Movie Night: The Fault in Our Stars
Hazel Grace Lancaster is seventeen and has cancer. Her life is hardly fantastic, but she’s coping. Everything changes however when she goes to a cancer support group and meets Augustus Waters, a fellow sufferer, whom she forms a connection with. They bond over Hazel’s favorite novel, An Imperial Affliction, and grow closer through their mutual wisdom beyond their years and their fears for the future.
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Hazel doesn’t want to fall in love with Gus—she knows that if she does, she’ll only break his heart when she dies. However, when the two decide to make a trip to Amsterdam to seek out the mysterious author of An Imperial Affliction, they’ll find out that certain things are just meant to be.
The Fault in Our Stars is a difficult film to watch, but it’s also considered by many an exquisite piece of film-making. Consider it for the next movie night with your older children and teens.
Please note: this PG-13 film contains mature themes. In order to evaluate whether or not it’s appropriate for your family, we recommend watching it first and/or using the Kids-in-Mind website.
Discussion Questions
- As with any film adapted from a book, how do you think the adaptation compares to the novel if you’ve read it? How important is it to read the source material before watching a movie based on it?
- At the beginning, Hazel doesn’t want to pursue a relationship with Gus in case she dies and breaks his heart. Which is better in your view: to love someone and lose them or never to love them at all?
- Do you believe the film is respectful in its depiction of cancer patients? Explain.
- Stories like The Fault in Our Stars might be considered “cathartic” (a work of art that provides psychological relief through the expression of strong emotions). Why do you think people appreciate films that make them cry?
- The title comes from a Shakespeare quote: “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, / But in ourselves,” although this isn’t explained in the film. Is it a good title? Why or why not.
Additional Resources
Dutch Recipes – Try these delicious Dutch dishes.
Faulty math in the Fault in our Stars? – “Some infinities are bigger than other infinities” but maybe not in the way you might think.
Shakespeare Inspired Novel Titles – Want more Shakespearean titles? Here, have a bunch!
Learn language arts naturally with the Fault in Our Stars Boomerang!
The Boomerang is a monthly digital downloadable product that features copywork and dictation passages from a specific read aloud novel. It is geared toward 8th to 10th graders (ages 12—advanced, 13-15) and is the indispensable tool for Brave Writer parents who want to teach language arts in a natural, literature-bathed context.
