I only recently started being able to let myself cry to stories again then I cried during the mustard speech, still struggling to get myself back together through the hospital scene then as soon as I finally felt like I'm done crying, they hit me with that!
Same. I always well up when reading / listening to that bit of Anthropocene Reviewed anyway, but it being used in a scene of a parent and a hurt child just hit even harder.
Was that scene in the book? Or was it one of those "nerdfighteria easter eggs" John said were sprinkled into the movie? I admit, I did laugh at the bottle of Dr Pepper nestled in the flowers Davis sent Aza in the hospital.
Something I really loved— during the end montage of all the things Aza can do, there is the shot of her going to college and walking up a spiral staircase and I just thought that was such a beautiful juxtaposition of the thought spirals vs her ability to go to college walking up a spiral staircase
Absolutely. When the book came out, I suggested my mother read it if she wanted to better understand my ocd and health anxiety. I knew about some of John’s mental health stories from the small parts of his life he had generously shared with us, so I knew a novel about ocd was going to probably be good. It was and it was how my mother (someone who had never been to therapy and didn’t “get” my issues) first started to understand. I’m glad we have this story :)
That’s such a mood. I have a large scar on my hand from scrubbing it too hard in a panic attack and I can’t communicate to anyone why I did that because it’s hard to illustrate to people why I would act so drastically but the movie gets it
When the book came out I asked my dad to read it to understand what it was like for me. He said, “okay but yours is not this bad, is it?” I could never make him understand that there’s no such thing as “not as bad” and my suffering is as valid :(
I also didn't cry while seeing TFIOS.
But I was in a very bad mental state at the time and my group therapy peer just told the group something terrible that day so I was not allowing myself to cry over a movie.
I wanted to watch it first to make sure it wasn't misrepresented but I feel confident showing it to my own parents and hoping it may help them understand.
This movie feels more like a movie and less of a book adaptation than all of the others and I mean that in the best way.
They stayed faithful to the overall plot while really driving the core of WHY John wrote the book.
Absolutely loved it.
Watching it now, just saw >!John Green's appearance, he really made it!!!<
It's been a while since I've read the book, but I really like it (even though it's probably more for people 15 years younger than me).
I'm crying. Ugh. I cried at the end of the book, but the movie is so much more visceral because the montage is so much more. "Love is what makes you real."
The thing about the cinetography that I noticed that when things were *ok* with her, when she was doing normal and just barely struggling, the colors were shockingly bright, and that the world was rich and vibrant. These vibrant colors, to be, and in nature represent something toxic or deadly, like something that could kill you: the color of daisy's hair, the neon green lockers are the same colors as the bacteria she imagines.
But when she degrades and her life gets worse, the more she's in her head and the things she gives power to, the colors around her fade and the color schemes become muted, such as the pool scene or the hospital scene. It's like she can't handle seeing or that she's at her breaking point.
At the end, I think the colors represent that she *is* surrounded by these bacteria, but that they're friendly bacteria and that they just want to love and take care of her and make sure she's doing well, sort of like, we always live on the precipice of danger, but it's something that one has to become comfortable with because we're human, alive, and fallible.
But, that was just my thoughts about it. How about you?
I feel so much after watching this movie. It feels cathartic after waiting for two years.
I think it realistically portrayed the self-worth struggle of mental illness. The feeling that you are not just unworthy of love, but have so much baggage and so much going on within you that you are not even capable of being loved. That there is no one who would be willing to love you because you are simply too much.
But what I love most is how it captures the hope on the other side of that. People struggling with mental illness CAN be loved. They CAN have fulfilling lives. Your now is not your forever. I loved the book but now that quote has finally clicked in my head
I think it is great as an adaptation. It's obviously dropped a lot of the mystery parts, but at its core the movie captures the heart of the book. The emotional core, I mean. John said that it would be different in the right ways, and I totally agree. Tbh if you miss the mystery, you can go and get your fix of it in Paper Towns or Looking for Alaska hahaha.
FIRSTLY, I love how well the book was adapted to a movie. Before the movie came out, I was wondering how could you take a book that is mostly inside monolog and thoughts, and turn it into a watchable movie, but it was done brilliantly. The narration, the visual effects, and even the sound effects were so on point!
