SLC-S25/W2-Movie Snapshots|Book to Screen (The Fault in Our Stars)

[screenshot from my device]

INTRODUCTION

Writing a Story that lives on Both Page and Screen, especially when written and performed well just don’t leave your mind after watching or reading them. When I saw the “Book to Screen” contest, I immediately knew I wanted to talk about this story. It’s not just because it was a book turned into a movie — it’s because it was done right.

The truth is, some people love reading, while others are more into watching. But when a book is turned into a movie, there's always that big question: Was the screen version worth it? Well, in this post, I’ll share my view on that, focusing on The Fault in Our Stars — a film that took a bestselling novel and made it even more emotional on screen.

I read the book first, and the emotions I felt stayed with me. Later, watching the movie only deepened that feeling. In fact, it’s one of the few screen adaptations I’ve seen that almost perfectly captured the soul of the book.

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Do you think, an idea is better written as a book/novel or acted out as a movie? And which do you prefer?

Do I Prefer the Book or the Movie?

This is always a tough question. When reading books, you connect with the characters, trying to imagine their feelings, how the situation affects them. But movies? They bring the fiction you try to understand to life, the expressions, behaviors characters, and everything that can be portrayed to be seen

For me, the book gave me a richer understanding of Hazel’s thoughts, her fears, and the way she saw life through the lens of her illness. But the movie delivered a wave of raw emotion. It showed me how deep love can be, even when life is short.

I can't choose one because both the book and the movie, portrayed it in their best ways, and I loved it.

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Watch any movie adapted from a book or novel

Movie Summary: The Fault in Our Stars

[screenshot from my device]

The story is about a 16-year-old girl with terminal cancer; Hazel Grace Lancaster. She’s smart, and prefers to be alone, mainly because she doesn’t want to be anyone’s “sad story.” She meets Augustus Waters, at a cancer support group a cancer survivor who was quite the opposite of what she was —charming, confident, and hopeful.

[screenshot from my device]

At first their connect started slow, but grew into something deep. As time went on, and lot of time spent together, they started to build a bond, especially their trip to amsterdam built their chemistry even more. What makes the story unique is that it embrace the characteristics of pain and death, but even with that, it did not define the characters.

[screenshot from my device]

There were emotional moments in the movie, from Hazel reading her favourite novel to Augustus, the peak was the heartbreaking letter at the end, it reminds us that no matter how short life is, when it is shared with the right person it will always be beautiful.

The Fault in Our Stars – Movie Details Table

Attribute	Details
Title	The Fault in Our Stars
Release Date	June 6, 2014 (United States)
Duration	2 hours 6 minutes
Genre	Romance, Drama
Director	Josh Boone
Main Stars	Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Nat Wolff, Laura Dern, Sam Trammell

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From the movie you have watched above, what can you say about the strength and weakness of the movie compared to the book/novel but if you have not read the book then tell us what captivated you the most in the movie and if you were to write a book on the movie how would that part be written to captivate the reader?

If I Were to Write This Movie into a Book

If I were Writing this movie into a book, there were scenes I would elaborate and focus more. The scene of Augustus confession to Hazel about his cancer health. But writing this in the book I would go deeper to how he struggled internally; his fear, disappointment, emphasizing most especially the desire to stay strong for her, but it got to a point that he could not hide the truth any longer

Another part would be their time in Amsterdam. The film did well showing the beautiful streets and the emotional meeting with the author, but in a book, I’d expand on the feelings, the awkward silences, and the unspoken hope they both had during that trip. A chapter in Hazel’s voice, just walking alongside Augustus down the roads, thinking about whether this was their only trip together — it would be deeply moving.

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Strengths and Weaknesses of the Adaptation

To be honest adapting a movie from a book are always hard. Looking at most of the adaptations in recent years, the mess up completely derailing entirely from the main aim of the book. But this movie: The fault in our stars did a great job, even though there were slight weakness, but overall they did well.

Strengths:

• The casting for the movie was perfect. Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort became Hazel and Augustus, as they were able to deliver their roles perfectly. Their chemistry wasn’t forced — it felt real and natural.
• The dialogue stayed true to the book. A lot of the lines were lifted straight from the pages, especially the most emotional ones.
• The soundtrack added a whole new layer of emotion. Every song felt like it belonged to that exact moment.

Weaknesses:

• Like most adaptations, the depth of thought in the book didn’t fully come through. Hazel’s inner voice — which was so strong and honest in the novel — this was not really the case in the movie, as it was more quieter.
• The side characters like Isaac and Hazel’s parents weren’t explored as deeply. In the book, they gave more dimension to the main story. On screen, they were just background sometimes.

Still, these flaws weren’t enough to ruin it. If anything, they just reminded me why books and movies are different, and why each one needs its own kind of attention.

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(Book vs. Screen)

In the movie there’s a scene where Augustus tells Hazel, “I’m in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void…” whereas In the book, that scene comes with long paragraphs where Hazel reflects on how terrified she is to love someone who could disappear. If you read it slowly, you would understand her fear

In the movie, that same scene happens with tears, pauses, and a shaky voice. It’s shorter, but the actors' performances say more than words ever could. That’s where movies win — ina expressions.

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What This Story Teaches

This movie is more than just a love story, The Fault in Our Stars reminds us that life is not measured by how long it last, but by how deeply we live it. Augustus didn’t live long, but he left something lasting in Hazel. And Hazel, despite all her suffering, she learned how to let someone in. It teaches that no matter what we face we could actually share our problems, "as a problem shared is a problem half-solved"

While I watched this movie I thought about how we avoid deep connections out of fear of loss. But this story shows that even though fear is real, love conquers all.

Final Reflections

Whether Book or movie; The Fault in Our Stars succeeds either way. The book gives you time to think and connect, and the movie makes you feel and visualize instantly. Both formats brought something special, and I’m glad I experienced both.

I'll never forget this story, not because it made me cry, but because it made me grateful for health, for time, for love, for life and for the power of storytelling.

Stories like this should continue to be told, whether through pages or on screen. Because it has one one important goal at the end which is to touch lives

@imohmitch @promisezella @us-andrew are all invited to participate in this contest.