Directed by Justin Baldoni, Five Feet Apart follows Stella Grant, played by Haley Lu Richardson. She is like every other seventeen-year-old, but she ill. She spends a great deal of time living in a hospital because she is a cystic fibrosis patient.
She has best friends, and she seems pretty happy except when her illness brings her way down. She lives her life, which is full of limitations and self-control if she wants to stay alive.
The point of the story is that all the things that keep her alive and relatively happy are put to the test when she meets an impossibly charming fellow, who is also a CF patient. His name is Will Newman, played by Cole Sprouse. They instantly become attracted to each other, though restrictions dictate maintaining a safe distance between them. The relationship intensifies, and so does the temptation to throw the limitations out the window and embrace that attraction they share.
Added to the story is Will rebels against the medical treatment, and Stella steps up and helps him understand he needs to live. He needs to live a fulfilling life.
The movie is a tearjerker and reminds me of the book and movie Fault in Our Stars. The ending might be just as sad but uplifting as John Green’s story.
I am having a hard time wrapping my wits around this movie. The trailers are not grabbing me in the least because I feel the movie will end sadly like John Green’s book, which I have mentioned before.
A new poster is released, and a trailer along with it. I am still not convinced this movie will do well. I am sure it ends on a downer like The Fault in Our Stars. The post shows the two main characters five feet apart, and the title is Five Feet Apart, but the nurse in the trailers says six feet apart. The first poster shows them close as can be. I am not quite sure what that means, but it is a discrepancy.
The studio blocked some clips that told more of the story and the relationship that builds without giving away the ending. The ending is crucial and will make it a great movie or not. The point is movies about terminal illness end sadly.
The following two features explain why the director wanted to make this movie. He relates to terminal illness by meeting a young woman who had this disease. This is a tough movie to make and even tougher to watch.
The interviews tell you about the story, and this is a spoiler alert. The producer praises Richardson for being bubbly with “sparks” in her eyes. Watching her interview, she is smart and knows her character.
Not only is the director nice eye candy, but he is also a great guy. He knows this story and is passionate about the situation people with this disease go through in general.
The character Will is hard for me to like or appreciate because he is always whining. The interview with Sprouse, who see a totally different person. In the interview, he talks about how Will is feeling sorry for himself. I am impressed.