Dove Review

“The Fault in Our Stars” is a poignant and moving story about two teens that meet in a support group and fall in love. They both have known great pain as Hazel (Shailene Woodley) and Gus (Ansel Elgort) have had a close shave with cancer. “Hazel Grace” as Gus calls her has to carry oxygen around with her and Gus has a prosthetic leg, his original one lost to the cancer. They make each other laugh and both share an acerbic wit. They begin their relationship by sharing their favorite books with one another.

Gus helps make it possible for them to travel to Amsterdam, along with Hazel’s mother (Laura Dern), to meet the author of Hazel’s favorite book, and for her to ask him questions, like what happened after the conclusion of his book? The movie shows how important it is to realize one’s dreams while there is still time. The point is made that on a scale one to ten, that it is a ten to lose someone close to you. Despite the strong performances by the two leads, and the moving moments in the film, there are sadly a few strong utterances of language not to mention sex outside of marriage so we are unable to award this film our Dove “Family-Approved” Seal.

Dove Rating Details

0

Faith

None

0

Integrity

A character pulls out in front of another car; character drives into trash cans; character smashes objects including a trophy; a character knocks a drink from the hand of another character in anger; a character eggs his former girlfriend's car; the cover of a video game shows a soldier aiming a rifle.

3

Sex

Sex between an unmarried couple; a few couples and a couple kisses passionately in a museum; a clothed girl straddles her clothed boyfriend; a young man gropes his girlfriend's clothed breast; a few sexual comments; kissing by more than one couple.

4

Language

GD-2; G/OMG-24; F-1; S/BS-7; H-4; B-2; Slang for breasts-1; Slang for testicles-1; A-2; SOB-1; PO-1; "Sucks" is uttered several times; Loser-1; Freaking-1; a few "douche" comments.

2

Violence

A character pulls out in front of another car; character drives into trash cans; character smashes objects including a trophy; a character knocks a drink from the hand of another character in anger; a character eggs his former girlfriend's car; the cover of a video game shows a soldier aiming a rifle.

2

Drugs

Wine or champagne is seen on TV; a cancer patient is seen receiving a shot a couple of times; a nurse tells patient she can be put on more medication and the girl kids that she will be like the Keith Richards of cancer; a character kids she needs a fake ID so that she could drink gimlets and "take pot" and her father tells her you don't "take pot"; wine and drinking of champagne in restaurant; character orders a scotch and water; character buys bottle of champagne and she and other character drink some of it; a character drinks from a flask a few times and another character comments about him being drunk; a few characters have unlit cigarettes hanging in their mouths; a character leaves a pack of cigarettes on a casket; a large pipe is seen on a character's shirt.

2

Nudity

Cleavage; woman takes bra off but nothing graphic is seen; shirtless man; woman seen in towel; woman seen in bra; bare shoulders of man and woman seen as they are in separate hot tubs on TV.

2

Other

The issue of dealing with physical problems including cancer; death and grief; characters deal with sickness due to their health issues including a character's nose running; a character says she believes in God but not angels and she hopes for an afterlife; a father lies to a girl's boyfriend and says she is sleeping when she's not because she is afraid of the boyfriend getting attached to her only to lose her; a couple of people seem amused by a young man who has a Jesus rug in the church basement where the support group meets and talks about being in the heart of Jesus.