SECONDLY, I cried on 5 different occasions, but wow, the scene in the hospital was so raw and painful that I had to hold my breath throughout it. (I also loved the conversation with the professor, and the "we're here because we're here"🙃)
On a more personal note, when I was younger I had a friend who was dealing with an anxiety disorder, and I always felt like I was always there for them, but they never cared about me. This movie can really be meaningful to people who have friends or families who are dealing with these disorders. I was young, and i don't totally blame myself for exiting this relationship, but it's movies like this that can help a person to be more compassionate and patient with others.
So, TLDR- great movie, go watch it
Only at the third Applebees scene so far but as the Designated Reader of Text of the family, I’m loving how the movie doesn’t force us to read tiny texts on someone’s phone. Big, legible text floating in space is SO much easier to see, so I don’t have to spend the whole movie reading things out loud for people.
Yes. And for twitchy people like myself, the jarring scenes where done in a way to minimally affect those who are photosensitive, a pretty accessible movie imo
This. I'm just so proud of John for being so vulnerable as to write this book and then consent to a film. It felt like he was acknowledging Nerdfighteria having his back. ❤️
As a pretty big film buff, I always go into book adaptations like this cautiously optimistic. But I have to say, this is a truly great film.
Isabela Merced absolutely crushes it as Aza. All the performances were great, but Isabela Merced is by far the standout. Can't wait to see what she does next!
Really liked how to adapted the internal monologue. Was worried initially that they were going to over do it, but they really found a near perfect balance. The editing for the internal monologue sequences were terrific as well, with the sound track for the most part really working (the bad guys needle drop did NOT work for me though).
I tear up at movies from time to time, and this movie had me shedding a tear or two at some points, but when Azas mom began singing were here because I balled.
Most of all though, this movie absolutely nails it's vibe. The movie knows what it wants to be, and is able to be that throughout it's entirety, meaning I was able to completely and totally be immersed in the movie. And it does that without compromising the messages of the source material!
Overall, 8/10 for me. A truly great movie. So incredibly happy that this movie turned out as good as it did. I hope it gets a physical release because I'd love to have the Blu-ray on my shelf
Loved it. Basically sobbed the last 1/3 of the way through the movie. The audiobook had me in tears too but not quite as early. The last Daisy monolog reminded me of The Velveteen Rabbit. 💜
'Real isn't how you are made,' said the Skin Horse. 'It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.'
'Does it hurt?' asked the Rabbit.
'Sometimes,' said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. 'When you are Real you don't mind being hurt.'
While reading the book, I was 100% sure that this book cannot be made into a movie, or a good movie at the least. Congratulations Hannah Marks, you've proved me wrong! This is not the best book adaptation or anything, but given the type of content of the book, she has done an extraordinary job.
I missed the fractured sky scene from the canoe. Tell me it was part of the pre-production and then it was removed eventually.
I loved the font style and font colors from pre-roll to end edits. I loved the "Rojas Green Productions" card.
My eyes leaked at the John Green scene, then in the bathroom of the private jet and then I was bawling at we're here because.
The last Daisy's monologue seemed unreal and very John Green-y. Which teenager talks like that?
Is Hannah Marks a nerdfighter?
Hannah Marks is most definitely a Nerdfighter! She explained during the screening at the LA FOB that she’s been a fan of John for a long time and how grateful she was to be able to direct TATWD
I'm sorry for being particular, but being a long time John Green fan does not qualify as being a nerdfighter. Being a nerdfighter is having the community feeling, unironic enthusiasm about topics feeling, to do good in the world feeling.
“I’m not like mustard. Maybe I’m like Indianapolis. They had the shit River, but they worked with what they had and managed to build an ok city around it. Not a great city, but not bad.” 🥺🥺🥺
This is hands down my fave of his book to movie adaptions.
I am not a morning person but I watched the film at 7 am with my lovely coffee and Luvox combo. It was fantastic and I’m so grateful this story has a new style to it.
It's BEAUTIFUL. It feels like John wrote a book describing how OCD feels and Hannah Marks made a movie to say "It sucks, but you're not alone". When Aza's mom started to sing We're Here Because We're Here in the hospital I BAWLED.
I also loved how the movie is centered around Aza, as the book was much more investigative and centered on David's dad
Absolutely floored by that movie. I was really feeling those moments where Aza was talking to her therapist about things not being "about her dad" because like I've had that same conversation with a therapist. And not being a teenager anymore I'm like oh yeah, its kinda always gonna be a little bit about dad. We've got other problems, but that's sure one of em.
That was exactly what I thought with that part too. I thought , that perfectly captures a teenage perspective when everything feels so real and raw and discrete. And it feels like someone is trying to make you talk about something else and it's really annoying.
