The Fault in Our Stars

It might make you laugh and it might make you cry, but the way it balances the two is what makes The Fault in Our Stars so effective.

This adaptation of the acclaimed novel by John Green about teenage lovers torn apart by cancer manages to transcend disease-of-the-week territory through sharp characters who avoid exploiting their afflictions for cheap emotional response.

The story follows Hazel (Shailene Woodley), a cancer survivor required to wheel an oxygen tank with her everywhere she goes, which has left her as something of a sharp-tongued recluse. She winds up bonding with Gus (Ansel Elgort) — whose cancer has gone into remission since his leg was amputated — over their disdain for a cheesy Christian support group.

With the support of Hazel’s mother (Laura Dern), they fall in love much as any other two teens would, and find a confidant in Isaac (Nat Wolff), whose cancer has left him near blindness. As their relationship deepens through an understanding of one another’s medical issues, they also reveal insecurities.

Gus also takes an interest in Hazel’s favorite book by a reclusive Dutch author (Willem Dafoe), and after an unlikely email exchange, the duo makes plans to visit the mysterious writer in Europe. But then the grave realities of cancer threaten both the trip and their relationship.

Fortunately, this tender and heartfelt romance from director Josh Boone (Stuck in Love) eschews cynicism and contains a hearty dose of comic relief to lighten the mood. Although it sometimes tries too hard to jerk tears and gets carried away with emotional speeches, the screenplay by the team of Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber (The Spectacular Now) is both funny and poignant, sometimes both at once.

The characters manage a genuine charm amid some of the contrivances. Their justifiable teen angst reveals an underlying truth beneath the sarcasm, quirks and impulses. They earn audience sympathy, rather than pity, through more than just a simple medical diagnosis.

Woodley and Elgort, who previously starred together in Divergent, convey a convincing chemistry thanks to performances that smartly blend strength and vulnerability.

There are some cutesy tendencies that might pander to a certain demographic, but this sensitively rendered adaptation should expand the enthusiastic young fan base for both Green and his book.

Rated PG-13, 126 minutes.