Is The Fault In Our Stars The Most Powerful Teen Film Of The Decade?

The Fault In Our Stars has been taking the world by storm, trending consistently across the internet and generating more buzz than the average internet-user can comfortably consume. What is it about The Fault In Our Stars that has both hardcore followers of John Green’s book and brand new fans so engaged?

For those of you who don’t know, The Fault In Our Stars follows the story of Hazel Grace Lancaster, a young student with lung cancer who meets the boy of her dreams, Augustus Waters, in a cancer support group. The two teens fall in love and spend their potentially fleeting time together exploring the larger issues of life: purpose, oblivion, infinity, etc. The upcoming film is based on the book The Fault In Our Stars by famous internet vlogger John Green of the vlogbrothers. While some fans of the original novel are complaining that The Fault In Our Stars film is not faithful to the original themes of the book, most people are ecstatic about the movie.

To put into perspective about how much of an impact this film has had before it has even premiered, The Huffington Post released an article suggesting that The Fault In Our Stars soundtrack is the new equivalent to the Breakfast Club soundtrack–a collection of music that reflected the mood and culture of the time. The article described the soundtrack as “formative,” meaning the soundtrack of The Fault In Our Stars will just as likely shape the lives of those who listen to it as it has been shaped by the youth of the generation.

But it’s not just the music of The Fault In Our Stars that’s causing a ripple effect through the media and the internet. The story itself is considered an overwhelmingly moving experience, full of laughter and (more frequently) tears. Bustle called The Fault In Our Stars film “the most sob-inducing film of the summer,” and interviewed the cast over what they thought were the most emotional moments in the movie. Shailene Woodley, who plays Hazel, shared her thoughts, which encapsulate the tone and themes of The Fault In Our Stars story:

“All of the people in the support group are cancer patients now, or are in remission… that was really emotional in such a beautiful way, we spent long days together, so it sort of felt like a family. It felt like we were there for a bigger reason than all of us, so that to me was incredibly emotional because it was so celebratory. It was a beautiful combination of art and real life and integrating real life into art.”

However, the success of The Fault In Our Stars may not be the sole result of the heartbreaking story or its culturally relevant music. The author of The Fault In Our Stars book, John Green, shared the secret to building a loyal audience with Fast Company, explaining how his fans have been with him from the start. Green established his community through sincerity, diligence, creativity, and by using his audience for good.

The Fault In Our Stars hits theaters June 6.