Notting Hill

This romance drama was released on May 13, 1999. The movie was directed by  Roger Michell and the screenplay was written by Richard Curtis.

Julia Roberts as Anna Scott

Hugh Grant as William Thacker

Rhys Ifans as Spike

Hugh Bonneville as Bernie

Gina Mckee as Bella

Enna Chambers as Honey

Tim McInnerny as Max

 

The movie opens up by introducing a guy named William Thacker who lives in Notting Hill. He owns a small bookshop. His wife had left her for someone else and now he lives with his flatmate Spike. One day,  a famous actress named Anna Scott comes to his shop to buy some books. While she was buying the book, William gets a bit nervous looking at her but nicely fulfills his job as a bookseller. She buys the books and goes from there.

 

One day when she was passing through a street, William too passes through the same street in the opposite direction with coffee in his hand. Mistakenly, they get crashed and William’s coffee spills over her. All her dress gets dirty and that’s why William offers her to go to his house where she can change. She feels that it is a good idea and they get into his house. William is very nervous because such a big actress has come to his house and he asks her if she would like some tea or some coffee and afterward, he asks if she would like to have some apple juice. Anna notices his nervousness too and politely denies having anything. She changes her room and leaves the place.

 

The next day, Anna calls William’s store and tells him that he can come to her hotel if he wants to meet her. William being happy and nervous at the same time goes there. At that time, different interviewers were taking her interview. William also tells the guard that he is a reporter and hence he gets the entrance. He gets into Anna’s place and they chat for some time. Anna tells him that although she is a start she is very simple from the inside. She is not after the name and fame but wants to live a very simple and joyous life which she can’t get. William listens to her with all his patience. William says that tomorrow is his sister’s birthday. Anna asks him if she can come as his date. William gets overwhelmed out of happiness and surprise and says why not.

 

The next evening, Anna comes to his sister’s birthday party as his date. This makes every individual surprised that how a star can come to a party of a normal man. They ask her different questions one after another and she replies to them with full honesty, kindness, and truth. They enjoy the party and the party ends at midnight so William goes to drop her to her hotel. On the way they pass through a beautiful park but it was closed. But Anna wanted to go there. William says that the gate is too high. But Anna gets in there jumping and then William also gets in.

 

They enjoy the beauty of the garden, the peace, and the fragrance of plants at midnight. They come so close that Anna kisses him. And then she says that now they should go to the hotel. But in her room, there was already a man. Anna tells him that he is his boyfriend and she asks him if he wants to stay. He feels bad and he leaves the hotel. William had started liking Anna from their first meeting. But after he got to know about his boyfriend he wants to forget her.

 

It has been six months since their last meeting. He has dated many girls after that but he can’t forget Anna. One day, someone knocks on his door. Surprisingly it was Anna. She asks him if she can come in. She tells him that she is sorry for that day and she didn’t know her boyfriend would come like that. Actually, he was her past lover and it was him who helped her become a start. She actually belonged to a very poor family in the past. In the meantime, William’s flatmate Spike arrives. Looking at such a big start there he gets nervous and gets confused about how to behave.

 

That night, Anna stays at William’s place. They talk about a lot of things, how their lives are;  how a star’s life is, and how a common man’s life is. Anna tells that she wants peace in life and wants no one to interfere in her personal life. William says that he has all she wants but wants some more money in his life to make it more beautiful and easy. That night they get physically intimate.

 

Next morning, when William opens the door and finds a lot of reporters with acamera there. He closes the door and informs Anna. Anna brings her bodyguards there and gets out of his place. After some days, William goes to Anna’s set where her movie’s shooting was going on. Anna asks her to wait for some time till her shoot ends. While waiting, William comes to hear that when her co-star asked her who he is, she replied that he is no one. William gets so sad listening to this. He feels that Anna doesn’t love him but rather is doing time pass and he leaves the place. He feels that there is no meaning in this relationship. He gets hurt every time and he doesn’t even know whether Anna is serious about him or not.

 

The next day, Anna comes to his shop and gives him something that she had in her home so that he can remember her when he sees that. She also asks why he suddenly left the set yesterday. William answering her question tells that he thinks that their relationship will not go in the long run.  He lives in a small place in Notting Hill and they have a very different lifestyle and he asks her to leave him. Anna asks him the reason and William replies that he didn’t like how she told her costar that he is no one. Anna replies that had she told him the reality, he would tell that to the media and her personal life would have been exposed and that’s what she never wanted. But William tells that he can’t bear getting heartbroken every single time. So Anna replies that if he thinks so then it is okay that she will leave but she tells him to understand that she is a girl too who loves someone and expects him to love her too. Telling this Anna goes from that place.

 

That evening, William meets his relatives and tells them everything about them. At first, relatives tell him that all the stars are like that only and he did well whatever he did. But when William told them about the last line that she told, that she is a girl who loves someone and expects him to love her too, his relatives tell him that her feelings for him seem to be real so he should not let her go. William realizes this too and hence they take him to Anna’s place where she was having a press conference. At first, the security didn’t let them in but when his sister showed an identity card of a reporter, they were let go in. William acting as a reporter asks Anna a question about the man William. She replies happily that she still loves him. William asks her if she wants to marry him. Anna replies to him with a big yes. Now the whole media makes stories that Anna is going to get married to a common man. But Anna is worried about everything because she is going to get married to the love of her life.

 

They get happily married and live a very beautiful subtle life. The ending scene of the movie shows that Anna is pregnant lying on the lap of William on the park bench waiting for the baby miracle to happen in their lives soon.

The Fault in Our Stars

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.