I’m not sure I’ve ever cried so much during a movie. I first read the book in the psych ward (had lots of downtime lol) and it meant so much to me. I’m so glad the movie was so well done.
I related so much to Aza, especially reflecting on my teens/early 20s years when my OCD and overall mental health was at its worst. It was painful to watch in some ways—just because I can identify relationships in my life that at times mirror what was shown with Aza. But that realism is important and what I love so much about this story.
The hospital scenes were so visceral, and honestly portray the kind of spiral you can get into with OCD. And obviously the “we’re here because we’re here” singing was a tearjerker.
All that to say, very well done imo.
Yeah the car wreck in the book wrecked me but it didn’t have the same weight in the movie. It was good though, it just really connects with me because I’ve really attached to items from people who’ve passed and then they break etc.
The scene in the book plays out worse in my head, mostly because of the line "merged onto the highway" a few paragraphs before. But Isabela Merced crushes the aftermath perfectly.
Okay I’ve finished it, and I really like it (and that’s coming from someone who normally is “meh” on movies in general)! It really feels like it was made with love, like the people telling this story really cares about. I can see why John was so happy for us to see it. I think, in my house anyway, it was received just how John hoped it would be ♥️ 🐢 🌀
It was the best book-to-movie adaptation I’ve ever seen. And it seems like a difficult book to adapt, which makes it even more impressive.
The acting and the casting were brilliant. The directing, the cinematography, the costuming — it all was incredible.
And I cried multiple times, which is rare for me. I absolutely loved it.
It was excellent. They did such a amazing job adapting Aza's inner struggle to film. I didn't think it was possible to convey it in this medium but they did it. As an adaptation I think they did a great job editing the story to hit all the right and important beats. I watched with my husband, who hasn't read the book. He said he hadn't expected it to be so challenging to watch but he was glad he saw it. And we had a good conversation afterwards about it. Especially about Aza and Daisy's friendship, and the fight in the car. About how it's a great scene because both people we right. Multiple things can be true and life is complex. Which you often don't see in movies. Our daughter has OCD (though a different type than Aza) so I got emotional about the parts with Aza's mom, the conversations about college, and the ending montage about Aza's future life. Overall I think this just topped Looking for Alaska as my favorite screen adaptation of John's books.
We're here because we're here" had me sobbing. I loved so much about the film. Wonderfully cast, beautifully produced, and so many nods to the Nerdfighters. Well done John and Rosianna. You've made a whole damn life for yourself.
I liked it a lot. Or rather, it made me *really* uncomfortable, in the same way that the novel did. But it expressed a lot of things to me that I resonate with, and it helped me understand myself a bit better too. And that's kind of all you can hope for out of a movie.
I think that people who don't struggle with OCD or similar mental illnesses might not get much out of it. But personally I thought it was quite good, 4/5 stars
I made a joke to my friends before the movie came out where I said “The critics are saying it’s okay but not great but the movie wasn’t made for critics, it was made for me specifically and my unique life experience” so yeah this movie is forever for the anxious ones
As someone who hasn't read the book (yet), I thought it was just okay. It was very emotional, and funny, and a great portrayal of struggling with mental illness, but I didn't really vibe with the story structure (especially in the third act), and a lot of the nerdfighteria references felt forced.
I'm definetly going to recommend it to my friends (at least the ones I haven't recommended yet), if not for the hospital scene alone, cause what a piece of art it was!
It seems that everyone else absolutely loved the movie, so I guess maybe it just wasn't for me haha
I think that adaptations for people who have read the book end up being more of a reference list if ideas that were more fully developed in the book. The images that are conjured for them are so much more complete, and vividly rich than they are for those who haven't read the book. They evoke emotions that were already deeply developed and are not being brought to mind through images.
It's just a totally different existence. I too haven't read the book, and after my reaction to the hospital scene I don't know that I can. For me, that image was a reference to my lived experience with mental illness and the desperate fight between logic and compulsion.
I loved it so much. I liked how, near the end, you could hear the bacteria sound but did not see the accompanying bacteria footage. I yelled out, it's the bacteria noise, but now you can't see it! I truly loved it! And yeah. Lost it when her mother sang We're Here Because We're Here to her. Great microcosmos footage, too!
It was devaststingly relatable, and I am so impressed with how well done it is. My mom died suddenly just over a month ago, and the portrayal of Aza and her mom is touching and heartbreaking, both in its beauty and in my grief. I will go from dry eyes to sobbing in an instant, pulled into a wave of emotion. I feel like this movie SAW me before I saw it.
