Movie Review: The Fault in Our Stars

Although they’re far removed from their teenage years, screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber are still superb at recreating young love. Just like they did with The Spectacular Now, Neustadter and Weber perfectly capture adolescent angst in their adaptation of The Fault in Our Stars. In translating John Green’s teen romance novel to the big screen, they also succeed in penning another movie that’s funny and touching.

Directed by Josh Boone, The Fault in Our Stars focuses on Hazel (Shailene Woodley), a 17-year-old with cancer who spurns all attachments aside from her parents. Everything changes however, after her mother and father (Laura Dern and Sam Trammell) encourage her to attend a cancer support group. It’s there that she meets Gus (Ansel Elgort), a confident cancer survivor, who is instantly smitten with her. Although Hazel is attracted to him too, she denies his advances for fear of hurting him. Eventually he wears her down through persistence and charm, but can their young love endure the major life challenges ahead of them?

The most impressive thing about The Fault in Our Stars is how effortless the interactions between its main characters feel. It’s hard to pinpoint whether that comes from great directing or casting, although it seems like more of the latter is responsible. Woodley and Elgort have beautiful chemistry that’s convincing and wonderful to watch. Both share heartfelt confessions that are moving enough to make almost anyone misty. Dern is delightful too as Hazel’s mom, constantly striking the proper balance between concerned and optimistic. As Hazel’s father, Trammell also walks the line between protective and open-minded with poise.

In their dialogue, Neustadter and Weber deftly channel the acerbic adolescent outlook on matters of life, death, and love right down to the inelegant metaphors teens make. So when Hazel describes herself to Gus as an emotional hand grenade, it fits within the scene. Neustadter and Weber aren’t all gloom though, they show the resilience of the teenage spirit in their story as well. They nail how teens use humor to bring levity to difficult emotional situations, especially when Hazel and Gus hilariously help their friend Isaac deal with his blind rage by breaking things.

Despite what The Fault in Our Stars gets right about the adolescent experience, it is annoying and smug in regard to Gus. As a character, he has an obnoxious cockiness that comes out in how he talks about things such as the cigarettes he keeps without lighting. Additionally, the film is emotionally manipulative in an arrogant way, which is irritating. Flashbacks to when Hazel’s almost died 4 years ago, are used and abused multiple times to encourage tears. Plus there’s a scene where Hazel’s struggle with cancer is melodramatically compared with Anne Frank’s during the Holocaust. No doubt Hazel’s life is tough and she faces adversity, but her challenges aren’t even remotely the same.

A bigger issue than the movie’s arrogance however, is that it’s too long. As you might guess, one of the two young lovers dies, and because that death is so drawn out, the experience lacks the same emotional punch it would’ve had if events happened suddenly. Again, the film seems like it’s trying to inspire tears, but in this instance it actually backfires.

In spite of these gripes, The Fault in Our Stars still comes off as humorous and poignant on the whole. It’s definitely worth a watch regardless of whether you’ve read the book it’s based on. Just be sure to have some tissues handy if you do check it out.

✭✭✭ ½