Based on the novel written by John Green, “The Fault in our Stars” was a heart wrenching and emotional motion picture, that taught me the valuable lesson about the hardships of life. Through the main characters, Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters, the film showed me that although life is one hectic rollercoaster, it shouldn’t get in the way of experiencing it and living in the moment. I loved watching this sad and romantic film because i feel it stayed true to the original story and really brought all the characters to life.
I feel the main reason i have fallen so deeply in love with this film, is the fact that, it’s not the typical love story. While there are thousands of films out their based on teenagers falling in love, i feel “The Fault in Our Stars” brings a new and different touch to the table, unlike any other film or novel. Not that i have had personal experiences myself, but like shown in the countless numbers of both novels and films, i feel that falling in love is already stressful and difficult, so to see two characters lose themselves to one another, while battling cancer, reaches another level of emotions and feelings. I also believe having a sort of balance and combination of romance and illness in the story helps the film from being too “sugar coated”, like in the words of Hazel Grace. I feel we are shown a real side to the illness of both main characters, along with a real side of the characters as somewhat typical and ordinary teeenagers. I thought the contrast in the film was excellent because i personally think that it is what made it so heart wrenching and touching for me. I feel that this film didn’t want to be seen as and categorized as a cancer story, a romantic story, a sad story, or even a funny story. But a story that balanced and combines all things and makes you feel all feelings, which i can both happily and thankfully say happened.
Although by three quarters through the film, both characters in “The Fault in our Stars” are battling against the trauma of cancer and fighting for their very own lives, i feel the character i took most pity and sympathy in, would be the leading role, Hazel Grace Lancaster. In the film, Hazel starts out with the tragic feeling that she has a limited time left, and once that limited time is up she is going to hurt practically everyone who she loves and cares for .So therefore, she has this sad perspective and ongoing need to shut any possible person out ,as she even says “ I am a grenade, and at some point i am going to blow up and i would like to minimize the casualties okay?”. Despite the most obvious fact that she is a teenager diagnosed with lung cancer, i feel this tragic perspective and belief comes from the time in the beginning of the film where she is lying in a hospital bed, on the verge of death. As her parents desperately squeeze onto her hand, their cheeks covered in ongoing tears , she overhears her mother painfully whisper, “I won’t be a mom anymore”. To my luck, she survives that day, but i feel she is left to live with knowledge that her parents are terrified and broken for their daughter , ,and that they will continue to be broken after her time is up, when she passes away. This makes me upset beyond belief because i feel how hazel lives day to day with this perspective is sad, as i feel she should be living in the moment and truly experiencing life, especially because of the limited time she has. I feel she spends so much of her life hiding in her own little bubble, pretending everything is fine, to try and reassure herself that she’s okay ,and most importantly,protect those all around her.I believe this is the entirely wrong attitude and outlook she should have, which i happily believe she learns. Not all at once, but gradually, i feel things do start to change change, which i also feel teaches me a very valuable lesson. When Augustus waters enters the picture, i feel Hazel is rather surprised he is paying any attention to her whatsoever, and due to her tragic status as a ‘grenade’, i feel Hazel is extremely hesitant to start a relationship.But through Gus’s surprisingly positive attitude and outlook on life, i feel he pops Hazel out of this volitional bubble and takes her on a journey of realisation. And through this journey, i feel this is when Hazel realises that she matters, as she truly lives in the moment, experiences life and overall becomes a more vibrant, happier person. Although i didn’t agree with Hazel’s perspective to start off with, I feel i did learn an important lesson which was that, like in the words of Augustus Waters “pain demands to be felt” and that it’s okay to feel your feelings. I now believe that you can’t put up a facade forever, so rather than blocking people out like Hazel does, you should let them in to help and support you. I feel your family and friends are their for a reason, so like Augustus waters, we should all let our worries and fears out, no matter how big or small they are. For i now feel everyone needs others to get over the hardships of life, and it is your family and friends that will help and support you until the very end.
