For fans of John Green’s books, The Fault in Our Stars is often cited as a favorite, despite its relatively dark storyline. It tells the story of two teens who meet in a cancer support group; Hazel, whose thyroid cancer has spread to her lungs (causing her to constantly need the support of an oxygen tank) and Augustus, whose osteosarcoma is gone, but who lost his leg to the disease. The book follows the two teens as their friendship progresses into an emotionally charged romance.
The
film adaptation of TFIOS is set to debut in theaters on June 6th, and
it’s already gathering some major buzz around it. The fact that it’s based on a
best-selling YA book was enough to create a good amount of discussion, but the
additional knowledge that it is also starring current Young Hollywood “It” girl Shailene Woodley in the lead role has only added fuel
to the fire. Opposite Woodley is up and comer Ansel Elgort; the two previously worked alongside
each other in another YA film adaptation, The Spectacular Now (which you should really catch streaming on Netflix or on demand through DirecTV because it’s a great, underrated, movie). Joining them in
supporting roles are Laura Dern, Willem Dafoe, and Nat Wolff.
What
is sure to set TFIOS apart from the pack of other YA film adaptations is the
large role Green had in the film’s production. He was on set almost every day,
working alongside the film’s stars, director, and producers to make sure his
book was fully realized on screen. The reasoning behind his heavy involvement,
as he told the Los Angeles Times was that, "I felt like most of
the movie versions would be exactly what I didn't want it to be: sentimental
and maudlin — everything the book was trying to speak against." He and
Temple Hill Entertainment (who purchased the rights to the book) entrusted
screenwriting duo Michael H. Weber and Scott Neustadter to adapt the book (the
duo, unsurprisingly, were also the screenwriters for The Spectacular Now).
Despite not having a hand in the screenplay, Green gave it his blessing, even
saying, "When I saw their draft, I liked the ending better than I liked
the ending of my book."
This,
of course, leads us to the content of the film itself, of which not much is
known. Aside from a few fan screenings scattered here and there, any and all
press reviews have been embargoed until the day the film is released. What we
do know, is that the film will be scored with music from the indie band Bright Eyes and features a new track by Ed Sheeran, as well as songs by
Tom Odell, Lykke Li, Charlie XCX, M83, & Jake Bugg to name a few (you can
purchase the album now on Amazon).
Aside from the album, much of what we know about the film is from
those lucky fans that were able to go to a fan screening. The Huffington
Post’s Leigh Blickley was able to attend one of those screenings and wrote of her experience: “The hysteria that ensued in this
theater was so soul-crushing that I wondered if someone should call an
ambulance.” Echoing Blickley’s sentiments was Collider’s Steven
Weintraub, who tweeted that “every person in the theater cried”
and Novel Thought’s Jeremy West also tweeted following a special screening that the
film “will break you and make you weep.”
It looks like those calling this film the teen version of The Notebook might not be that far off after all...
Spencer Blohm is a freelance entertainment, culture, and lifestyle blogger. He lives and works in Chicago. When not working he can be found camped out in his apartment watching the latest films and newest television shows.