“The Fault in Our Stars” surpassed all expectations during its opening weekend. It opened in theaters June 6 and in just one weekend, it grossed more than $48 million in the U.S. according to IMDb.

The film was directed by Josh Boone and starred the fresh young faces of Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort as well as a couple of classic actors including Laura Dern and Willem Defoe. My favorite acting by far came from Nat Wolff as the character Isaac.

The film follows Hazel Lancaster, a 16-year-old with a particular thyroid cancer whose lungs have taken so much damage that she is bound to her oxygen tank. She begrudgingly attends a cancer support group according to her mother’s wishes. There she meets Augustus Waters, a boy her age who lost his leg to osteosarcoma and has been cancer free for fourteen months. The two bond over a particular book titled “An Imperial Affliction” and the story unfolds from there.

Sometimes, I come away from a movie adaptation of a novel feeling disappointed at the amount cut away from the story. But that certainly was not the case with this adaptation of “The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green. Mostly, I think, due to his consistent presence on the movie set as a consult. The movie does very well standing on its own. You will not need to read the book to enjoy the movie.

The plot was easy to follow, but a bit fast paced, as there was much to cover in the two hour running time.

The story was relatable and very real. Multiple times during the film, Hazel mentions that she feels like “a grenade” giving notion to the harsh realities of dealing with cancer.

The movie also included a wonderful soundtrack including tracks by the artists Ed Sheeran, Charli XCX and Grouplove.

“The Fault in Our Stars” was a wonderful movie full of metaphors and abrupt endings. I truly enjoyed it and walked out of the theaters feeling fully satisfied. I give this movie 5 out of 5 stars.