Why Chasing Forever Isn't Realistic: Review of The Fault in Our Stars
What up, readers?? Happy Mondayyyyyy :) it's officially halfway through June! Where the heck is time going??? Goodness. So, over the weekend, I FINALLY hopped on the movie bandwagon and saw The Fault in Our Stars as a family outing. After reading all the reviews on the book (which I do plan on getting and hopefully do a comparison between the two soon after I complete the book), semi stalking my friends' tweets about how much Kleenex that went through after and the movie promo popping up on TV every 2.54034 seconds, I figured that I should probably go see it to satisfy the universe lol. Usually, I don't like to see 'based-on' movies until I've actually read the book, but with this movie, the universe just was not having it!
Approximately 3 pm: So there I was with my Sprite and Reese cup at the Alliance movie theater, anxiously waiting and uncertain of what to expect. Would I cry like a two year old that lost her favorite blankie? Would I awe like I'd just seen the cutest little furry friend with their big eyes of wonderment, begging you to just love them, even if it's only a little while? Would I feel anger that the grand, raw amorous affair of Hazel Lancaster and Augustus Waters would ultimately end much, much too soon?? I was gonna learn soon enough.
Approximately 5:15 pm: What I ended up getting out of it was a nice waveture of tears and sniffling noses, several laughs and this sense of awakening and comfort. But here's the kicker: I hadn't shed one single tear. Not one little sniffle or salted body drop had leaked from either eye of mine. Instead, I had felt.....at ease. I felt comforted. Inspired, alive even. Yet, I had unexpectedly remained more silent. But not the 'I can't believe that it ended that way' silent, but the 'It's insane how a 2 hour film can impact me that much' silent.. One part of the movie that resonated with me the most was a short picnic scene. One character, reeling back from an unexpected twist of fear, suddenly felt a bit worthless, as if their dream of leaving an impressionable stamp on the world for many generations to reminisce upon was suddenly crashing down, and they couldn't pick up the pieces to make that dream a reality. What they thought was their forever had turned its back on them, leaving them out in the cold to suffer. The other party with this character had disagreed and went on to say that anyone's solid forever can easily crash and instead of wondering about HOW MANY will remember you, the focus should be on WHO will remember you. The forever seeking to fulfill unrealistic expectations and to ingrain your presence into every single person's psyche is virtually pointless when you've got something great and unmatchable right in front of your face.
From beginning to the very end, Augustus & Hazel had given up themselves to simply plant a smile on the other one's face, though the terminality of cancer threatened to tear them apart forever. It was a beautiful tragedy to watch unfold, to see these two teens still seek the opportunity of love though one could die at any given moment. They made it their mission to never forget about the other person, no matter what happened to either. They knew in their minds, souls and hearts that they wouldn't get a typical shot at forever, but boy did their short time together give them something that I don't believe that either of them truly expected. They didn't have to chase forever, because in my mind, forever had already found them: a cancer tainted renditon of it.
Watching this film reminded me of a few things in actuality [the one that may be meant to change your life usually comes when we least expect it, that selflessness is more beautiful than selfishness, and that cancer just plain sucks] , but the biggest lesson I had learned is that life is not about the HOW MANY will know of you, but WHO will know and WHY they will know of you. How many of us can honestly say that we practice that? To be so fearless and determined to honor, respect and cherish the presence of someone else, though at any fragment of time, they could be gone?? To choose to be the best you that you can be for an audience of one that genuinely loves all segments of us opposed to half-assing for 500 that kinda-sorta care right now?? Not very many, including myself. So many moments, we decide to run and search, hoping that all people will be right there waiting to adore us, love us and remember us for all time. We are a selfish people as a whole, to be totally honest. And as much as we want to hold onto the notion that we're owed everything we feel deserve, I must say that it's unhealthy to have this mentality. The Fault in Our Stars very well demonstrated that to me by showing me how fatally flawed I actually am.
So as you go on about the rest of week: I challenge you all to do this: for a small amount of time, be appreciative of where you are right now in life and where you can potentially go. Because someone else out there is fighting each and every second for just a small sliver of a normal forever instead of a pain filled , broken rendition.