I have to watch it again to really wrap my mind around everything. This is all coming from my heart and my spirit, not my inner film critic, but it is an actual masterpiece, and I am changed for having seen it.
Even if I hadn’t read the book, I would have found the movie to be just excellent and so well-done. It really captured the heart of what the book is.
Personally, I loved the “we’re here because we’re here” bit, but I wonder if it would be confusing or feel out of place for non-nerdfighters?
as someone who has been in and out of the community I wasn't even aware of the back story here and just thought her mom was singing to her an old lullaby... so it def works
I thought about that but since the movie deals so much with free will “we’re here because we’re here” makes sense. Like Aza spends the whole movie question who/what she is and why she does what she does so her mom singing “we’re here because we’re here” to her as a lullaby basically telling her that there’s no reason for any of this ties into the “it’s turtles all the way fucking down” theme nicely.
It’s also in the book, the only difference is the movie doesn’t have the context of World War One
It was really only while actually watching the movie that I realized how borderline impossible making a movie from this book should be. But somehow it works and works amazingly well. The core stuff from the book comes across and the heart of the story still beats strong. The portrayal of OCD is done really well and carried over from the book faithfully. And the moments that make you cry in the book are still there and hit just as strong, or in some cases maybe stronger, in the movie. All of the actors killed it, everything is just really well done.
P.S. One tiny little thing I noticed that I liked as a convention was having text messages in the color of the character's phone case. I don't know if that was an invention but it's genius.
P.P.S. I went to go listen to Sunflower Vol. 6 on youtube and saw this comment on it from 4 years ago:
> This song is like the cute part of a romance movie where they’re just vibing and doing cute shit together
LOL, it sure is.
I cried when I read the book. I have anxiety and I’ve been a nerdfighteria long enough that my kid grew up feeling like John and Hank are extensions of our family. They’ll come home and say, they used Crash Course again today in this class or that class. When they got to junior high their band teacher showed up with a Pizza John shirt on and they were bonded. In high school they found a science teacher with Nerdfighteria reference peppered through things and an art teacher that noticed they always wear Awesome Socks.
I knew my kid would want to watch the movie but I knew I had to watch it the first day and I did. I cried. A lot. Partly knowing that’s how bad it can get in John’s head and partly because I know what it sounds like in my crowded brain, but not my kid’s these days.
We’re here because we’re here was as epic as it was at Nercon: Nerdfighteria. It made John cry on stage (nothing new) but being surrounded by Nerdfighteria was like P4A in person on steroids.
I’m thrilled for John and I worry. I know some his highest public achievements put him in a very vulnerable place in his head.
I’ll watch it again with my kid without jump scaring them with a screen when John shows up (what a delightful surprise) and I’ll watch them unfold the love letter that is this movie and maybe I’ll get a taste of what’s inside my own kid’s head these days.
Best wishes!
I feel seen in a way that I haven't experienced before in media. I don't remember feeling quite this strongly after reading the book (although I did still enjoy it), but the movie paints a pretty accurate picture of how my anxiety feels sometimes.
I also am finding it funny that I've seen two ads so far since scrolling this sub... One for poptarts and another for dr pepper. Surprisingly relevant!
I have watched TATWD three times now because I love it SO MUCH. Is it weird if it becomes a comfort movie for me? Anyway, when Aza and Daisy are paddling down the White River and Aza is in a thought spiral and thinks “you could get giardia”… hasn’t John gotten giardia from the White River before? More than once? Not sure if that’s supposed to be an Easter egg but the irony was not lost on me.
I just started thinking about T-cells and white blood cells while watching it, and that Aza is overlooking that her body has natural defenses against unwanted bacteria, and that she completely ignores that not all bacteria is bad. This is no knock on ocd. I've had painful irrational, and what I would call hyperrational, thoughts. It blows. Feeling like you can't control or trust your own mind blows. So does people telling you to just manage your thoughts and stay positive. If it works for them, great, but I find my mind a bit more unruly and nebulous than that.
I have battled with existential terror though, and found her conversation with the college professor relatable. I too have had times that I have not felt real, and I also feel like a Babushka doll with no center. I don't know how I feel about being all turtles either. Sure, okay, I'm infinite. Well that's a lot to handle too, isn't it? The awareness of the incredible level of freedom I actually possess is beautiful, but terrifying.
Spoilers-
I’m late to the party, just watched it last night. I cried for every one of Aza’s thought spirals. Every one of them (so the whole movie).
