A Heart Breaking and Beautiful Film

Rating: 10/10 (12 July 2014)

Calling The Fault in Our Stars a teen flick might sound a little bit stereotypical. Yes, the primary target audience of this film is young adults, but there are so many heavy emotions and relatable themes that it can even appeal to an older audience as well. All of the issues that the film covers are real and tragic and we as an audience can feel for the characters and even grow to love them.
Watching Hazel and Augustus cope and struggle with their terminal cancer diagnoses feels so powerful that it appears as though it is really happening. Their love for each other grows even as their conditions worsen. You can feel the pain that they feel and the deep bond that they share.
As I sat in the theater with my girlfriend next to me in my arms, I realized that life can end at any given second. She is to me what Hazel was to Augustus. Perhaps the greatest lesson that I learned from this film is that if you love someone, let them know it. Spend every second you can with them and make them the happiest person in the world, because tomorrow it could all end. The relationship between Augustus and Hazel did not feel real... because it was real. There was no acting. It was genuine and heartfelt and we could feel the growing sense of sorrow and pain as Augustus' health began to rapidly decline. We grew to love them as human beings, not characters, and were torn apart when the ending of the film arrived.
I love this film. I love it because of its heartfelt lesson that life is beautiful and that one should love it as they love the person that they wish to spend it with. This is a film that needs to be seen because of its sheer power and its message.