Why Do We Watch Movies Like The Fault in Our Stars?

Disclaimer: I'm cheating this week. I read a book that I could talk about, but I'd much rather talk about the movie that I just watched last night. I figure I'm not cheating too much (as the movie is based on John Green's The Fault in Our Stars), but I'm definitely cheating at least a little (as I haven't read the book yet).

Let me begin by saying that I loved the movie (and once again mention that I haven't read the book yet. I can't comment on how good of an adaptation it was. But, I have on good authority from my sister that it is an excellent adaptation of the novel). The story was powerful, the acting was incredible, and you couldn't help but keep thinking about the theme, characters, and catharsis of the film.

But, I also couldn't help but wonder; why we do this to ourselves? Why do we watch movies like The Fault in Our Stars? Why do we read books like The Fault in Our Stars? Do we like to be sad? Do we enjoy watching other people suffer? Do we not have enough troubles in our lives that we have to go experience the fictional struggles of made-up characters?

I don't think that is it at all. I think there are plenty of reasons to go see and experience these types of books and movies, and they aren't near as cynical and cruel as my last paragraph. I think some of it is curiosity, some of it is having our own experiences and suffering validated and experienced on the silver screen, and some of it is because these movies and books are typically put together better than others.

However, the main reason I came up with last night is this; we watch these stories about dying because it reminds us to get living, and to do it better than we have been. This motif has been told, sung, and retold, and resung a million different ways; but it hit me afresh last night.

We go to see movies like The Fault in Our Stars because we need that reminder that life is painful, unfair, and twisted. We go to see movies like The Fault in Our Stars because we need that reminder that life is beautiful, unexpected, and worthwhile. We go to see movies like The Fault in Our Stars because we need to be removed from our routines for an hour and a half and actually evaluate how we've been living, rather than just what we've been doing. We go to see movies like The Fault in Our Stars because our pain is real, but so is the truth that life is worth living anyways.

Time-Crossed Lovers

A Book Blurt on Timeless by Alexandra Monir.

Why did I read it?

I get the chance to sneak a peak at many of the new YA books added to our collection before they hit the shelves, and this one caught my eye. The tagline read, “What if the person you’re meant to be with lives in another time?” It sounded interesting.

What happened?

Michele Windsor is the daughter of an exiled heiress. When her mother was young, she fell in love with a man who was wonderfully old-fashioned and traditionally romantic, and ran away with him, cutting herself off from her wealthy parents. But, after a short time together, he disappeared, and the only thing that made it bearable was her baby daughter. As the book opens, Michele’s mother is taken in a tragic car accident, and Michele is sent to live with her grandparents who probably ruined her parent’s relationship. Her cold grandparents and high-class classmates don’t make the loss of her mother any easier. But then, Michele is accidently sent back in time through a key her father owned, and she sees him, Philip Walker, the man of her dreams. Even though he is the only one that can see her, she has to find a way to be near him, because he is the only thing worth living for.

What did I like or not like?

I loved the historical detail and twists and turns through time. In an effort to get back to Philip, Michele visits the Gilded age, the Roaring Twenties, and the World War II years. Each time the story gets more interesting, more layered, and reveals more about Michele’s mysterious father and past. The love story itself is sweet, and hoping that the time-crossed lovers will eventually end up together keeps you reading.