The Fault in Our Stars

I've never cried so much in my entire life. I don't really cry in movies unless they're really, really sad. And this movie is bound to get you crying like there's no tomorrow. I brought a box of tissues and I used about half of them. I have never cried so much in my entire life. Being an avid fan of the book, I was kind of scared that like some of my other favourite books, the movie would be ruined. But no, the movie had all of the book's materials in it (except for one thing). I never thought Shailene and Ansel would play Hazel and Gus, but when I watched it, their performance blew me away. I think Shailene's ability to cry got ME crying, because that's how real it felt. It is an amazing movie, and I'm sorry to say that it's even better than A Walk to Remember. Go see this movie, and if you do, maybe read the book first so that you can be somewhat prepared!

The main aspects of the film to be worried about are some language (including a very blatant f-bomb), some casual underaged drinking, and some nudity during a foreplay scene. The book and film were released when I was a teenager and I was really impressed with the way Green accurately captured teenage behavior. The movie contains marginally less swearing than the book, but nothing too shocking or unheard of to any teen who’s been in a public school. Two scenes depict the teenaged protagonists drinking champagne (though one is set in Amsterdam where it might have technically been legal at their age), and one scene depicts an antagonistic character drinking before breakfast, implying overt alcoholism. Gus also famously carries cigarettes but never lights them. The main scene to be concerned about is the sex scene [spoiler alert] between an 18-year-old and a 16-year-old. In my opinion it went on longer than necessary and is one of the more explicit foreplay scenes for a PG-13 movie. Nothing obscene is shown, but there is blatant heavy petting and the sexual tension is very high before cutting away after they are undressed. The novel mentions the use of birth control, but the film does not. I personally choose to skip it when watching it at home (~1:16:16 to 1:19:05). Every other great thing about the film has been addressed in detail, and it is an extremely successful story and one of the best teenage romances. Author John Green stated that the main objective of the story is to show that one can still have a fulfilling life even if it’s short. While much much heavier of a topic and theme than most teen movies, it’s a topic that needs to be addressed, particularly to teens who know people suffering from terminal illnesses. A great film for adults and teens alike, and one whose story and themes can be a great springboard for discussion of heavy topics between parents and teens.