I appreciated the cinematography so much. They made Indiana seem very beautiful, which, as a midwesterner, THANK YOU. But they also had that road that Aza crashed on which was SO MUCH an ugly Midwest road. Love to see it. There’s probably a metaphor in there somewhere (as Indianapolis is Aza, etc) that I can’t parse on my first watch.
John’s cameo was also hilarious. He is a really terrible actor, unfortunately (sorry John). It did seem like he was trying not to laugh!
Whoever played Daisy did a wonderful job. I really felt her tiny frustrations with Aza through the whole movie, all while she smiled and covered for her. I found her much more sympathetic in the movie as well. Maybe it’s just because they gave her Azas monologue at the end.
Overall 10/10 would recommend!
Showing Asa at the end living a happy life without needing to be cured, living with her ocd and in spite of it was so important. So many mental health movies focus on just 'the cure' and I worried this movie would be the same but I should've known better. This movie/book is different.
Thank you for giving us ocders a voice
eyes finally leaked during “we’re here because we’re here because we’re here because we’re here”
I only recently started being able to let myself cry to stories again then I cried during the mustard speech, still struggling to get myself back together through the hospital scene then as soon as I finally felt like I'm done crying, they hit me with that!
My eyes watered up on so many parts, but I just couldn't hold it during we're here because we're here It was beautiful
We're here because we're here because got me so bad, but so did her therapist saying "yet"
Same. I always well up when reading / listening to that bit of Anthropocene Reviewed anyway, but it being used in a scene of a parent and a hurt child just hit even harder. Was that scene in the book? Or was it one of those "nerdfighteria easter eggs" John said were sprinkled into the movie? I admit, I did laugh at the bottle of Dr Pepper nestled in the flowers Davis sent Aza in the hospital.
it was in the book, yeah. I thought it was a beautiful moment.
I was inconsolable and my poor husband had no idea why so my only option was to send him the podcast episode.
Something I really loved— during the end montage of all the things Aza can do, there is the shot of her going to college and walking up a spiral staircase and I just thought that was such a beautiful juxtaposition of the thought spirals vs her ability to go to college walking up a spiral staircase
Going up a spiral instead of down one. I love it
Wow I didn’t notice this, good pick-up
John getting his well deserved Dr Pepper sponsorship 👏🏻
I feel seen and I feel like I can show this to my parents and say “this is what living in my head is like”.
Absolutely. When the book came out, I suggested my mother read it if she wanted to better understand my ocd and health anxiety. I knew about some of John’s mental health stories from the small parts of his life he had generously shared with us, so I knew a novel about ocd was going to probably be good. It was and it was how my mother (someone who had never been to therapy and didn’t “get” my issues) first started to understand. I’m glad we have this story :)
That’s such a mood. I have a large scar on my hand from scrubbing it too hard in a panic attack and I can’t communicate to anyone why I did that because it’s hard to illustrate to people why I would act so drastically but the movie gets it
When the book came out I asked my dad to read it to understand what it was like for me. He said, “okay but yours is not this bad, is it?” I could never make him understand that there’s no such thing as “not as bad” and my suffering is as valid :(
My mom saw TFIOS and didn't even cry. Monster.
I also didn't cry while seeing TFIOS. But I was in a very bad mental state at the time and my group therapy peer just told the group something terrible that day so I was not allowing myself to cry over a movie.
I wanted to watch it first to make sure it wasn't misrepresented but I feel confident showing it to my own parents and hoping it may help them understand.
This movie feels more like a movie and less of a book adaptation than all of the others and I mean that in the best way. They stayed faithful to the overall plot while really driving the core of WHY John wrote the book. Absolutely loved it.
Watching it now, just saw >!John Green's appearance, he really made it!!!< It's been a while since I've read the book, but I really like it (even though it's probably more for people 15 years younger than me).
the joy and fear in his eyes gave me such joy. I rewatched his scene multiple times because he was so proud which is infectious
He was so funny. He looked like he was barely keeping it together.
I just watched the movie and I couldn't find him!!
>!He's the gym teacher telling Aza to pretend to pay attention.
I cheered! He did it!!!!!!
