Disney Version

Rating: 6/10 (17 June 2014)

I loved the book. Let me say that again. I LOVED the book. The movie, though it had some charming moments and they did salvage a couple of good bits of dialog, felt as if someone went through the story with a big Disney-After School Special sponge and scrubbed away all the edges that made the book so unique.
Where was the snappy sass and witty repartee from Augustus when we meet him at the support group? In the book, his ease at teasing his soon to be blind friend was appalling and fantastic in equal measure and it set the tone for the reality of people living with cancer. They do not want pity and they wish, more than anything, that people wouldn't edit every freaking thing they say in their company because they will miss the good jokes when they do.
Where was the family gathering after Gus got out of the hospital and the cloying, sympathetic behavior of siblings and extended family that was so brilliantly exposed and demolished by Hazel & Gus's funny exchange in front of them all?
If they took the time to put thought bubbles over heads while texting, why didn't they just let Hazel narrate the deeper thoughts that easily could have been laced throughout the film?
And how the heck did the screenplay writer, the director and anyone else who read this miss the HUGE significance of the reading of kids names at the support group who had died? The singular moment they should have gone for a good cry from the audience should have been hearing Augustus's name echo out in that "Heart of Jesus" room and it would have been THE moment it all came together. But no. It either never got filmed or it's sitting on the cutting room floor. I could have done with less - way too long-dramatics when her parents got the call and the whole emotional bundle would have been offered at the name reading.
For any teens who saw this film and "Loved it!" 10 Stars! Hearts & Flowers! I encourage you to wait about ten, twenty, thirty years and read the book...again. You will, as an adult, finally understand the depth of what you have in your hands and when you re-watch this vanilla, cutesy teen love story film, you'll give it the six it deserves.
It could have been so much more if the screenwriters hadn't pulled their punches to dumb down the dialog for a larger audience. Really too bad. Oh, and the actors were great given the cold meatloaf they were handed to work with.