The Fault in Our Stars is a 2014 American coming-of-age romance film directed by Josh Boone from a screenplay by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, based on the 2012 novel of the same name by John Green. The film stars Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort, with Laura Dern, Sam Trammell, Nat Wolff, and Willem Dafoe in supporting roles. The story centers on a sixteen-year-old cancer patient, played by Woodley, forced by her parents to attend a support group, where she meets and subsequently falls in love with another cancer patient, played by Elgort.
Development began in January 2012 when Fox 2000 Pictures optioned the film adaptation rights to adapt the novel into a feature film. Principal photography began on August 26, 2013, in Pittsburgh, with a few additional days in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, before concluding on October 16. Pittsburgh doubled for all of the scenes set in Indianapolis, Indiana, the novel's setting, as well as for some interior scenes set in Amsterdam.
The Fault in Our Stars had its premiere at the Seattle International Film Festival on May 16, 2014, and was released in the United States on June 6, by 20th Century Fox. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise given to Woodley's and Elgort's performances and chemistry together, as well as the screenplay. The film was number one at the box office during its opening weekend and grossed over $307million worldwide against a production budget of $12million. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on September 16, 2014, and earned $42million in total domestic video sales.
Plot
Indianapolis teenager Hazel Grace Lancaster is living with thyroid cancer that has spread to her lungs. Believing she is depressed, her mother urges her to attend a weekly cancer patient support group. There, Hazel meets Augustus "Gus" Waters who is at the support group for his friend Isaac, who has eye cancer. Gus lost a leg to bone cancer but has since gone into remission. Hazel and Gus bond over their hobbies and agree to read each other's favorite books. Gus gives Hazel The Prince of Dawn, while Hazel recommends An Imperial Affliction, a novel about a cancer-stricken girl named Anna that parallels Hazel's own experience, but has an abrupt ending. Its author, Peter Van Houten, retreated to Amsterdam following the novel's publication and has not been heard from since.
Weeks later, Gus tells Hazel he has tracked down Van Houten's assistant, Lidewij, and has been corresponding with Van Houten via email. Van Houten says he is only willing to answer their questions in person. Gus then surprises Hazel with tickets to Amsterdam, acquired from a charity organization that fulfills the wishes of children with critical illnesses. After a medical setback, Hazel's doctors eventually allow the trip.
Hazel and Gus arrive in Amsterdam, where Gus confesses his love for Hazel during a romantic meal sponsored by Van Houten. The following afternoon, they go to Van Houten's house, but are shocked to discover he is a mean-spirited alcoholic. It is revealed that the emails from Van Houten had actually come from Lidewij, who arranged the meeting without Van Houten's knowledge. Van Houten taunts Hazel for seeking serious answers to a piece of fiction and belittles her medical condition. Distraught, the teens leave the residence, but Lidewij follows after them and invites them to go sightseeing to compensate for their ruined experience. The three of them visit the Anne Frank House, where Hazel and Gus share their first kiss. They return to Augustus' hotel room, where they lose their virginity to each other. The next day, after Gus and Hazel have breakfast with Hazel's mother, Frannie, and they both go for a walk before sitting down on a public bench, Gus reveals to Hazel that his cancer has returned, is spreading throughout his body, and is now terminal.