Nerdfighters around the world have been waiting in eager anticipation for the release of the trailer for “The Fault in Our Stars” film. The trailer was finally posted in Full HD on YouTube this past Wednesday, Jan. 29, after a lowquality leak the weekend prior.
“The Fault in Our Stars” (“TFIOS”) film is based off the book with the same title by the beloved young adult author John Green.
His YouTube channel, which was started with his brother Hank Green in January 2007, has created a community which calls itself “Nerdfighteria,” and its patrons “Nerdfighters.” Simply stated, being a Nerdfighter is embracing nerdiness.
John Green characterized this nerdiness best, "… nerds like us are allowed to be unironically enthusiastic about stuff… Nerds are allowed to love stuff, like jumpup- and-down-in-the-chair-can’t control- yourself love it… when people call people nerds, mostly what they’re saying is ‘you like stuff.’ Which is just not a good insult at all. Like, ‘you are too enthusiastic about the miracle of human consciousness’." And Nerdfighters were certainly “jump-up-and down-in-the-chair-can’t-control yourself” excited about the film actualization of Green’s, arguably, best novel thus far.
“TFIOS” is the fictional story of Hazel Grace Lancaster and her life upon meeting Augustus Waters, fellow cancer-kid, in a cancer support group; however, to marginalize the book as just another sad cancer story would be a disservice to the book, and hopefully to the film. Green is known for masterful depiction of teenagers, not as dopey-eyed fools, but as intellectual beings capable of profound thinking and conversation.
“TFIOS” spent seven consecutive weeks as #1 on the “New York Times” Best Seller list. The film stars Shailene Woodley as Hazel, a controversial casting decision amongst fans. The apprehensions were put aside after Green’s public vote of confidence, formed after auditions and several visits to the set where Green formed a personal relationship with the cast (featured on his You- Tube channel). Green is confident in “her depth of understanding” of the character. Furthermore, as Green stated on several occasions, “novelists do not cast movies.”
The trailer begins close-up on Woodley’s face, oxygen tubes and all. It then plays through a montage of scenes between Hazel Grace and Augustus Waters (Ansel Elgort) as they meet and inevitably fall in love. Exact quotations from the books are abundant, debatably to the point of excess.
The sound of One Republic’s “What You Wanted” plays in the background, providing another level of emotional anguish, as Hazel delivers lines like “Gus, I’m a grenade. One day I’m going to blow up and I’m going to obliterate everything in my wake”. Indie rock band Bright Eyes will provide the film’s score.
Some critics accuse the trailer of alluding, perhaps too heavy handedly, to many of the major plot points. This critique could and should be extended to the rest of Hollywood.
To say the trailer has been well received would be quite the understatement. Green called on fans to make live reaction videos to the trailer. The results, available for your viewing pleasure on YouTube.com, are spectacular, as you watch fan after fan gasp, and more often than not become reduced to a puddle of tears and “feels”.
“The Fault in Our Stars” will hit theaters this summer, June 6, 2014. I would recommend a box of tissues for this one.
