The Fault in Our Stars
Having survived cancer only to be left with severely impaired lungs, Hazel (Shailene Woodley) is an otherwise typical teenage girl, hopeful of love, looking for meaning in her own life, yet also cautious of who she lets in to her sideways world. But, when a cancer support group brings Gus (Ansel Elgort) into Hazel’s universe the two strike an immediate golden chord. Both living on what feels like borrowed time the two realize a star that burns twice as bright burns out twice as fast, but love is king and the lessons the two are able to impart with each other are life changing. Will either live to see their 21st birthday?
Based on the wildly popular teen novel, director Josh Boone has constructed this precocious but believable world with a finesse that puts the film in a strange and beautiful but also unfortunate category; a film that begs and deserves to be seen but unfortunately is pitted against such blockbuster monsters it will likely have a hard time drawing the public’s attention for its bittersweet content. Still performances all round are solid, and the story’s weak spots are easily glossed over as the overall charm and wit keeps the levity alive just long enough to carry us from one peak to one valley just as life brings us ups and downs. Worth the time on your dance card for the drama/romance/comedy category. The Fault in Our Stars is rated PG-13.