The Fault in Our Stars

Theatrical Release Date: 2014 06 06 (USA)

UPC: 024543968696

Studio: 20th Century Fox

MPAA Rating: PG13   Contains:[Adult Situations, Profanity, Sexual Situations]

Summary: Based on the bestselling novel by author John Green, the romantic drama The Fault in Our Stars tells the story of Hazel Grace Lancaster (Shailene Woodley) and Augustus Waters (Ansel Elgort), who fall hopelessly in love after meeting in a cancer support group, and experience a whirlwind romance that teaches them both what it means to feel truly alive. Laura Dern and Willem Dafoe co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Category: Romance

Features: cc
Promotional featurettes: The cast, the making of The Fault in Our Stars, the transformation, literature to life our little infinity, the music behind our stars
Gallery
Audio commentary by Director Josh Boone, & author John Green

The Fault in Our Stars

Format: DVD

Release Date: 09/16/2014

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Theatre Wide-Screen

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, DD2 Dolby Digital Stereo, DDS2.0 Dolby Digital w/ 4 channels

Runtime: 126 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,Spanish,French

Subtitles: English,Spanish

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Disc #1 -- The Fault in Our Stars
1. Scene 1 [2:36]
2. Scene 2 [3:50]
3. Scene 3 [6:35]
4. Scene 4 [2:05]
5. Scene 5 [3:04]
6. Scene 6 [2:53]
7. Scene 7 [3:53]
8. Scene 8 [3:35]
9. Scene 9 [2:55]
10. Scene 10 [5:09]
11. Scene 11 [3:37]
12. Scene 12 [5:29]
13. Scene 13 [6:11]
14. Scene 14 [5:45]
15. Scene 15 [3:13]
16. Scene 16 [2:36]
17. Scene 17 [1:13]
18. Scene 18 [5:26]
19. Scene 19 [6:00]
20. Scene 20 [4:31]
21. Scene 21 [3:38]
22. Scene 22 [5:41]
23. Scene 23 [6:57]
24. Scene 24 [2:27]
25. Scene 25 [5:51]
26. Scene 26 [5:06]
27. Scene 27 [3:43]
28. Scene 28 [5:06]

Tracie Cooper

Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by John Green, The Fault in Our Stars follows young cancer patients Hazel Grace Lancaster (Shailene Woodley) and Augustus "Gus" Waters (Ansel Elgort) from their initial meeting at a support group to a romantic, all-expenses-paid trip (referred to sarcastically by Hazel as a "cancer perk") to Amsterdam, where they hope to meet their favorite author, Peter Van Houten (Willem Dafoe). While neither the trip, their prognoses, nor their visit with Van Houten go exactly as they had imagined, what Hazel's oncologist refers to as a cancer "journey" ends up symbolizing the emotional ups and downs of both adolescence and living with a serious illness.

The Fault in Our Stars flirts at times with being just a bit too precious, particularly when it comes to Augustus. While there is nothing wrong with Elgort's performance (and much of his dialogue is taken verbatim from the source material), the character's grandiose manner and penchant for metaphors aren't entirely believable for an 18-year-old boy. The same could be said of Hazel's stoic acceptance of the thyroid cancer that will, in all likelihood, be the cause of her death. However, as their relationship grows, it becomes increasingly apparent that Gus' optimism and Hazel's cynicism are different manifestations of the same protective armor.

Woodley's portrayal of Hazel brings with it an understated poignancy. She is not an impossibly beautiful saint suffering in glamorous agony; she is a smart young woman who has come to terms with her own mortality as best as she can manage. One of the most unique elements of The Fault in Our Stars is that it occurs in a place of acceptance rather than acute grief. Augustus and Hazel speak readily about their eulogies and their philosophies regarding the existence of an afterlife, but they do so with a palpable layer of detachment that both actors should be proud of harnessing so well.

For all of the film's unapologetically sweeping gestures and metaphors, its strength comes from its subtlety and attention to detail. The side effects of cancer are in every shot, whether in the form of an oxygen tank, breathing apparatus, prosthetic limb, chemotherapy bag, or the unrelenting anxiety on the faces of Hazel and Gus' respective families. Hazel's parents, played expertly by Laura Dern and Sam Trammell, are on their own search for meaning when it comes to the tragedy of having a terminally ill child. Since the parents and children don't talk about this topic together, it's clear that Hazel's attendance in a cancer-support group and her doctor's references to the disease as a "journey" are necessary for the adults to stay sane and positive.

Similarly, it is the pithiness of Hazel's often harsh perception of reality that gives the film its weight and offers the perfect counterpoint to Gus' verbosity. While the self-admitted "soliloquies" of Augustus Waters bring the wit, Hazel's heartfelt yet pragmatic conclusions bare the movie's soul. Breathing difficulties and the process of dying itself, according to Hazel, simply "suck." This unflinchingly realistic perspective is as constant a presence in the film as the cancer itself, giving the story a tone more bittersweet than saccharine -- and it's this element, surprisingly enough, that makes the tears flow and forces the audience to come to their own conclusions about what constitutes a life lived to its fullest. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Michele Imperato  Executive Producer 
Wyck Godfrey  Producer 
Marty Bowen  Producer 
Scott Neustadter  Screenwriter 
Michael H. Weber  Screenwriter 
Isaac Klausner  Executive Producer 
Josh Boone  Director 
Mike Mogis  Composer (Music Score) 
Nate Walcott  Composer (Music Score) 
Shailene Woodley  Actor 
Ansel Elgort  Actor 
Willem Dafoe  Actor 
Nat Wolff  Actor 
Laura Dern  Actor 
Mike Birbiglia  Actor 
Sam Trammell  Actor 
Emily Peachey  Actor 
Lotte Verbeek  Actor 
Ana Dela Cruz  Actor 
Randy Kovitz  Actor 
Toni Saldana  Actor 
David Whalen  Actor 
Milica Govich  Actor 
Allegra Carpenter  Actor 
Emily Bach  Actor 
Tim Hartman  Actor 
Bethany Leo  Actor 
Alexis Hodges  Actor 
Jean Brassard  Actor 
Carly Otte  Actor 
Lily Kenna  Actor 
Silvio Wolf Busch  Actor 
Viviana Cardenas  Actor 
Jordan Drexel  Actor 
PJ Rossotto  Actor 
Tanner Boatwright  Actor 
Cheyenne Hurley  Actor 
Jennifer Kline  Actor 
Carole Weyers  Actor 

Country: USA