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Review: The Fault in Our Stars

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"Men at some time are masters of their fates.
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves..."

So says Cassius in the famous line from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. The lesson he imparts on the conflicted Brutus is that we have the ability, and in fact the responsibility, to reclaim our lives from a destiny written in the stars and instead forge our own fortunes; that a life worth living is not bestowed by providence, but pursued by those who have the courage to do so.

In The Fault in Our Stars, Gus thinks this way also and, just as Cassius passes this mindset on to Brutus, so Gus is inspired to share his worldview with Hazel. Both Gus and Hazel are victims of cancer - Gus is a survivor, minus one leg, while Hazel remains in the midst of her battle - and, despite being too tragically young to have to do so, both are forced to deal with notions of life and death and destiny as normal parts of their day-to-day existence.

In this, the title gives even more weight to its free-will origins; the characters have even less choice in their circumstances than those without as debilitating a disease as cancer. But Gus's energy and enthusiasm to choose a life well lived, and for Hazel to join him, helps to redeem the two from the void of inescapable oblivion. Together, things are "okay." And in fact, that word becomes their eternal metaphor, their symbol of always and forever.

While filled with a number of other characters, the film focuses on the fates of Hazel and Gus and, as such, the weight of The Fault in Our Stars falls on the shoulders of actors Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort (Carrie). Elgort gives an earnest performance, winning audiences (or at least all the high school girls in the theater I was in) over with his easy charm.

But it is Woodley, the best part of 2011's The Descendants and star of last year's The Spectacular Now, who had such a passion for the book that, upon hearing of a movie adaptation, wrote a letter to author John Green and director Josh Boone (Stuck in Love), begging to be in the film. Her zeal for the story and the character of Hazel are undeniable. It's a largely subdued performance, but a true one that carries the hearts of viewers along with Hazel through triumph and tragedy.

Though the chemistry between Woodley and Elgort is undeniable, it's not quite enough to maintain the momentum of a two-hour film. I haven't read the book, but I assume more happens on the pages than what occurs on the screen. I say this because, despite the strong performances, not much happens for the majority of The Fault in Our Stars. Oh, the movie certainly picks up in a stirring climax which delivers delivers both strong performances and genuine emotional weight, but even the epilogue is a somewhat drawn out endeavor, as if the filmmakers themselves weren't sure how to cope with finality.

Yet in being neither overwhelming nor underwhelming, the film reveals itself to be an authentic portrayal of love and loss. The movie is just okay, and I find that to be, well, okay and more than okay. We live most of our lives in the realm of okay. The Fault in Our Stars meets us there, shows us the bravery and beauty found in ordinary moments and ordinary relationships, and reminds us to find the extraordinary in all that is and always will be nothing more and nothing less than okay. Our destiny lies not in the stars, for our lives are no fault of theirs, but in our own hands to make of it what we will.

The Final Word: 3/4 - Go buy a matinee ticket.