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This is a film analysis paper with completed references, for Prof. Edward Spangler....

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James Bruce Prof. Edward Spangler THEA1023 5 December 2020 Extra Credit Analysis Paper: The Fault in Our Stars The Fault in Our Stars i s a romantic drama movie directed by Josh Boone. The film is based on the book, also called The Fault in Our Stars , written by John Green. Because of this, John Green also played a role in producing the movie to ensure that it somewhat followed the plot of the book. In my personal opinion, it is very difficult to make a successful book-based movie. Josh Boone, along with the screenwriters Scott Neustader and Michael Heber, made sure to include John Green in major decisions of the production, so The Fault in Our Stars h ad a quality book to movie transition. As stated by a Common Sense Media critic, “While "The Fault in Our Stars" isn't a word-for-word translation (nor should it be), it's an adaptation that does Green, Hazel, and Augustus justice” (Chen). The movie has a very traditional love-story type of plot to it. “Romance films are love stories, or affairs of the heart that center on passion, emotion, and the romantic, affectionate involvement of the main characters, and the journey that their love takes through courtship or marriage” (“Romance Films”). While the main characters of The Fault in Our Stars  did not get married, they did fall in love, and the film focused on the passion of their love. Hazel Grace Lancaster, played by Shailene Woodley, is a teenage girl who is basically forced to go to a cancer support group by her mother. At the group, she meets Augustus Waters, played by Ansel Elgort. The two have an instant connection and fall in love over a book. The two end up having

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the opportunity to meet the author, so they go on a great international adventure together. I am sure you can assume what happens from there: the two fall deeply in love. However, the film is also classified as a drama. So, unlike most romantic movies, this one does not have a super happy ending. “A dramatic film shows us human beings at their best, their worst, and everything in-between” (“Drama Films”). The Fault in Our Stars c aptures the best, worst, and mediocres of both characters. As the couple falls deeper in love, they face numerous obstacles along the way regarding both of their health statuses. Hazel Grace ends up hospitalized for her condition, but she bounces back quickly. Augustus ends up getting cancer again, but he does not recover. Spoiler alert: he dies at the end of the movie, leaving their love story unfinished. The movie utilized ellipses throughout the storyline in order to create dramatic effects, especially when parts regarding Augustus Waters’s cancer came up. Since the love story of Augustus and Hazel is told through Hazel’s perspective, the directors and screenwriters decided it would be best to use internal sound to tell the story. Personally, I believe this was super effective, but I also just like hearing stories from people’s perspectives instead of narrations. “The film is not about crying over what you may lose, but learning to live with what you do” (Vyavahare). The India Times c ritic reviewed this film, giving it a respectable 4 out of 5 stars. She discussed how the film was not only a love story but a love story with a valuable lesson for life. Augustus Waters and Hazel Grace Lancaster both made the most of their lives and their love, even though they had cancer and their love story was cut short. Vyavahare also gave credit to both main actors of the film, stating, “Shailene Woodley is brilliantly melancholic while Ansel Elgort displays the complexities of his character with great maturity” (Vyavahare).

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The two actors did work very well together throughout the entire movie, and this made the story seem as though it was something that was currently happening. It felt real. Andrew Barker, a film critic for Variety, gave credit to Josh Boone’s directing of the film. “Director Josh Boone is hardly the most distinctive cinematic stylist, but he’s smart enough to let his scenes linger for a few beats longer than most mainstream directors would, and seems to trust his actors to carry their own dramatic weight” (Barker). Because of Boone’s style of directing, the movie truly was able to fall into the category of drama and effectively give the audience a feeling of suspense. His style of directing allowed for the audience to be drawn into the story. Like I said, it felt real. There were very few bad reviews of The Fault in Our Stars , and the ones I could find mostly critiqued minor parts in the movie. Overall, the film took off in 2014, the year it was released. To this day, it is still a go-to heartthrob movie. While I enjoyed the movie, I feel that I may have seen it a few too many times now. It is my girlfriend’s go-to romance movie to watch, and I get roped into watching it with her. The movie appeals to people of both genders, which I think is hard for a romance movie to do.

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Sources Barker, Andrew. "'The Fault In Our Stars' Review: Shailene Woodley Stars In Cancer-Themed Romance". Variety, 2014, https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/film-review-the-fault-in-our-stars-1201196010/. Chen, Sandie. "The Fault In Our Stars - Movie Review". Common Sense Media, 2014, https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/the-fault-in-our-stars?utm_expid=.R Cp3TD4oT6qWuBfx5635Eg.0&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F. "Drama Films". Film Site, h ttps://www.filmsite.org/dramafilms.html. "Romance Films". Film Site, h ttps://www.filmsite.org/romancefilms.html. Vyavahare, Renuka. "The Fault In Our Stars Movie Review {4/5}: Critic Review Of The Fault In Our Stars By Times Of India". The Times Of India, 2016, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/english/movie-reviews/the-fault-in-our -stars/movie-review/37715091.cms....