‘The Fault In Our Stars’ Poster Hits And Sparks Controversy

When it was announced that John Green’s novel The Fault in Our Stars was going to be adapted into a film, it seemed like the internet was buzzing with excitement. Now that director Josh Boone finished shooting the film, we finally have a first look at the star-crossed lovers who are also stricken with life threatening cancer.

The poster for The Fault in Our Stars has finally been revealed, and for some people, the tagline is hitting a nerve. Everyone expected The Fault in Our Stars to hit people hard, but it didn’t seem like there would be any kind of controversy surrounding the film. Now that the poster is out, its tagline, which reads, “one sick love story” is receiving a bit of backlash.

The Fault in Our Stars is about two teenagers who meet at a cancer support group for youths. The two share a love for unconventional tastes, books, and music. The real jump off point is when Hazel (Shailene Woodley) realizes that she has fallen in love with Gus (Ansel Elgort) and that this relationship might change her life.

Obviously a story about two teenagers who are in love and are succumbing to cancer is already a trigger for some people, but most assume every ounce of the film is handled with delicacy, and that includes the poster. While personally the tagline doesn’t spark any outrage, there are some who are angered and think it’s an insensitive message to put on the poster.

Fortunately the author, John Green, has come forward to defend the artistic choice of the text. Green decided to take to his tumblr page to address the matter:

“I like the tag line. I found it dark and angry in the same way that [the main character] Hazel is (at least at times) dark and angry in her humor. I mostly wanted something that said, ‘This is hopefully not going to be a gauzy, sentimental love story that romanticizes illness and further spreads the lie that the only reason sick people exist is so that healthy people can learn lessons.’ But that’s not a very good tag line. I like the tag line because it says, literally, the sick can also have love stories. Love and joy and romance are not just things reserved for the well.”

When The Inquisitr sat down with director Josh Boone back in June to speak about his film Stuck In Love, he seemed to be very moved with the original text for The Fault in Our Stars, and there wasn’t a question or doubt that he wouldn’t serve the novel justice.

At the time Boone said:

“The book is just so important to so many people that I want to make sure it’s as truthful as it can be.

What do you think about the poster for The Fault in Our Stars?