kybearfuzz | The Fault in Our Stars

Saturday, after working out and having lunch, I went to the theater for the early bird showing of The Fault in Our Stars. I easily was one of the few men in the theater. I'm not sure what it was about the previews I'd seen that made me want to watch this movie. It obviously was going to be sad, but there were some great comical moments I'd seen and the overall feel was positive. So, I parked myself away from others and settled in to see it.

My gut feelings were not far off. The story revolves around a young woman named Hazel with thyroid (and other cancer) who lugs around an oxygen tank because her lungs have been severely damaged. As part of her therapy, she is forced to go to a cancer support group, ran by a guy (comedian Mike Birbiglia) who sings overly religious positive songs. While there, she runs into a cute guy and cancer survivor and the two begin a comical, romantic relationship.

There are some very funny moments, but the dramatic moments are staggeringly good. What was particularly interesting was how the cancer affects Hazel's outlook on everything, particularly how it affects everyone else and she worries about them more than herself. Shailene Woodley, the actress who plays Hazel, is amazing. You really just want to hug her. And her boyfriend Gus (Ansel Elgort) spews funny dialogue like he stepped out of a Gilmore Girls episode.

Did I cry? Oh hell yeah. There are some sad, sad moments in the movie (none of which I'll discuss here), but it was actually a wonderful story. It's a tad heavy in places, but I really did enjoy it.