Reviewer’s rating: 9.75/10

“You don’t get to choose if you get hurt in this world…but you do have some say in who hurts you,” says John Green, the author of the New York Times Number One Bestseller book The Fault in Our Stars. And that quote is true about this movie, as well as life. Having read the book, I already knew the ending, and yet, I still went anyway. Why? Because I wanted to know if the Time magazine’s Book of the Year would turn out to be an award winning movie and go on to be loved and remembered for generations or if it would be a complete flop and leave fans of the book utterly disappointed. I am pleased to say that it was the first option.

This movie follows the life of the narrator, Hazel Grace Lancaster. Hazel Grace is a teenager who is diagnosed with cancer at a young age. After almost dying, she is introduced to a “miracle drug” called Phalanxifor. This drug keeps her stage 4 Thyroid cancer at bay. After she begins to suffer from depression about dying, her mother forces her to go to a local support group for kids with cancer. This support group takes place in a church basement dubbed “the literal heart of Jesus” by the support group leader, Patrick. That support group is where we meet the other two main characters Isaac, and Augustus Waters. Isaac is a friend of Hazel’s who is going blind. It is he who brings Augustus to the support group, and as a result, helps create the relationship that ensues.

From the moment they meet, Hazel Grace and Augustus Waters have a special connection. They quickly become friends, and soon, they begin to do everything together. From talking about Hazel’s favorite book, An Imperial Affliction, written by Peter Van Houten, to eating crappy Dutch sandwiches on a sculpture of human bones.

The acting is phenomenal with younger roles being played by up-and-comers like Shailene Woodley (Hazel Grace), Ansel Elgort (Augustus Waters), and Nat Wolff (Isaac). This movie also features some older actors and actresses like Laura Dern (Frannie), Sam Trammell (Michael), and Willem Dafoe (Peter Van Houten). These actors and actresses give a perfect portrayal of the publication that delighted so many fans. They do an excellent job of truly connecting with and becoming their characters. We see them transform  and change their acting style throughout the movie, to truly show the development of the characters and plot.

For those of you (like myself) that have read the book, I would recommend seeing it. This movie stays very true to the plot of the book with only slight tweaks being made. I think that the director and screenplay writers did an excellent job of conveying the raw emotion and tone of the book, while still making it flow and work cinematically.

Full of scenes that will make you laugh, and scenes that will break your heart, this movie is perfect for audiences of all ages and walks of life. Just be sure that when you go, you bring some tissues. Okay? Okay.