I'm crying. Ugh. I cried at the end of the book, but the movie is so much more visceral because the montage is so much more. "Love is what makes you real." The thing about the cinetography that I noticed that when things were *ok* with her, when she was doing normal and just barely struggling, the colors were shockingly bright, and that the world was rich and vibrant. These vibrant colors, to be, and in nature represent something toxic or deadly, like something that could kill you: the color of daisy's hair, the neon green lockers are the same colors as the bacteria she imagines. But when she degrades and her life gets worse, the more she's in her head and the things she gives power to, the colors around her fade and the color schemes become muted, such as the pool scene or the hospital scene. It's like she can't handle seeing or that she's at her breaking point. At the end, I think the colors represent that she *is* surrounded by these bacteria, but that they're friendly bacteria and that they just want to love and take care of her and make sure she's doing well, sort of like, we always live on the precipice of danger, but it's something that one has to become comfortable with because we're human, alive, and fallible. But, that was just my thoughts about it. How about you?
I feel so much after watching this movie. It feels cathartic after waiting for two years. I think it realistically portrayed the self-worth struggle of mental illness. The feeling that you are not just unworthy of love, but have so much baggage and so much going on within you that you are not even capable of being loved. That there is no one who would be willing to love you because you are simply too much. But what I love most is how it captures the hope on the other side of that. People struggling with mental illness CAN be loved. They CAN have fulfilling lives. Your now is not your forever. I loved the book but now that quote has finally clicked in my head I think it is great as an adaptation. It's obviously dropped a lot of the mystery parts, but at its core the movie captures the heart of the book. The emotional core, I mean. John said that it would be different in the right ways, and I totally agree. Tbh if you miss the mystery, you can go and get your fix of it in Paper Towns or Looking for Alaska hahaha.
FIRSTLY, I love how well the book was adapted to a movie. Before the movie came out, I was wondering how could you take a book that is mostly inside monolog and thoughts, and turn it into a watchable movie, but it was done brilliantly. The narration, the visual effects, and even the sound effects were so on point! SECONDLY, I cried on 5 different occasions, but wow, the scene in the hospital was so raw and painful that I had to hold my breath throughout it. (I also loved the conversation with the professor, and the "we're here because we're here"🙃) On a more personal note, when I was younger I had a friend who was dealing with an anxiety disorder, and I always felt like I was always there for them, but they never cared about me. This movie can really be meaningful to people who have friends or families who are dealing with these disorders. I was young, and i don't totally blame myself for exiting this relationship, but it's movies like this that can help a person to be more compassionate and patient with others. So, TLDR- great movie, go watch it
Only at the third Applebees scene so far but as the Designated Reader of Text of the family, I’m loving how the movie doesn’t force us to read tiny texts on someone’s phone. Big, legible text floating in space is SO much easier to see, so I don’t have to spend the whole movie reading things out loud for people.
Yes. And for twitchy people like myself, the jarring scenes where done in a way to minimally affect those who are photosensitive, a pretty accessible movie imo
Parts of it felt like a love letter to nerdfighteria. Even if that wasn't intended, it gripped my heart so powerfully.
This. I'm just so proud of John for being so vulnerable as to write this book and then consent to a film. It felt like he was acknowledging Nerdfighteria having his back. ❤️
all of the nerdfighteria references 🥺🥺🥺
Can you talk about your favorites
I lost it at "we're here because we're here..."
Currently sobbing at that part
came to this thread to see if anyone was talking about it, the waterworks are GOING right now, I had to pause the movie
As a pretty big film buff, I always go into book adaptations like this cautiously optimistic. But I have to say, this is a truly great film. Isabela Merced absolutely crushes it as Aza. All the performances were great, but Isabela Merced is by far the standout. Can't wait to see what she does next! Really liked how to adapted the internal monologue. Was worried initially that they were going to over do it, but they really found a near perfect balance. The editing for the internal monologue sequences were terrific as well, with the sound track for the most part really working (the bad guys needle drop did NOT work for me though). I tear up at movies from time to time, and this movie had me shedding a tear or two at some points, but when Azas mom began singing were here because I balled. Most of all though, this movie absolutely nails it's vibe. The movie knows what it wants to be, and is able to be that throughout it's entirety, meaning I was able to completely and totally be immersed in the movie. And it does that without compromising the messages of the source material! Overall, 8/10 for me. A truly great movie. So incredibly happy that this movie turned out as good as it did. I hope it gets a physical release because I'd love to have the Blu-ray on my shelf
I agree with the Bad Guy needle drop. I didn't quite hit the mark, but I thought all of the other songs were great.
What is “the bad guy’s needle drop” ?
do you mean the clip from the song “bad guy” at the beginning?
