The Fault In Our Stars: Book-to-Movie Review

The Fault In Our Stars

125 min  –  Drama | Romance

Temple Hill Entertainment

6 June 2014 (USA)

Starring: Shailene Woodley (Hazel Grace Lancaster), Ansel Elgort (Augustus Waters), Laura Dern (Frannie), Sam Trammell (Michael), Nat Wolff (Isaac) and Willem Dafoe (Peter Van Houten).

Based on: The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
photo credit: theglobalpanorama via photopin cc
So, anyone not living in Amish seclusion or something has to know that one of the most beloved YA books has been made into a movie. The Fault In Our Stars is certainly one of my all-time favorites, and I was both eager and nervous to see the adaptation. 
Now, I read the book awhile ago, before I was doing more than just rating books on Goodreads, so the book itself has just a five-star designation. It is my goal, at some point, to re-read it and give it a proper review. But for now, this will have to do. 

 Now, remember, I’ve read this book awhile ago, and while I’d planned to re-read close to the release of the movie, that just didn’t happen. So I am probably forgetting some book details, and maybe that altered my perception a bit, but probably not much.

I went to the movie with my mom, who is kind of not the most emotional person ever. So I kind of assumed she’d be looking at me like I was a bit strange when I sobbed my way through 125 minutes in a public location, but she’d get over it.

Basically, without giving too much away for those who haven’t seen it/read the book, it was beautiful and heartbreaking and perfect. Consider me an Ansel Elgort fan, because I found him to be so completely charming as Gus, so likable. And I really thought that Shailene hit it out of the park. I confess, having only known her from the comically bad Secret Life of the American Teenager (which, incidentally, was a total guilty pleasure for me), I was a complete skeptic when she was cast in Divergent and TFIOS. I will fully admit to being wrong.

The whole feel of the movie was very true to the book, and I was satisfied completely with the adaptation. Sure, not everything was included, certain scenes were slightly off, but that is every movie based on a book in the history of cinema, no?

I cried through an entire travel-pack of tissues. Even at the happy parts, I cried, because I knew what was ahead. But I was in good company, because there were actual sobs heard throughout the theater. As we walked to the parking lot, the tear-streaked faces of my fellow movie goers were evident, so I felt less ridiculous for sobbing.

Of course, opponents of the movie (and book, naturally) will argue that it is far too predictable, convenient, etc. But I suppose that is what makes it fiction. And in the end, it is portraying love, life, hope, and loss, concepts any person of any age can relate to. I already fell in love with the book, and after seeing the movie, I am afraid I’ve fallen even harder.

Five gorgeously epic stars

Have you seen the movie? Read the book? If so, did you love it? Hate it? Feel indifferent? If you haven’t read it/seen it, do you plan on it? 

Posted June 9, 2014 by Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight in Review , , / 8 Comments

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8 responses to “The Fault In Our Stars: Book-to-Movie Review

    • Oh no! That isn’t right! You should NOT have to wait two extra weeks. It is seriously amazing, I hope you enjoy it just as much. And of course, load up on tissues. I almost ran out and was going to resort to those awful brown napkins.

  1. I was nervous about her too but am starting to come around from so many good reviews! I need to see both this one and Divergent now! thanks for the great review! Really excited to see this!

    • You must, must, MUST see TFiOS! It was really that good. Divergent… I liked it. I wasn’t like, blown away by it, but I liked it, and I felt it was pretty true to the book, even though there was some stuff not included that I’d have liked to see. Hope you enjoy when you do see them!!

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