The Fault in Our Stars book and movie
I usually despise or at least dislike books adapted into movies. As the number of adaptations increase, my faith in them decrease. This is why I didn't want to watch the Fault in Our Stars movie. What if it turned out to be such a disappointed that I fell out of love with the book?
However, despite my lack of excitement about the movie release, I did watch a slightly crappy camera copy of the movie today... And I loved it.
Basically, the story is about the relationship between Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters. It is not a cancer story. It does not make you feel sorry for them just because of the cancers that have taken over their lives. Instead the story talks about these two people who don't let cancer define them.
IMDb says the following about the movie:
Hazel and Gus are two teenagers who share an acerbic wit, a disdain for the conventional, and a love that sweeps them on a journey. Their relationship is all the more miraculous given that Hazel's other constant companion is an oxygen tank, Gus jokes about his prosthetic leg, and they met and fell in love at a cancer support group.
Regarding scenes, there were a few missing scenes that I honestly would have loved to see. However, the important scenes were there. Like the airplane scene, Anne Frank museum, Funky Bones, hospital scene, literal heart of Jesus, Isaac and Monica's always. The ones that made it to the movie were beautiful, and except for a very few details I wasn't disappointed.
The script included many words from the book, which was just amazing. There were the over-quoted things like 'pain demands to be felt,' metaphors and the bit about infinities. The eulogy was beautiful and so was that last bit. Simply amazing, and at times it seemed like someone was just reading the book to us. I listened to John Green read that first chapter at around five in the morning, and it sounded amazing. Watching the movie felt the same.
However, what got to me were the characters. Shailene Woodley was too perfect to be Hazel Grace Lancaster. For some reason I didn't picture Hazel as an iphone user. When she's in hospital, her hair still looks quite good. However, anyone who has even had fever for a day would know how our hair looks after that. So those little things annoyed me. But I love how the nail polish and clothes just suited the character.
I also didn't like Ansel Elgort from the beginning. He just didn't look like the Augustus Waters. And I hated how Hazel calls him Gus. Those who have read the book would know how during the last bit Augustus comments on how Hazel calls him Gus instead of Augustus.
Van Houten's character was played well, although it was a bit difficult to hate him. And I feel we should have seen more of Isaac.
Regarding how the characters were played, well, I can't really complain. They did seem like the people in the book.
The little things that matter
I missed those little scenes that made TFiOS special. Like the swing set. That scene between Augustus' father and Hazel. How Hazel is a vegetarian and Augustus remembers this in Amsterdam.
Do not, I repeat, do not read the following paragraph if you haven't read the book.
We all know how the story is going to end. And I must say Augustus Waters' death is as quick as in the book. One minute he's alive, the next he's not. Its quick, which makes his death affect readers and those watching the movie feel it more deeply.
If its a question of book or movie, the book is definitely what I like the most. It was deep, amazing and honest. It was more real. However, this doesn't mean the movie is a disappointment.
TFiOS as a movie is something you will love. To be honest, I didn't cry. I did smile, laugh, and felt a little down. But the movie wasn't strong enough to make me cry (and I easily cry when watching movies.) It isn't a movie about life, and surviving. It's instead a movie about romantic love, which I felt isn't all the book is about. It's a movie that is worth the watch, however (that's if you like those sort of movies.)
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