”) does nice work too. In the novel, Hazel’s father broke out crying almost every time she was in his presence, which Trammel doesn’t do. I guess that’s a good thing.
When the end-of-second-act plot twist hits, you will likely be in tears the entire third act of the movie, like I was. The book’s tone reminded me of Showtime’s series “The Big C.” It’s about a morbid subject – cancer, but treats its subject with lightness and finds a way to convey the humor in a terrible situation. “The Fault in Our Stars” is like the book in that way – it is at times grim and morbid in its detail about disease. But the characters manage to crack jokes about their awful predicament, which makes the third-act punch hurt a little less.
The film only makes a few slight changes in story from the book. Hazel’s friend Kaitlyn is written out completely, which actually works. Hazel is better portrayed as someone who was lonely and friendless until the great love of her life came around. Kaitlyn was an afterthought in the book anyway. The backstory of Augustus’s previous girlfriend Caroline is also written out, which is not such a good choice. But a book fan is always going to find things to nitpick.
In the end, Josh Boone made a superb adaptation of a beloved novel, which captured what it felt like to read the book. Not only that, but it captures the unmistakable feeling of being in love for the first time. The film itself is heartbreaking (you will cry…no way around it,) hopeful, wise, and acerbic in its wit. It will remind you not to live every day like it’s your last – but to just live.
Grade: A
There’s a critic’s quote on the back of my copy of “The Fault in Our Stars,” by John Green, which I really felt captured the book’s essence and how it felt to read it. “This is a book that will break your heart – not by wearing it down, but by making it bigger and bigger until it bursts.” This is true. But, don’t be mistaken. This is an emotionally exhausting story. All a movie of a beloved book can hope to accomplish is to do justice to the book’s essence, and to give the viewer the same feeling they had when reading it as a novel. “The Fault in Our Stars” does this, and then some.
“Stars” follows Hazel (Shailene Woodley), who was diagnosed with cancer at the age of thirteen. A clinical trial gave her a few good years, but she has never been really anything but terminal. Her behavior leads her parents (Laura Dern and Sam Trammel) to believe she’s depressed, and force her to attend an insufferable cancer support group, where she meets who turns out to be the love of her life, Augustus Waters (Ansel Elgort).
So first, I’ll calm the book readers down a bit. Woodley, who proved in 2011’s “The Descendants,” that she is a dynamic actress, and could helm YA-novel adaptations without being compared to Kristen Stewart, makes for a dynamic Hazel, giving a sublime and beautiful performance that could (and should) earn her some Academy attention this winter. Elgort is brooding, romantic and infectiously charismatic – a pitch perfect Augustus. And best yet, these two young actors have a chemistry that is electric, and should hit non-fans just as hard as it does those familiar with the source material.
Amy Jellicoe, I mean, Laura Dern is lovely as Hazel’s martyr mother. Dern played Amy Jellicoe in one of my favorite television series of all time, HBO’s cancelled-too-soon “Enlightened,” and she plays exactly the character from the book, and doesn’t change much. Sam Trammel (HBO’s “True Blood”) does nice work too. In the novel, Hazel’s father broke out crying almost every time she was in his presence, which Trammel doesn’t do. I guess that’s a good thing.
When the end-of-second-act plot twist hits, you will likely be in tears the entire third act of the movie, like I was. The book’s tone reminded me of Showtime’s series “The Big C.” It’s about a morbid subject – cancer, but treats its subject with lightness and finds a way to convey the humor in a terrible situation. “The Fault in Our Stars” is like the book in that way – it is at times grim and morbid in its detail about disease. But the characters manage to crack jokes about their awful predicament, which makes the third-act punch hurt a little less.
The film only makes a few slight changes in story from the book. Hazel’s friend Kaitlyn is written out completely, which actually works. Hazel is better portrayed as someone who was lonely and friendless until the great love of her life came around. Kaitlyn was an afterthought in the book anyway. The backstory of Augustus’s previous girlfriend Caroline is also written out, which is not such a good choice. But a book fan is always going to find things to nitpick.
In the end, Josh Boone made a superb adaptation of a beloved novel, which captured what it felt like to read the book. Not only that, but it captures the unmistakable feeling of being in love for the first time. The film itself is heartbreaking (you will cry…no way around it,) hopeful, wise, and acerbic in its wit. It will remind you not to live every day like it’s your last – but to just live.
Grade: A
43 of 46 people found the following review helpful.
The movie stayed fairly true to the book.
By toobusyreading
There has been a lot of hype around both the book and this movie. Enough hype to convince me to finally read the book and then go see the movie on opening day.
