On Saturday night I went with two friends to see the movie "The Fault In Our Stars." We had all read the book (you can read my review here) and were counting the days until it opened in theaters.
Admittedly, I was disappointed when Shailene Woodley was cast as the lead character, Hazel. I hated her in "The Secret Life Of An American Teenager." I warmed to her a bit in "The Descendants" and I didn't mind her in "Divergent," but I'm still not sold.
Much to my surprise, Woodley did Hazel justice. She really nailed that invisible girl persona, yet she also allowed herself to come alive in the presence of her unexpected love interest, Augustus.
Augustus Waters is played by Ansel Elgort (who starred alongside Woodley in "Divergent" as her brother Caleb). He is perfectly cast. It's like he was born to play this role. He is just the right mix of boyish good looks, charisma and humility.
I wasn't sure if Shailene and Ansel would have on screen chemistry, but as their characters fall hard and fast, so do we. Together they are excited, goofy, curious and empathetic. A major part of the film is the text messages Hazel and Augustus send to each other and I laughed out loud every time at their flirtations.
In addition to the two leads, the film also features a great supporting cast. Laura Dern plays Hazel's mother and Sam Trammell (of "True Blood") plays her dad. They are very true to their characters in the book, as is Augustus' best friend, Isaac, played by Nat Wolff. Isaac has two key scenes in the book (which both made it into the film) and Wolff has us rooting for him both times. He's a total scene stealer.
Not only was everyone in the film well cast, but the script is nearly identical to the book. So many of my favorite scenes and even some exact lines were kept intact. If you've been following the making of this movie, than you know that the book's author, John Green, was on set every day. He was super involved in the adaptation for the big screen and you can feel his original intention in every moment.
You don't have to read the book in order to see and enjoy the movie, but I'd highly recommend you do. Reading the book first gives you such a genuine appreciation for the story and the characters.
I will say this, whether you read the book first or not, bring tissues. It is impossible to last through the final thirty minutes of the movie without crying. My whole body felt heavy after the credits rolled and we stood up to walk out. It took a few hours to shake that feeling.
Did you read the book? Are you planning to see the movie?
