In terms of dealing with mortality and teenage dramas, this film really puts The Fault in Our Stars to shame. Whereas John Green's adaptation is full of teenage cliches and unrealistic romances, Justin Baldoni's Five Feet Apart is a great example of how to make an entertaining and emotional drama for honestly any type of audience. This film still relies heavily on the genre elements that it is placed into, but it stands out among many others due to its actual authenticity blended with what audiences want to see. However, I feel like at this point, audiences crave stories like these to simply get a good cry out and feel better about themselves ("thank god I don't have that disease"), which this movie definitely accomplishes. With a fantastic performance from Haley Lu Richardson and a not-up-to-par performance from Cole Sprouse, this movie actually surprised me at how well-made and compelling it was.
Stella (Haley Lu Richardson) is a patient at a hospital undergoing an experimental treatment for cystic fibrosis, a life-threatening disease that affects the lungs and prevents a good majority of human interaction, especially with others carrying the same ailment. When Will (Cole Sprouse) arrives at the hospital for the same treatment, the two meet, bond and fight over different things, and expectedly fall in love. If this plot already seems overdone, that's because it is; but what makes this film stand out amongst the rest of these types of stories is the fact that the characters are actually handled with grace. In other films of this dramatic genre, there is a typical plot triangle that the story follows, and the two leads usually end up being saved by some form of miracle and realizing their true feelings for each other. While Five Feet Apart still contains this generic triangle, the many details that go into the plot are what make it special. Stella and Will, while mildly stereotypical in their personalities, interact with each other as actual people would. The dialogue is actually genuine and the whole cast of the hospital staff are doing their jobs as well, both in terms of medical duties and furthering the story. I loved how their relationship developed throughout this film and the many heart-dropping twists and turns only added to that.
The ending of this film may be my favorite aspect, however. Like previously mentioned, this movie does not pander to the audience at all by being too mushy or wondrous. There are no secret miracle cures for Stella or Will, there are no ways to escape their condition, and while the ending may be sweet, it certainly isn't happy. Despite all of these negative plot points, the ending was real. The conclusion of this film is something that would actually happen in reality, given the two main characters' conditions. Miracle endings may lift audiences' spirits, but in this genre of film, I find it better to stick to the hard truth; it just depends on how well the story is told. Given these characters' stories and relationship together, the ending was a great balance of sweet and sorrowful. Thanks to Baldoni's smooth direction and Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis' sweet writing, this was executed perfectly. As for our two leads, Richardson gives an incredibly touching performance as Stella. She is such a versatile actress and her soft, tender, side was displayed excellently. Sprouse, on the other hand, was not nearly as emotional. His role packed the same, sad, punch, but I do not feel he was the best choice for this role. If he gave at least half of the performance that Richardson did, I might be a little more sold on their time together. The only thing I could feel from him was his stale, gazing, Riverdale-vibe that has refused to move on from his childhood, Disney days.
Five Feet Apart may have the typical, crucial, plot point that revolves around the title (usually in a line of dialogue), but fortunately, that does not detract from this movie's impact whatsoever. Even though this film does not escape the grasp of teenage dramas, I really appreciated how the writer and director handled this story: by adding in just the right touch of genuine human interaction. And a quick note: don't wear mascara.
My Rating: ★★★
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