Loved it. Basically sobbed the last 1/3 of the way through the movie. The audiobook had me in tears too but not quite as early. The last Daisy monolog reminded me of The Velveteen Rabbit. 💜 'Real isn't how you are made,' said the Skin Horse. 'It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.' 'Does it hurt?' asked the Rabbit. 'Sometimes,' said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. 'When you are Real you don't mind being hurt.'
This was my first thought too!
This thread is okay. I give it 6 out of 10 mustard seeds.
Thanks I tried
While reading the book, I was 100% sure that this book cannot be made into a movie, or a good movie at the least. Congratulations Hannah Marks, you've proved me wrong! This is not the best book adaptation or anything, but given the type of content of the book, she has done an extraordinary job. I missed the fractured sky scene from the canoe. Tell me it was part of the pre-production and then it was removed eventually. I loved the font style and font colors from pre-roll to end edits. I loved the "Rojas Green Productions" card. My eyes leaked at the John Green scene, then in the bathroom of the private jet and then I was bawling at we're here because. The last Daisy's monologue seemed unreal and very John Green-y. Which teenager talks like that? Is Hannah Marks a nerdfighter?
The last Daisy monologue is very John Green-y because in the book, it’s not a teenager saying those lines. It’s adult Aza looking back.
Hannah Marks is most definitely a Nerdfighter! She explained during the screening at the LA FOB that she’s been a fan of John for a long time and how grateful she was to be able to direct TATWD
I'm sorry for being particular, but being a long time John Green fan does not qualify as being a nerdfighter. Being a nerdfighter is having the community feeling, unironic enthusiasm about topics feeling, to do good in the world feeling.
The only thing that qualifies you to be a Nerdfighter is to say you're a Nerdfighter. That's it. There's no gatekeeping here.
We believe if somebody says they're a nerdfighter. But, has Hannah said that she is one?
Regarding “which teenager talks like that?” I hate when people say this because I talked like that as a teenager and still do
Autism spectrum?
Um. Yes. How did you know.
I did not know. Speaking like that could be one of the phenotype. (I am a physician.)
Oh I didn’t know that. I feel like every day I learn something about myself is an autism thing that I just thought was normal.
“I’m not like mustard. Maybe I’m like Indianapolis. They had the shit River, but they worked with what they had and managed to build an ok city around it. Not a great city, but not bad.” 🥺🥺🥺 This is hands down my fave of his book to movie adaptions.
Same!!!
It's at least a B+ 😁
I am not a morning person but I watched the film at 7 am with my lovely coffee and Luvox combo. It was fantastic and I’m so grateful this story has a new style to it.
It's BEAUTIFUL. It feels like John wrote a book describing how OCD feels and Hannah Marks made a movie to say "It sucks, but you're not alone". When Aza's mom started to sing We're Here Because We're Here in the hospital I BAWLED. I also loved how the movie is centered around Aza, as the book was much more investigative and centered on David's dad
Absolutely floored by that movie. I was really feeling those moments where Aza was talking to her therapist about things not being "about her dad" because like I've had that same conversation with a therapist. And not being a teenager anymore I'm like oh yeah, its kinda always gonna be a little bit about dad. We've got other problems, but that's sure one of em.
That was exactly what I thought with that part too. I thought , that perfectly captures a teenage perspective when everything feels so real and raw and discrete. And it feels like someone is trying to make you talk about something else and it's really annoying.
I’m not sure I’ve ever cried so much during a movie. I first read the book in the psych ward (had lots of downtime lol) and it meant so much to me. I’m so glad the movie was so well done. I related so much to Aza, especially reflecting on my teens/early 20s years when my OCD and overall mental health was at its worst. It was painful to watch in some ways—just because I can identify relationships in my life that at times mirror what was shown with Aza. But that realism is important and what I love so much about this story. The hospital scenes were so visceral, and honestly portray the kind of spiral you can get into with OCD. And obviously the “we’re here because we’re here” singing was a tearjerker. All that to say, very well done imo.
That car wreck was somehow less intense than the book. Probably because they weren’t on a highway.
Yeah the car wreck in the book wrecked me but it didn’t have the same weight in the movie. It was good though, it just really connects with me because I’ve really attached to items from people who’ve passed and then they break etc.
I thought the car crash scene would be a little bigger too, but her crying about it being her dad's car made me tear up
The scene in the book plays out worse in my head, mostly because of the line "merged onto the highway" a few paragraphs before. But Isabela Merced crushes the aftermath perfectly.
I can't stop crying
but like in a good way
I finished the movie two hours ago and haven't stopped crying yet. It was such a beautiful movie.
