Movie Review: The Fault in Our Stars

Wow, what a movie. I loved The Fault in Our Stars, it was sad, full of hope, love, joy, funny – it was a mixture of emotions.

The Fault in Our Stars follows Hazel, a teenager who has cancer and is forced by her parents and doctor to go to a support group for teenagers who have cancer.  Hazel really doesn’t want to go but she goes anyway in order to make her mum happy.  Making her mum happy is what Hazel sees is the purpose of her life now.

Hazel’s mum urges Hazel to make new friends and the support group and this is what Hazel does – well she makes one friend Augustus Waters who goes by the name of Gus.   Gus had cancer in his leg and due to this had to undergo an amputation of the leg, and now has a prosthetic leg.

Gus and Hazel become friends and exchange books with Hazel giving Gus her favourite book, “An Imperial Affliction” written by Peter Von Houston which is about a cancer stricken girl named Anne.  Hazel loves this book as she feels is parallel’s her own experience of having cancer.

Gus finishes reading the book but struggles with the ending as the book finishes in the middle of a sentence, which irritates Gus as he wants a proper conclusion to the story.  In order to settle his curiosity Gus tracks down the writer, Peter Van Houston, which ends up in Hazel and Gus going to Amsterdam to visit him.

However, before they go to Amsterdam Hazel gets sick again and tries to end things with Gus and just be his friend, however Gus won’t stand for this. 

The trip to Amsterdam goes ahead despite the doctors not really approving.  Despite looking forward to the trip and meeting Peter Van Houston, it ends in disaster, well meeting the author does and getting a conclusion to the book is a painful experience.  However in terms of the relationship between Hazel and Gus, it is a success as they grow closer and finally admit they both love each other.

On the final day of the trip, Gus tells Hazel that his cancer is back with vengeance and the rest of the movie is about the two of them and their relationship which they continue even though they know it’s not going to be happily ever after.

The Fault in Our Stars is a sad movie, but it is also a movie of choices – a choice of loving now and loving with all you have got, or not loving and losing out on that love.  It is a movie which tells you that you need to be happy with your choices and go all in with what you decide.  It is also a movie about loss, growing up, making memories and above all having hope.

The characters in the movie are strong and the actors who played Hazel and Gus were amazing. I truly recommend this movie but don’t get too sad when watching it, remember life is good and life is not about the circumstances but about how you deal with the circumstances.