This movie, released on June 6, 2014, is based on John Green’s book ‘The Fault in Our Stars’. It was directed by the famous director Josh Boone.
The cast
includes:
Shailene
Woodley as Hazel Grace Lancaster
Ansel Elgort
as Augustus Waters
Nat Wolf as
Isaac, Augustus’s friend
Laura Dern
as Mrs. Lancaster, Hazel’s mother
Willem Dafoe
as Peter Van Houten
Sam Trammell
as Mr. Lancaster
Emily
Peachey as Monica
Plot
summary:
The opening sequence of the movie shows an ill young girl named Hazel Grace Lancaster who
is suffering from terminal thyroid cancer which has now spread through her
lungs too. And hence she has to carry an oxygen cylinder anywhere she goes
because she feels difficulty breathing. As her mother feels that her
daughter feels depressed due to the illness, so she sends her daughter to
weekly cancer patients support group. In the group, similar kinds of patients
(cancer patients) come and share their problems and how they are dealing with
them. There she meets an attractive young boy named Augustus. He had bone cancer
in the past and as a result, he had to cut his right leg. But he is free from
cancer now. Since both of them are of the same age, they become very good friends
and get connected due to their common interests. They exchange books with each
other. Hazel gives Augustus a book named ‘An imperial affliction’ which is
about a cancer patient named Anna. They read each other’s books and get
connected through the messages.
When
Augustus finishes reading that book, he becomes very sad and dissatisfied with
the ending of the story. The ending seems incomplete as it ends with a sentence
spoken by Anna. It is not mentioned what happens to Anna or how her family deals
with it. Augustus has a friend who is
battling eye cancer and is losing his sight and eventually getting blind. He
had a girlfriend but she breaks up with him due to his condition. This makes
him so depressed. Hence Hazel comes to Augustus’s home to make his friend feel
better. On the other hand, Augustus is still not happy due to the ending of the
book. Hazel says that the author of the book is Peter Van Houten and after he
published the book, the book became really famous but he moved to Amsterdam and
no one knows where he is living there.
Time flies
and they become better friends with time. In the meantime, Augustus traces
Van’s assistant and sends the email address to Hazel. Hazel becomes very
positive and sends the mail to the assistant that they are not satisfied with
the ending of the novel and want to know what happens after that. But instead,
she receives mail from the author himself saying that the ending is very
different and can’t tell her through email because she may share that on the internet or publish the sequel. And he even adds that if she wants to know the
ending, she can come to meet him in Amsterdam along with his friend. She becomes
so happy that she starts making loud noises. This frightens her mother and she
comes there. She asks her mother if she can go there but her mother is worried
because of the financial constraints. Augustus suggests to Hazel that there is a
cancer fund that would fulfill the dream of every cancer patient. But Hazel had
already used the wish to go to Disneyland.
With time passing, Augustus starts falling
in love with Hazel. One day when they go to a picnic, he surprises her with two
tickets to Amsterdam. Hazel becomes very happy and goes to the doctor to ask
for permission. The doctor is unsure at first but since Hazel is going to
get bedridden after a few months so she allows her to live her life. Hence Hazel,
her mother, and Augustus go to Amsterdam.
That evening, Hazel and Augustus go to a very romantic dinner and there
he confesses his love. Hazel becomes emotional because she knows that she
doesn’t have much time left. They go for
a beautiful evening walk too.
The next day,
they go to the writer’s house where they meet Lidewij, his secretary. But when
Peter comes there, he starts drinking. This makes them feel a little weird but
with full hope, they start asking him about the ending. But Peter doesn’t look
concerned at all and tells her that instead of getting this conscious about the
ending if she was concerned about her health, she would not get cancer. He even
adds that they are wasting their parent’s money by coming this way long. He
keeps on insulting them. They become very sad and leave the place. Lidewij
feels sorry about whatever happened and asks for pardon from them. She even
invites them sightseeing where they go to see Anne Frank’s house. Anne
Frank’s diary is famous all over the world. While visiting the house, Hazel
feels difficulty walking up the stairs. So they get into one of the rooms where
she remembers the inspirational words of Anne Frank which motivates her to find
happiness within. Hazel gets emotional and they kiss each other. They spend a
beautiful night that day.
The next day,
Augustus tells Hazel that his cancer has recurred and has now spread all
through his body which means that it is the final stage. They get very emotional
remembering they don’t have much time to spend together and thinking about why the
world is so unfair.
They get back to their place in Indiana and soon
Augustus gets very ill and is even taken to the ICU. Everyone understands that
Augustus doesn’t have much time left. Augustus’s friend Isaac has now become
completely blind. Augustus calls Isaac to arrange a pre-funeral for him so that
he will know what they are going to speak at his funeral. Hazel pours her heart
out in the speech. She tells how he filled her life with happiness in such a
short period of time and it is worth more than a full life. Isaac, Augustus, and
Hazel get very emotional at that meeting. Eight days after that Augustus
unfortunately passes away. At the funeral, the same Peter Van Houten comes. He
gets into the car of Hazel. He first asks for pardon for the bad behavior shown.
Now he tells her that the novel is based on her daughter’s life and she left
the world after battling cancer. And hence he put such a sad incomplete ending
because wanted the reader to know how difficult real life is. He was still
drunk which makes Hazel very angry. He even gives Hazel a letter but she leaves
it in the car unread.
Hazel now
meets Isaac and he tells her that Augustus repeatedly insisted Peter come to
his funeral and explain to Hazel whatever happened to Anna as his dying wish. And
hence Van Houten came there. He also added that Augustus had written an article
saying how he felt about Hazel but since he didn’t know the proper words, so he
sent that letter to Van Houten so that he can make it beautiful and give it to
her at his funeral. She gets into the car crying and reads the article. This leaves
her sobbing so much after reading all the beautiful words about her. Augustus
tells her to not be depressed, to cherish the moments they shared but move on in
life happily. She looks at the sky and replies “Okay” to Augustus. This scene
leaves every viewer in tears.
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