The Fault in Our Stars

Director: Josh Boone Josh Boone

Overview

Based on the bestselling novel by author John Green, the romantic drama The Fault in Our Stars tells the story of Hazel Grace Lancaster (Shailene Woodley) and Augustus Waters (Ansel Elgort), who fall hopelessly in love after meeting in a cancer support group, and experience a whirlwind romance that teaches them both what it means to feel truly alive. Laura Dern and Willem Dafoe co-star.

Product Details

Release Date:	09/16/2014
UPC:	0024543968696
Original Release:	2014
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	20Th Century Fox
Region Code:	1
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	2:06:00
Sales rank:	4,548

Special Features

Closed Caption; Promotional featurettes: The cast, the making of The Fault in Our Stars, the transformation, literature to life our little infinity, the music behind our stars; Gallery; Audio commentary by Director Josh Boone, & author John Green

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Lotte Verbeek	Lidewij
Laura Dern	Frannie
Nat Wolff	Isaac
Mike Birbiglia	Patrick
Sam Trammell	Michael
Ana Dela Cruz	Dr. Maria
Randy Kovitz	Dr. Simmons
Toni Saldana	Flight Attendant
David Whalen	Pai de Gus
Milica Govich	Mãe de Gus
Allegra Carpenter	Hostess
Emily Bach	Monica's Mom
Tim Hartman	Minister
Bethany Leo	Speaker #1 (Beth)
Alexis Hodges	Speaker #2 (Alexis)
Jean Brassard	Waiter
Carly Otte	Young Girl (Alisa)
Lily Kenna	Young Hazel
Silvio Wolf Busch	European
Viviana Cardenas	Support Group Member (Julie)
Jordan Drexel	Speaker #3 (Sid)
PJ Rossotto	Speaker #4 (PJ)
Tanner Boatwright	Gus' Leg Double
Cheyenne Hurley	Coffee Shop Worker
Jennifer Kline	Giggling Girl
Toni Saladna	Actor
Carole Weyers	Voice of Anne Frank
Ansel Elgort	Actor
Mike Mogis	Composer
Nate Walcott	Composer

Technical Credits

Michael H. Weber

Scott Neustadter

Josh Boone	Director
Michele Imperato	Producer,Executive Producer
Isaac Klausner	Producer,Executive Producer
Michael H. Weber	Screenwriter
Scott Neustadter	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by John Green, The Fault in Our Stars follows young cancer patients Hazel Grace Lancaster (Shailene Woodley) and Augustus "Gus" Waters (Ansel Elgort) from their initial meeting at a support group to a romantic, all-expenses-paid trip (referred to sarcastically by Hazel as a "cancer perk") to Amsterdam, where they hope to meet their favorite author, Peter Van Houten (Willem Dafoe). While neither the trip, their prognoses, nor their visit with Van Houten go exactly as they had imagined, what Hazel's oncologist refers to as a cancer "journey" ends up symbolizing the emotional ups and downs of both adolescence and living with a serious illness. The Fault in Our Stars flirts at times with being just a bit too precious, particularly when it comes to Augustus. While there is nothing wrong with Elgort's performance (and much of his dialogue is taken verbatim from the source material), the character's grandiose manner and penchant for metaphors aren't entirely believable for an 18-year-old boy. The same could be said of Hazel's stoic acceptance of the thyroid cancer that will, in all likelihood, be the cause of her death. However, as their relationship grows, it becomes increasingly apparent that Gus' optimism and Hazel's cynicism are different manifestations of the same protective armor. Woodley's portrayal of Hazel brings with it an understated poignancy. She is not an impossibly beautiful saint suffering in glamorous agony; she is a smart young woman who has come to terms with her own mortality as best as she can manage. One of the most unique elements of The Fault in Our Stars is that it occurs in a place of acceptance rather than acute grief. Augustus and Hazel speak readily about their eulogies and their philosophies regarding the existence of an afterlife, but they do so with a palpable layer of detachment that both actors should be proud of harnessing so well. For all of the film's unapologetically sweeping gestures and metaphors, its strength comes from its subtlety and attention to detail. The side effects of cancer are in every shot, whether in the form of an oxygen tank, breathing apparatus, prosthetic limb, chemotherapy bag, or the unrelenting anxiety on the faces of Hazel and Gus' respective families. Hazel's parents, played expertly by Laura Dern and Sam Trammell, are on their own search for meaning when it comes to the tragedy of having a terminally ill child. Since the parents and children don't talk about this topic together, it's clear that Hazel's attendance in a cancer-support group and her doctor's references to the disease as a "journey" are necessary for the adults to stay sane and positive. Similarly, it is the pithiness of Hazel's often harsh perception of reality that gives the film its weight and offers the perfect counterpoint to Gus' verbosity. While the self-admitted "soliloquies" of Augustus Waters bring the wit, Hazel's heartfelt yet pragmatic conclusions bare the movie's soul. Breathing difficulties and the process of dying itself, according to Hazel, simply "suck." This unflinchingly realistic perspective is as constant a presence in the film as the cancer itself, giving the story a tone more bittersweet than saccharine -- and it's this element, surprisingly enough, that makes the tears flow and forces the audience to come to their own conclusions about what constitutes a life lived to its fullest.