Movie Review: The Fault in Our Stars

Yesterday I went to see the movie "The Fault in Our Stars" with my sister at the AMC in Burbank. We missed the originally showing that we wanted to go to so we went to the next one, which turned out to be even better. The movie was showing in the prime theater. Prime theaters include your own personal leather recliner with a subwoofer built into it and you get to pick your own seats.

The best part of the theater was the chairs, but at times it was hard to not burst out in laughter at them. Since they're leather they all make that funny squeaky noise when you recline them or put them back, and the chairs were really comfortable, almost too comfortable. Good thing the theaters are freezing to keep you awake. 

Now to the movie:

Josh Boone did a great job at directing the movie and capturing the sad but beautiful artistic nature behind the scenarios and scenes. Shailene Woodley was perfect as Hazel Grace Lancaster and Ansel Elgort was the perfect Augustus Waters.

The screenwriters, Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber did an amazing job at staying as true to John Green's book as possible. It was a real pleasure to watch the actual book come to life. I am one of those people that prefers to read the books before seeing the movie and then compare the two. For me it is rare to find a movie that so well encapsulates the book, but this one did an amazing job at doing just that.

Your heart grows and feels love for Hazel and Augustus as they fall in love for the first time. And your heart breaks with them as the reality of their diseases shows in not just their lives but the lives of those close to them. This movie made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me happy, and it made me sad. It took me on a journey through first love and the heartache that comes with it. It's true to life, to the realities of those people that we love dying and getting sick and the struggle for these teenagers to try to be teenagers while needing to face serious adult issues. It was an amazing movie and an amazing book.

I highly recommend seeing the movie if you can. It is absolutely amazing. 

Okay...

Book Review: The Fault In Our Stars

Over the long weekend I read John Green's novel, The Fault In Our Stars. The book follows a sixteen year old cancer patient named Hazel Grace Lancaster as she finds love with August Waters, after meeting at a cancer support group.

I was stunned by the use of words and language throughout the book. Considering that both Hazel and Augustus are teenagers their views of the world, their understanding of it, and their use of language are mind blowing and way beyond their years. It led me to the understanding that this was done on purpose. These aren't the "traditional" children that we think of in certain books, like Twilight. Instead these kids have a different outlook on the world and its meaning, and the meaning of life and everyone's purpose here, because of their sickness.  Sickness leads the mind to see things in a different way, not necessarily the true way things are, but a different way.

Hazel was okay with that fact that she was going to die. It isn't until she starts falling for Augustus (Gus) that she starts to think of herself as a grenade, something to come into people's lives and leaves nothing but destruction and pain in the wake of her death. Still Augustus pushes for her love and in the end the two have a beautiful love story.

I really enjoyed that it wasn't the "traditional" love story in a sense. It is filled with joy and with heartbreak, but that is what happens when reading a book dealing with real life situations. The author stayed true to the fact that the characters were sick teenagers and didn't have them do things that seemed too extreme or out of the ordinary.  In the end I feel like it is a story that people can relate to. It is a love story that you can relate to and a story about family that you can relate to.

I can't wait to see what they do with the movie, out in theaters June 6.