Entertainment
'TFIOS' or 'A Walk to Remember?'
I hope you're stocking up on Kleenex, because you're going to need it. The Fault in Our Stars officially premieres on June 6, and it seems like the entire world is just waiting to sob along with the film version of John Green's Hazel and Gus. I know I am — after months of anticipation, I am emotionally prepared for the roller coaster of feelings I know The Fault in Our Stars will take me on. Consider me committed to the cry-fest.
Another film which demands waterproof mascara and a box of tissues on hand? The insanely melodramatic (yet still SO therapeutic) A Walk to Remember. Before The Fault in Our Stars, (hell, before The Notebook) we relied on this tearjerker at sleepovers. Based on the Nicholas Sparks novel of the same name, this was the quintessential romance of the '00s, starring two people who seem locked in to that decade forever: Shane West and Mandy Moore. Like The Fault in Our Stars, the story revolves around a romance between two teens, one of whom pushes her boyfriend away when she learns that her cancer has come back in full force. Sure, it's a saccharine and cheesy movie, but come on. It's kind of awesome, right?
Since the two movies have a similar story structure, I made a quiz for ya. Will you be able to tell which quote is from a review of The Fault in Our Stars and which is from A Walk to Remember? Take our quiz below to find out.
The Leading Ladies
A. "If any teenager can reasonably be described as 'ordinary,”;then 16-year-old ______ is far from it. A cancer survivor since the age of 13, she’s fully in possession of both keen intelligence and sharp wit, if not her health — a challenging combination for a kid who could clearly do with a few more friends than she actually has."
B. "The movie is not content to make ______ a good girl; she must be a martyr as well. I don't think I'm spoiling anything. Midway through the movie, ______ says to ______, ''I warned you not to fall in love with me.''
ANSWER: A is a review of The Fault in Our Stars and B is one for A Walk to Remember. Come on, you really can't compare Jamie to Hazel Grace.
The Story
A. "[D]on't dismiss this drama as a chick-flick tearjerker. That only trivializes a refreshingly witty and tender romance for the ages. One that, despite its few flaws, will be cued up over and over even though that ending will never change. Scratch that. It will be cued up over and over because that ending will never change."
B. "This horrific teen romance-cum-weepie is best watched from between your fingers, or from under your seat, or perhaps standing outside the cinema looking in the opposite direction, or maybe lying on the surface of Pluto wearing a blindfold."
ANSWER: A is The Fault in Our Stars, B is A Walk to Remember (and also, like, way harsh.)
The Romance
A. "______ is a love story so sweet, sincere and positive that it sneaks past the defenses built up in this age of irony. It tells the story of a romance between two 18-year-olds that is summarized when the boy tells the girl's doubtful father: "_____ has faith in me. She makes me want to be different. Better."
B. "_____ behaves like most teen girls (and some adults, for that matter) on the cusp of a potentially big love: She holds vigil by her [phone] waiting for _____ to text her after their first date, gets antsy when he doesn't, smiles when he does, then amps up her finest flirtatious banter to seal the deal."
ANSWER: A is A Walk to Remember, and, hey, look, the reviewer didn't totally loathe this movie! B is The Fault in Our Stars and I'm already giddy to see Hazel and Gus' adorable texting flirtations.
The Message
A. "Everyone will get something out of this – but especially those who’ve been working themselves over for months to years on end because of something that was out of their hands. Find happiness where you can, push on even when you think you can’t, and keep the tragic losses locked behind the padlock guarding your heart – after all, they’re yours."
B. "One indication of ______'s reformation is that he tunes out Missy Elliott's naughty ''Get Ur Freak On'' in favor of Christian pop. The movie's deep message seems to be that bad music is good for you."
ANSWER: A is The Fault in Our Stars and B is A Walk to Remember, but if you didn't know that, I can't help you.
The Fault in Our Stars hits theaters June 6.
Images: Temple Hill Entertainment, servingupsarcasm/tumblr, mrs-daryldixon/tumblr, scarthings/tumblr, ifonlyyouknewhow/tumblr,