I thought The Fault in Our Stars was cast perfectly. I had seen a movie poster prior to reading the book so that could have significantly influenced me. The movie stayed fairly true to the book. Of course things had to be cut and changed to make this movie work but overall I think the adaptations they made worked well.
While reading I pictured the characters much sicker than they appeared on the screen, however, I understand that no one really wants to watch a 2 hour movie with sickly looking dying people. There aren’t many movies that I watch more than once but I would like to see this one again.
Content: There is some moderate language sprinkled throughout and one use of the F word. If you have read the book you know there is a sex scene. The scene cuts after Hazel removes her bra (seen only from the back) and picks back up with them sleeping entwined in each others arms. I am going to take my 14 year old to see this. Once again there is a little more content than I am comfortable with her seeing. (I wish the sex scene had cut a little earlier and that there was a little less language). However it is a movie she really wants to see and I’m going to let her see it.
My recommendation – If you are going to see it read the book first. They did a great job adapting this from a book to a movie but there is much that had to be left out and as is usually the case the book is better than the movie.
There has been a lot of hype around both the book and this movie. Enough hype to convince me to finally read the book and then go see the movie on opening day.
I thought The Fault in Our Stars was cast perfectly. I had seen a movie poster prior to reading the book so that could have significantly influenced me. The movie stayed fairly true to the book. Of course things had to be cut and changed to make this movie work but overall I think the adaptations they made worked well.
While reading I pictured the characters much sicker than they appeared on the screen, however, I understand that no one really wants to watch a 2 hour movie with sickly looking dying people. There aren’t many movies that I watch more than once but I would like to see this one again.
Content: There is some moderate language sprinkled throughout and one use of the F word. If you have read the book you know there is a sex scene. The scene cuts after Hazel removes her bra (seen only from the back) and picks back up with them sleeping entwined in each others arms. I am going to take my 14 year old to see this. Once again there is a little more content than I am comfortable with her seeing. (I wish the sex scene had cut a little earlier and that there was a little less language). However it is a movie she really wants to see and I’m going to let her see it.
My recommendation – If you are going to see it read the book first. They did a great job adapting this from a book to a movie but there is much that had to be left out and as is usually the case the book is better than the movie.
44 of 55 people found the following review helpful.
You Will Cry and Want To Hate-Tweet John Green For Writing Such an Emotionally Draining Story
By Morgsborgs
There are two stories that have captured the essence of life and death as a millennial today. One is a great spiritual fiction Now and at the Hour of Our Death. The other will make you want to hate tweet John Green for writing such an emotionally tormenting story
First off you will probably cry at this film more than you ever have at a movie. You will probably ugly cry. Just warning you! The film of The Fault in Our Stars is a great adaption of a beautiful and wonderfully-written novel. It's sort of perfect.
I think they picked the perfect actors to play the roles so many have come to appreciate through the book and the film follows along the story well, being true to Green's excellente novel. When it's brought to life, there's actually more emotion and feeling than I felt with the book, which is saying alot. I love when Agustus Waters compliments Hazel Grace with her canula draped under her nose and over her ears. I couldn't stop bawling and my heart kinda flutters now every time I hear someone say "okay".
The acting is good and maintains the believability of the characters and the story, which is important because while these are everyday teens living in an everyday town, their fight with a horrible disease and the unusual things it makes people do is tough to pull off if you're not a good actor. Shailene and Ansel certainly are.
There are two stories out there that capture the essence of life. They've made an amazing film out of this one.
There are two stories that have captured the essence of life and death as a millennial today. One is a great spiritual fiction Now and at the Hour of Our Death. The other will make you want to hate tweet John Green for writing such an emotionally tormenting story
First off you will probably cry at this film more than you ever have at a movie. You will probably ugly cry. Just warning you! The film of The Fault in Our Stars is a great adaption of a beautiful and wonderfully-written novel. It's sort of perfect.
I think they picked the perfect actors to play the roles so many have come to appreciate through the book and the film follows along the story well, being true to Green's excellente novel. When it's brought to life, there's actually more emotion and feeling than I felt with the book, which is saying alot. I love when Agustus Waters compliments Hazel Grace with her canula draped under her nose and over her ears. I couldn't stop bawling and my heart kinda flutters now every time I hear someone say "okay".
The acting is good and maintains the believability of the characters and the story, which is important because while these are everyday teens living in an everyday town, their fight with a horrible disease and the unusual things it makes people do is tough to pull off if you're not a good actor. Shailene and Ansel certainly are.
There are two stories out there that capture the essence of life. They've made an amazing film out of this one.