The Fault in Our Stars
Hey, hey. What's up everyone? Welcome to Film Surgery where we dissect deep into the world of cinema. I'm your host Nick Wright, a cinema studies student from the University of Oregon.
Sanjay Arman Kumar II:And I'm Sanjay Arman Kumar the second, a neuroscience student here at the University of Oregon. Welcome to the show.
Nick Wright:Thank you Sanjay. So if you're just joining us for this episode, film surgery is where we take a storytelling first approach to breaking down films. In the past couple episodes, we've talked with Pete Wright about Patch Adams and shared a behind the scenes look at our own film, Unidentified. And today, we are talking about The Fault in Our Stars.
Trailer:I believe we have a choice in this world about how to tell sad stories. On the one hand, you can sugarcoat it. When nothing is too messed up that can't be fixed with a Peter Gabriel song. I like that version as much as the next girl does. It's just not the truth. This is the truth. Hey. Make some friends. Sorry. My bad. I'm Augustus Waters. I've been in remission for about a year and a half. Maybe you'd like to share some of your fears with the group. My fears? Oblivion. What's your name? Hazel. What's your full name? Hazel Grace Lancaster. Why are you staring at me? Because you're beautiful.
Nick Wright:So this movie, Fault in Our Stars, directed by Josh Boone, based on the novel by John Green, is about Hazel Grace Lancaster, a 16 year old cancer patient who meets and falls in love with Gus Waters, a similarly affected teen from her cancer support group. Hazel feels that Gus really understands her. They both share the same wit and love of books, especially Grace's Touchstone, An Imperial Affliction by Peter Van Houten. When Gus scores an invitation to meet the reclusive author, he and Hazel embark on the adventure of their brief lives. So The Fault in Our Stars by John Green explores the reality of terminal cancer through the lens of a 16 year old girl, Hazel Lancaster, and her budding romance with 17 year old Augustus Waters.
Nick Wright:The story's background is rooted in Green's personal experiences, including his work with terminally ill children and his profound relationship with fan Esther Earl, who inspired Hazel's character. The novel also draws inspiration from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, with the title referencing the lines, the fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings, which Hazel interprets in the in the way that challenges the idea that fate controls our lives. So with this movie being about cancer, I wanted to talk with our cohost Sanjay Arman Kumar about some questions that I had with including cancer. So Sanjay, what is cancer?
Sanjay Arman Kumar II:Nick, I'm so glad you asked this because cancer is is a disease that many people in the world currently battling and many people also know others who have battled cancer and it's really important for us to know the specifics and how would this actually affect someone's lives. So cancer is a disease that affects your body cells due to DNA mutation and this eventually results in an uncontrollable proliferation which refers to just the splitting apart of the body cells and eventually multiplying at a rapid growth. Eventually, these cells can metastasize which means that they spread rapidly to other regions of the body besides the site of origin. And common treatments, of cancer, which we also really explore in this movie, include chemotherapy and radiation therapy and even surgery to remove the tumor. And as of we know today, there's no official cure for cancer, but these main methods of treatment are the most effective in at least slowing down their growth which can, further expand, the lifespan of someone who is battling cancer.
Sanjay Arman Kumar II:And if the cancer reaches a later stage such as stage four, it becomes stronger when increasing in growth and can therefore become more resistant towards the the methods of treatment.
Nick Wright:That's very interesting. So what kind of cancer does Hazel have in this film and how is it affecting her? Well, we know from the, very early on in
Sanjay Arman Kumar II:the film that Hazel battles stage four thyroid cancer and which affects the the cells of the thyroid gland which is located just below the Adam's apple, of where your neck is. And you see throughout the film she wears these type this pair of oxygen tubes, that are connected in her nose, which is actually called a nasal cannula. And this is a type of, basically this pair of oxygen tubes that are much more helpful in, allowing her to easily breathe in oxygen since also early on in the film we also explore how, she does have breathing difficulties, because of liquid that fills up in her lungs as a result of the cancer that she's having and the cells that are spreading over to her lungs from the thyroid gland.
Nick Wright:That's that's very interesting. So going off of Hazel's cancer, we also know that Augustus has cancer too. So what happened to him about that?
Sanjay Arman Kumar II:Well what's really interesting about the type of cancer that Gus is battling in the film is that the type that he has is called osteosarcoma, which is a type of cancer that originally starts off in the in the bone tissue, affecting the osteoblast cells. And these type of these type of cells are responsible for forming new bone tissue, during growth. So such as when when if you're a teen or you're a younger kid and you begin to experience growth spurts, your bones are growing, so the osteoblasts are responsible for forming newer bone tissue. And even if you fracture a bone, that's what those cells are also responsible for doing in repairing the bone tissue. And you see that throughout the film which is also explained in the the beginning, you see that Gus is actually seen wearing this prosthetic leg because he had to undergo this surgery where they had to amputate his leg, due to the bone cancer in order to, as a, again, another method of treatment to just get rid of the cancer and prevent it from spreading to other parts of his body.
Nick Wright:Yeah. And that's that's really honestly like, I I mean I've never had to go through it but it seems very tough like a a big effector of your life.
Sanjay Arman Kumar II:Yeah. Yeah, definitely.
Nick Wright:So talking about sequels and remakes, while there are no actual remakes or sequels, John Green, the author of The Fault in Our Stars book has written so many other books and helped with so many other shows and movies, including but not limited to Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, Everything is Tuberculosis, Paper Towns, and Turtles All the Way Down. Alright. Now we are on to awards. Alright. So this film has won so many different awards.
