THE FAULT IN OUR STARS

US, 2014, 126 minutes, Colour.
Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Laura Dern, Willem Dafoe
Directed by Josh Boone.


No, this is not a Shakespeare film of Romeo and Juliet, star-crossed lovers, nor the version of Julius Caesar where the fault lies not in our stars but in ourselves. This is a film version of the very popular novel by John Green, designed for Young Adult reading. The book is a bestseller and this film has done very well at the box office.

It is a story about cancer.

Hazel is a teenager who was diagnosed with serious disease at the age of 13, making it difficult for her to breathe normally, requiring her to have a canister of oxygen which she has to take with her everywhere, and the connection to her lungs through her nose. She is generally a cheerful character, strong-minded, strong-willed, acknowledging her illness and its effect, and the potential shortness of her life. She has devoted parents, feels that sometimes they mother her over much. However, she does have some touches of cynicism.

To please her parents, Hazel goes to a support group, not finding it very helpful, but listening to a young man, Isaac, who has already lost an eye and is about to lose the other, talking about his love for a girl called Monica who will support him (she doesn’t). But Hazel is also interested in his friend, Gus (Ansel Elgort) who suffers from leukaemia. He states that his one desire is oblivion and she reacts strongly against him. She talks to him after the meeting and they click, going out for walks together, talking, finding each other congenial. While she is short and strong-minded, he is rather tall, gawky, and an optimist with a perennial smile.

A lot of the action centres on a book that Hazel has read and lends to Gus. He is impressed, they talk about it, and she confesses that she has written to the author asking about life after the novel ends – but has had no reply. Gus emails the author, who lives in Amsterdam, and he replies. They decide that it would be wonderful to go to visit him in Amsterdam. After a lapse in health, and the doctors warning against it, the two go to Amsterdam with Hazel’s mother (Laura Dern).

Just as we might have thought that the film was becoming a touch sentimental, the visit to the author is actually a disaster, an interesting grumpy and grouchy performance from Willem Dafoe. The film and its impact gets a little tricky when the couple decide to visit the Anne Frank House, some commentators feeling that this demeans Anne Frank and the Holocaust by making a comparison with her fate and that of the terminally ill with cancer. Anne Frank herself, probably, would be far more sympathetic. They listen to her words, her experience of confinement and impending death. The young couple take heart from her story.

Since death is inevitable for both of the characters, the audience is not surprised when one of them dies and the effect that this has on the one remaining. Gus has been an enthusiastic supporter of making a mark in the world whereas Hazel says that it is enough to love one person.

This is not the type of film that is geared to an older audience. It is clearly targeted to the Young Adult audience and their experience of life and death, limited as it is because of simply being young. Judging by the box office, the younger audiences do identify with the characters and appreciate experiencing their lives and deaths.

1. The Shakespeare references to star-crossed lovers? The fault in our stars – and the fault, rather, in ourselves?

2. The Young Adult novel, the target audience, the female audience especially? Identifying with Hazel? Interest in Gus?

3. The cancer themes? The reality, pain, short lives, prospects of death, life after death, meaning in life? The experience of illness, hope, possibilities of overcoming the illness? Not? The various sayings throughout the film: the experience of rain to have a rainbow?

4. The use of the Anne Frank parallel? Effective as an inspiration for a young woman? Criticisms that the comparison with Anne Frank was offensive because of the vast sorrow of the Holocaust? The visit to the Anne Frank house, Hazel and her struggle to get up the steps, her being impressed by Anne Frank, kissing Gus, the visitors applauding?

5. A film of sentiment, emotion, the harshness of the visit to Peter and the effect on Hazel and Gus?

6. The significance of Peter’s book, the impact on Hazel, giving it to Gus, their sharing the experience, the questions, Hazel writing letters, the response? Gus’s email? The reply? The quote from the book? The characters? Finishing in mid-sentence? Hazel wanting to know what happened afterwards? The possibilities of the visit, the family having no money, Hazel and her collapse, in the ICU unit, the visit to the doctors, their being against the trip to Holland? Gus and the money? The trip, the beauty of Amsterdam? Going to Peter’s house, the welcome from the secretary, the beautiful meal at the hotel and his paying for it, the secretary paying for it? The letters on the floor, the chaos, Peter and his drinking, rough and rude, putting on the Swedish rap music, refusing to answer the questions, abusive, Gus turning off the music, Hazel and her anger, their leaving? The secretary following, arranging the tour, going to the Anne Frank house? The sudden appearance of Peter at Gus’s funeral, Hazel’s anger, ousting him from the car, last seen drinking? Isaac telling her that it was the eulogy, her recovering the paper, reading the eulogy and the visuals of her life with Gus?

7. Hazel’s situation, at age 13, the diagnosis, the visits to the hospital, the treatments, the facts? Her parents and their love and support? Difficulties in breathing, the tubes in her nose, carrying her oxygen pack everywhere? Her life, the touches of cynicism? Going to the group, the leader and his talk about Jesus, the image of the Sacred Heart, the huge rug? The leader and his stories, the various testimonies, Isaac and his relationship with Monica, having lost an eye, about to lose his other eye and be blind? Gus present, for Isaac? His talking about oblivion? Hazel and her criticisms of his answer? Their meeting afterwards? Watching Isaac and Monica kissing – and the later abandoning of Isaac by Monica, their going to her house and pelting the car with eggs? The sharing of Hazel and Gus, the phone, talking, in the skeleton park, the children? Gus and the ICU? Going to Holland, the experience, the steps, the kiss, the sexual encounter, Gus a virgin? The meal with her mother, going for the walk, Gus telling her the truth about his illness?

8. Gus, as a character, his age, personality, cheerful and optimistic, the meetings, friendship with Isaac, sharing with Hazel, his story, the amputation, his artificial limb? Telling her the truth about his illness, dying? The sexual encounter and its effect? Asking Hazel to write the eulogy, inviting Isaac and Hazel to the church, giving the eulogy? In hospital, his mother, his death, the effect of the news Hazel? At the funeral, Hazel speaking, her grief?

9. The portrait of the parents, her mother and her concern, love and support, the visit to Holland, Hazel confronting her mother, her mother saying that Hazel wood still be alive in her house and that she would do good in counselling others in the same situation as herself? The sympathetic father?

10. Isaac, his eyes, Monica, at the sessions, his eulogy, at the funeral?

11. The character of Peter, the news of the death of his daughter, the writing of the novel, his drinking, seclusion, hostility, not answering correspondence, emailing Gus, coming to the funeral, delivering text of the eulogy? The devotion of the secretary?

12. The film facing the realities of illness, terminal illness, pain, hospitalisation, dedication, the need for friendship in love? The importance of being significant – Gus wanting to be remembered, Hazel assuring him that he would be remembered by her and how valuable that would be.