If you're thinking of seeing The Fault in Our Stars, I'd definitely recommend it 100%! WARNING: You may wan to pack some Kleenex lol :}
Approximately 3 pm: So there I was with my Sprite and Reese cup at the Alliance movie theater, anxiously waiting and uncertain of what to expect. Would I cry like a two year old that lost her favorite blankie? Would I awe like I'd just seen the cutest little furry friend with their big eyes of wonderment, begging you to just love them, even if it's only a little while? Would I feel anger that the grand, raw amorous affair of Hazel Lancaster and Augustus Waters would ultimately end much, much too soon?? I was gonna learn soon enough.
Approximately 5:15 pm: What I ended up getting out of it was a nice waveture of tears and sniffling noses, several laughs and this sense of awakening and comfort. But here's the kicker: I hadn't shed one single tear. Not one little sniffle or salted body drop had leaked from either eye of mine. Instead, I had felt.....at ease. I felt comforted. Inspired, alive even. Yet, I had unexpectedly remained more silent. But not the 'I can't believe that it ended that way' silent, but the 'It's insane how a 2 hour film can impact me that much' silent.. One part of the movie that resonated with me the most was a short picnic scene. One character, reeling back from an unexpected twist of fear, suddenly felt a bit worthless, as if their dream of leaving an impressionable stamp on the world for many generations to reminisce upon was suddenly crashing down, and they couldn't pick up the pieces to make that dream a reality. What they thought was their forever had turned its back on them, leaving them out in the cold to suffer. The other party with this character had disagreed and went on to say that anyone's solid forever can easily crash and instead of wondering about HOW MANY will remember you, the focus should be on WHO will remember you. The forever seeking to fulfill unrealistic expectations and to ingrain your presence into every single person's psyche is virtually pointless when you've got something great and unmatchable right in front of your face.
From beginning to the very end, Augustus & Hazel had given up themselves to simply plant a smile on the other one's face, though the terminality of cancer threatened to tear them apart forever. It was a beautiful tragedy to watch unfold, to see these two teens still seek the opportunity of love though one could die at any given moment. They made it their mission to never forget about the other person, no matter what happened to either. They knew in their minds, souls and hearts that they wouldn't get a typical shot at forever, but boy did their short time together give them something that I don't believe that either of them truly expected. They didn't have to chase forever, because in my mind, forever had already found them: a cancer tainted renditon of it.
Watching this film reminded me of a few things in actuality [the one that may be meant to change your life usually comes when we least expect it, that selflessness is more beautiful than selfishness, and that cancer just plain sucks] , but the biggest lesson I had learned is that life is not about the HOW MANY will know of you, but WHO will know and WHY they will know of you. How many of us can honestly say that we practice that? To be so fearless and determined to honor, respect and cherish the presence of someone else, though at any fragment of time, they could be gone?? To choose to be the best you that you can be for an audience of one that genuinely loves all segments of us opposed to half-assing for 500 that kinda-sorta care right now?? Not very many, including myself. So many moments, we decide to run and search, hoping that all people will be right there waiting to adore us, love us and remember us for all time. We are a selfish people as a whole, to be totally honest. And as much as we want to hold onto the notion that we're owed everything we feel deserve, I must say that it's unhealthy to have this mentality. The Fault in Our Stars very well demonstrated that to me by showing me how fatally flawed I actually am.
So as you go on about the rest of week: I challenge you all to do this: for a small amount of time, be appreciative of where you are right now in life and where you can potentially go. Because someone else out there is fighting each and every second for just a small sliver of a normal forever instead of a pain filled , broken rendition.
If you're thinking of seeing The Fault in Our Stars, I'd definitely recommend it 100%! WARNING: You may wan to pack some Kleenex lol :}
I haven't seen it, but now I want to. So sad the story deals with cancer. I had my brother-in-law recently pass from cancer and my sister's heart aches for him everyday. It truly is a horrible disease.
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you, thanks for the post! xos
oh no problem! it's a excellent book adaptation, so if you haven't read the book, i recommend it! I plan on doing a comparison between the two as soon as my copy comes in and I read it
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