Compelling mix of romance, comedy and pathos

Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort go from ill-fated siblings in “Divergent” to cancer-stricken sweethearts in Josh Boone’s screen adaptation of John Green’s young adult fiction, “The Fault In Our Stars”—a charming romantic tearjerker that earns its dramatic Shakespearean edge by presenting the obligatory elements of its genre in fresh, surprising ways.

Woodley portrays 16-year-old Hazel Grace Lancaster, who meets and falls in love with amputee Augustus Waters (Elgort) in a support group for cancer patients. Their bond is strengthened even more when they fly to Amsterdam to meet Peter van Houten (Willem Dafoe), the reclusive—and, as it turns out, very rude—author of Hazel’s favorite book.

For those unfamiliar with Green’s novel, the idea of having two cancer patients fall for each other as they await imminent death is as uplifting as watching flowers wilt and wither in the scorching heat of the summer sun.

ELGORT AND WOODLEY. From siblings to sweethearts.

Formula

But, Boone turns the lugubrious five-hanky formula on its head and delivers a compelling mix of romance, comedy and pathos that allows the production’s beleaguered characters to find some semblance of happiness in their doomed, young lives.

As Gus and Hazel’s romance unfolds, we don’t just see them coping with their illness—we also develop strong empathy for their friends (the kooky Nat Woolf) and loved ones (Laura Dern and Sam Trammell, as the heroine’s doting parents) who valiantly put up brave, smiling faces as they fight back tears. This welcome touch of rich restraint makes the movie sparkle and throb with contrasting emotions that ground it in reality.

The film has its share of flaws: Dafoe’s scenes feel manipulated, and are intrinsically used to move Gus and Hazel’s shared story along. Moreover, even in the guise of doing something extraordinary for your beloved, no self-respecting person would ask an unhinged writer for help again—especially after his loony and drunken outburst in Amsterdam!

Aside from the movie’s dry wit and flair for comedy, Boone’s drama is built around the terrific performances of its lead actors: We rally behind the adorable Elgort, because his lust for life is too catchy to resist.

His enthusiasm beautifully complements the feelingly intuitive (and Oscar-caliber) characterization of Woodley, Tinseltown’s latest “It” girl, who hits all the right notes as she juggles humor, medical horror and heartbreak!