As soon as soon as he was introduced to the film, like Hazel Grace Lancaster, i was instantly charmed by Augustus Waters, and soon fell in love with the character. With good looks, a charming personality and a constant smirking smile, i feel he captures your attention as soon as you meet him. Along with his loving nature and ways with words, i feel he is the kind of guy that not only me, but every girl dreams about! Although i feel that it’s not only his captivating smile, polite manner,or poetic speaking that completely wooed me away. I feel that Augustus pays attention to the world around him and is always seeking for the beauty and positives in everything, despite that due to cancer he only has one leg, as he even says, “I’m on a rollercoaster that only goes up”. I feel not only does he seek for beauty, but seeks for meaning, and undoubtedly is, a boy with a purpose.Unlike Hazel, who is overly cautious and doesn’t want to risk hurting anyone, i feel Augustus has the ambition to improve his life, and is determined to make meaning within it by leaving a mark on everything and everyone he touches. Although his purpose doesn’t sound neither very positive or inspiring, i feel it creates Augustus’s special personality that i adore and teaches the audience, including myself, some very important and valuable lessons also. Although Augustus’s purpose, was yes, to live a meaningful life, i feel that through watching the film, this meaningful life was one that i realised he wanted to go down in history for being heroic and legendary. One that he wanted to be so courageous and daring that the world will never forget about him. This slightly annoyed me , because throughout the entire film i feel he focuses so much on the idea of becoming unknown and forgotten, that he never seems to understand the fact that he already does have a major impact on other people. Like what i have written in the previous paragraph, i feel he utterly impacted and changed Hazel for the good. In the very beginning, i think she is scared of getting close to anyone, but through their relationship,i feel Hazel learns that she is not the only factor that brings sadness into her parents lives. And similar to me, i believe Hazel Grace also has a different perspective on the matter, which i think is why i find her so inspirational. Each and every single one of us are important, and whether we impact one or a thousand or even a million people, we will still make a difference in our lives. I feel Hazel Grace not only teaches Augustus, but all of the viewers including myself, that we should ignore this idea of non- existence, of oblivion, because in one way or another, it will come to us. I feel her perspective has shaped and transformed my idea over oblivion completely and has made me realise that it is okay to be loved deeply rather than widely, even by one person, like both Hazel Grace and Augustus Waters. This film revolves around the idea of oblivion and that “somebody we are all going to die”, and i feel that through the charming Augustus Waters, and Hazel Grace, i now know how to face the inevitable. After watching this film, like my friends, some people found that Gus’s fear over oblivion destroyed his unique and charming personality. But i feel it was the two together that made him different and adore him as much as i do.I believe it was how he was afraid of the unknown and becoming forgotten, that created his special behaviour , my favourite quality about him. It was his way of leaving his mark on the world, to be remembered by his little quirks that i feel made him different.
There are a countless number of life lessons that “The Fault in Our Stars” teaches us, in fact, i could talk about it for days. From realising that everyone you meet is fighting their own battles, to learning that “the world is not a wish granting factory”, i feel “The Fault in Our Stars” is most definitely a wake up call. In my personal opinion, i feel the major lesson this inspiring film taught me, and probably many other teenagers, would be to experience life. Although you may be a teenager ,like myself, i have learned that we are certainly not outcasts or eternal, so we need to put ourselves out their, and live in the moment.No matter what situation you get yourself into, whether you believe you are grenade so want to “minimize the casualties” that you create, like Hazel Grace, or you are simply going through a tough time, i have now learned that, you should never rob yourself of a beautiful infinity. None of us will ever know what the world has to offer , so like Augustus Waters, we need to go out and make it happen. I feel “The Fault In Our Stars” has made me now believe that, life is what you make it, but if we want to travel, find love or do anything at all, i think we need to stop making up the same old excuses, stop saying ‘but’, stop saying ‘what if this happens..’, but start to live in the moment. Life is full of surprises, so we need to go out their, experience and enjoy, and live everyday as if it’s our very last.
All together , i feel “The Fault in Our Stars” was an inspiring movie which has made reflect and reconsider my decisions and outlook on life. I have no doubt that whoever watches this excellent film, will relate and connect with each character in a special way ,and learn many valuable lessons that they will apply in their everyday lives. Overall, I feel this film took me on a journey through an entire range of emotions and left me in a pool of my own tears like no other. It is certainly a film i will continue to rewatch and enjoy ,that i will recommend to both my family and friends!