The success of the movie version of John Green’s The Fault In Our Stars rests on the casting of Shailene Woodley as 16-year-old Hazel (but she doesn’t look 16) and Ansel Elgort as her friend, Augustus. The Fault In Our Stars (2012) is John Green’s fifth novel and has sold 10 million copies. You would think that a story about two kids with cancer would be a disaster. But both The Fault In Our Stars book and movie are all about a love story. I read the book first and far from being predictable, The Fault In Our Stars manages a couple of surprises that the movie captures perfectly. With the wrong actors and the wrong script or the wrong director, the movie could have been a mawkish mess. But the vivid on-screen chemistry of Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort keep the movie grounded and focused. If you’re going to see The Fault In Our Stars bring some Kleenex. GRADE: B+
Loved the book, will skip the movie.
Bill, Shailene Woodley is terrific in THE FAULT IN OUR STARS.
Loved the book and seeing it tonight with my book group. Hate to cry but will.
Patti, my daughter Katie saw THE FAULT IN OUR STARS last night with her Book Club.
I’m with Bill. I’ve read all of Green’s books (again, Bill is the one who got me interested in them in the first place). I see another one is already scheduled for the big screen.
Jeff, I’ll probably read more of John Green’s YA novels.
Disaster. Piece on public radio didn’t make it sound good either.
Rick, THE FAULT IN OUR STARS deals with some painful issues. It’s mostly aimed at the Young Adult audience.
I watch a lot of John Green’s videos on YouTube (Vlogbrothers, Mental Floss, Crash Course, Hankgames, & Art Assignment), but his stories are too depressing. I have found it really interesting to watch all of his videos about the process of making THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, but I will most likely skip watching the actual movie.
Lauren, the movie version of THE FAULT IN OUR STARS is more hopeful than depressing.
I thought the book (and movie) was very upfront about saying these kids were not going to live for long and instead it concerned itself with them having the experience that a longer life would provide: experiencing a deep love for another human being. Although it was sad, it brought that idea to life. It either speaks to you or it doesn’t, I guess.