The Fault in Our Stars - Review

I really looked forward to seeing this film. I wasn't familiar with either of the two stars but that doesn't matter because I usually forget someone the minute I meet them anyway. I'll probably remember these two. Their performances were that good. (Ask me again next month and watch me draw a blank). So Hazel is dying. She's got cancer and it sucks. She's had it for awhile and is used to the routine and the bullshit that comes with a terminal illness. At her mother's urging she begins attending a support group at the local church and she meets Gus, a cute boy who is there in support of his best friend and fellow cancer victim. Gus overcame leukemia and is in remission. He chats up Hazel and while she resists at first, before long she is smitten by Gus's goofy charm. The two of them form a bond over their shared health problems and Hazel learns to embrace Gus's attitude of living life to the fullest. She ventures out of her comfort zone and begins to enjoy life more than she had prior to meeting him. I won't spoil the ending TOO much although it is safe to say when you're seeing a film about kids with cancer SOMEBODY'S GOING TO DIE! True here. It's handled well and without the usual maudlin pining over the unfairness of life. I found the film to be life-affirming and a reminder to life every day like it's your last. Not gloomy or depressing at all. Haters who say that it depresses them obviously missed the message altogether. Glad it wasn't a "Love Story" 2.0 as I had originally feared. And even if you haven't read the book, you can still enjoy it.