Great overall

Rating: 8/10 (4 October 2014)

I'd hardly know where to start without giving away spoilers. Even after this long there are those who have not seen the movie ... or read the book. The film does a marvelous job of bringing the book to the screen with its themes and viewpoint intact. For that the filmmakers deserve much praise. The production values were high, the direction tight and on target and the locations, sets and music complimented rather than distracted. It goes without saying that the acting was talented and spot on. To begin, I especially liked Laura Dern. She's always good but I especially enjoyed her here. She reminded me exactly of some of the cancer mothers I've known and she did it with dignity and grace. Thank you Ms. Dern. I can't comment on the part played by Sam Trammel. I can't because his character is me. I should mention that unfortunately, for me, this subject matter was a bit too close to home. Once you've been down this road the world can never look the same again. That has to bring me to Hazel Grace; and the young talent who played her: Shailene Woodely. Ms. Woodley gave beauty, sensitivity, dignity and grace to the most difficult of characters. I could give in to my ceaseless grief and anxiety and say something mean-spirited about her performance because; after all, she's actually healthy and strong and is likely destined for a long, happy and successful life. How could she possibly begin to grasp the gravity of her character and the all-to-real physical pain and mental anguish that her character had to live with every second of her life? But, to her great credit, she pulled it off. At least she did for this film-goer and that's enough of an accomplishment for her young life. I'm glad I didn't have to cut her any slack; she had that line as taunt as it could be. The real question left for this film then, is if they did right by all of the very real Hazel's and Gus' out there. In the final analysis they did as much as could be covered in the short flash of time that is a film. It's perhaps all most audiences could take as well. It was very hard for me to sit through as it was. Had they struck a mark any closer to the source I don't think I could have lasted the film. My own family's experience was far worse than this. My oldest daughter had a brain tumor, the same kind as John Travolta's character in "Phenomenon". I guess that's ironic in some way. The only good thing I can say about that is that she very quickly lost the ability to understand what was happening to her. Another irony is that patients like her were mentioned in the book this film was adapted from. It said, "... Her brain cancer was of the variety that makes you not you before it makes you not alive." That was the sole blessing in it; a perverse kind of mercy. But enough about me. See the movie. It's bound to give something to each one who sees it. If it does, do yourself a favor and read the book. It is better than the film ... all books are.