Nick Wright:Going off the Teen Choice Awards, it won the Choice Movie for drama, the Choice Movie Actor for Ansel Elgort, the choice movie actress for Shailene Woodley, and the choice movie Lip Lock between Woodley and Elgort.
Sanjay Arman Kumar II:And also in 02/2015, it won the MTV Movie Award for best female performance by Shailene Woodley. It also won the award for best kiss between Woodley and Elgourd and was nominated for movie of the year.
Nick Wright:And lastly, we have the People's Choice Awards in 2015 as well. It was the winner of the favorite dramatic movie. That is crazy. Wow. That's wild.
Sanjay Arman Kumar II:I did say it definitely deserves that, the award.
Nick Wright:100%. Sanjay, what did you think of this movie overall? Like, what were your thoughts after watching it?
Sanjay Arman Kumar II:Oh, man. Honestly, I thought this movie was so captivating. It was it was so captivating and super emotional a lot of the times. And this is also my first first movie that I'm watching by by John Green's novel. And I have to say it's really definitely increased my my interest on exploring other stories by John Green.
Sanjay Arman Kumar II:I also I really loved how, of course, we have the medical aspects in this film about about cancer but it's it really helps out for anyone who's who's battling cancer currently or knows or knows loved ones who have battled cancer, allowing them to resonate with these characters in the film and just kind of looking through the perspective of someone who is battling cancer and how they are dealing with that part of their life but also the other aspects, at the same time such as their family and even romantic relationships. So incorporating that drama of of battling with cancer and also the the romantic side of the film definitely was was really emotional to to combine.
Nick Wright:Yeah. There were several scenes such as the funeral scene at the very end for Ansel Elgort's character Gus that really hit me. I listened to the book on Libby and it like there's I guess it's different when you're listening to it than when you're actually watching something on the screen because the it it it hit harder. It definitely definitely hit harder. And yeah, I just It was cool to see a different take on it.
Sanjay Arman Kumar II:Yeah. I'm sure it must have kind of produced stronger feelings by actually seeing it in visual form. When you see the the actors actually putting on this performance, it brings out so much more of an emotional side, compared to, even when you're reading it. And I'm sure reading the book also really, really captures your heart when understanding these characters throughout the film and getting to know them. And when you have to lose one of the protagonists in in the film it just so it really hits hard emotionally.
Nick Wright:Yeah. No, I do agree. One thing I did wanna point out is that John Green was actually in the film. He played little girl's father in one of the flashbacks, which I think I didn't notice until I was looking at the cast list. But it's very cool to see the actual author of this book originally be portraying a character in it and I think that's really cool.
Sanjay Arman Kumar II:That's really cool. I actually did not even know that until until this moment that he made a he made a cameo
Nick Wright:in the movie. Sanjay, I take it you liked the movie. What would you give it out of five stars? Oh, Nick. Just like I said at the very end when we watched the movie,
Sanjay Arman Kumar II:I gave it a full 10 out of 10 and that I say that with full confidence. So this movie, I gotta give five out of five stars.
Nick Wright:Nice. Yeah. I would give the same five out of five. And if you haven't read the book, would say highly suggest go check it out. John Green is such a wonderful author and all of his projects.
Nick Wright:He definitely knows what he's what he's like who he's writing for and it's just great. Anything else before we wrap up?
Sanjay Arman Kumar II:Yeah. Nick, I actually wanna ask you one question. I wanna ask you, what did you think about the the trip when when Hazel and Gus visited Amsterdam to to meet their beloved author of the books that they're fan fans of?
Nick Wright:Well, honestly, I didn't That was one of my least favorite parts. I'd say Willem Dafoe, he's such a great actor. But this character, the character he plays is such a jerk. Like, he's he's just a drunk old man and it's it's so sad because I love all the other characters he plays and it's He just does such a good job at acting so mean. Yeah.
Nick Wright:Like I just can't Yeah. So I thought the Amsterdam like montage trip was very very cool. I like the way they did that.
Sanjay Arman Kumar II:Yeah. I definitely agree that And I think that that comes under the the moment when they meet, the favorite author who's, Peter Van Hooten, played by Willem Dafoe. That's honestly one of the saddest scenes I'd say for me because, you know, they they spend this whole time going to Amsterdam and they're for the the main purpose to meet this author. And of course we know the main character Hazel, she's such a huge fan of of his book and just she goes there and meets him and is just presented with this just this toxic personality by the author that she wasn't expecting. You can just see in in the scene when she's All she wants to do is know what happens at the end of that book, you know, what happens to the character but he's just he's just giving the answer that she doesn't want and just really mistreating Yeah.
Nick Wright:It's terrible. Alright, you guys. Thank you so much for joining us to talk about The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, directed by Josh Boone. We can't wait for you guys to join us for another episode and yeah.
Sanjay Arman Kumar II:And yeah, thank you guys so much for for listening to to this episode. Highly recommend watching this film and even reading the book for sure because that's that's all John Green's mind, his own words. So anyone, if you're if you're someone who's battling cancer or know someone who's battled cancer, this is a great story that that can that gives you a a moment of allows you to be allows you to resonate with. Yeah.
Nick Wright:Gives you a moment of appreciation for it.
Sanjay Arman Kumar II:Yes.
Nick Wright:Yeah. Cool? Alright. You so much and I will put all information about Esther Earl and this whole background of the movie and where to watch this movie all in the description of this episode.
Sanjay Arman Kumar II:Nice. Thank you guys so much for listening to this episode and please stay tuned for our next appointment. Thank you.