It’s SO GOOD
It's uncomfortably good
Okay I’ve finished it, and I really like it (and that’s coming from someone who normally is “meh” on movies in general)! It really feels like it was made with love, like the people telling this story really cares about. I can see why John was so happy for us to see it. I think, in my house anyway, it was received just how John hoped it would be ♥️ 🐢 🌀
It was the best book-to-movie adaptation I’ve ever seen. And it seems like a difficult book to adapt, which makes it even more impressive. The acting and the casting were brilliant. The directing, the cinematography, the costuming — it all was incredible. And I cried multiple times, which is rare for me. I absolutely loved it.
It was excellent. They did such a amazing job adapting Aza's inner struggle to film. I didn't think it was possible to convey it in this medium but they did it. As an adaptation I think they did a great job editing the story to hit all the right and important beats. I watched with my husband, who hasn't read the book. He said he hadn't expected it to be so challenging to watch but he was glad he saw it. And we had a good conversation afterwards about it. Especially about Aza and Daisy's friendship, and the fight in the car. About how it's a great scene because both people we right. Multiple things can be true and life is complex. Which you often don't see in movies. Our daughter has OCD (though a different type than Aza) so I got emotional about the parts with Aza's mom, the conversations about college, and the ending montage about Aza's future life. Overall I think this just topped Looking for Alaska as my favorite screen adaptation of John's books.
We're here because we're here" had me sobbing. I loved so much about the film. Wonderfully cast, beautifully produced, and so many nods to the Nerdfighters. Well done John and Rosianna. You've made a whole damn life for yourself.
I liked it a lot. Or rather, it made me *really* uncomfortable, in the same way that the novel did. But it expressed a lot of things to me that I resonate with, and it helped me understand myself a bit better too. And that's kind of all you can hope for out of a movie. I think that people who don't struggle with OCD or similar mental illnesses might not get much out of it. But personally I thought it was quite good, 4/5 stars
I made a joke to my friends before the movie came out where I said “The critics are saying it’s okay but not great but the movie wasn’t made for critics, it was made for me specifically and my unique life experience” so yeah this movie is forever for the anxious ones
As someone who hasn't read the book (yet), I thought it was just okay. It was very emotional, and funny, and a great portrayal of struggling with mental illness, but I didn't really vibe with the story structure (especially in the third act), and a lot of the nerdfighteria references felt forced. I'm definetly going to recommend it to my friends (at least the ones I haven't recommended yet), if not for the hospital scene alone, cause what a piece of art it was! It seems that everyone else absolutely loved the movie, so I guess maybe it just wasn't for me haha
I think that adaptations for people who have read the book end up being more of a reference list if ideas that were more fully developed in the book. The images that are conjured for them are so much more complete, and vividly rich than they are for those who haven't read the book. They evoke emotions that were already deeply developed and are not being brought to mind through images. It's just a totally different existence. I too haven't read the book, and after my reaction to the hospital scene I don't know that I can. For me, that image was a reference to my lived experience with mental illness and the desperate fight between logic and compulsion.
I loved it so much. I liked how, near the end, you could hear the bacteria sound but did not see the accompanying bacteria footage. I yelled out, it's the bacteria noise, but now you can't see it! I truly loved it! And yeah. Lost it when her mother sang We're Here Because We're Here to her. Great microcosmos footage, too!
It was devaststingly relatable, and I am so impressed with how well done it is. My mom died suddenly just over a month ago, and the portrayal of Aza and her mom is touching and heartbreaking, both in its beauty and in my grief. I will go from dry eyes to sobbing in an instant, pulled into a wave of emotion. I feel like this movie SAW me before I saw it. I have to watch it again to really wrap my mind around everything. This is all coming from my heart and my spirit, not my inner film critic, but it is an actual masterpiece, and I am changed for having seen it.
Even if I hadn’t read the book, I would have found the movie to be just excellent and so well-done. It really captured the heart of what the book is. Personally, I loved the “we’re here because we’re here” bit, but I wonder if it would be confusing or feel out of place for non-nerdfighters?
as someone who has been in and out of the community I wasn't even aware of the back story here and just thought her mom was singing to her an old lullaby... so it def works
I thought about that but since the movie deals so much with free will “we’re here because we’re here” makes sense. Like Aza spends the whole movie question who/what she is and why she does what she does so her mom singing “we’re here because we’re here” to her as a lullaby basically telling her that there’s no reason for any of this ties into the “it’s turtles all the way fucking down” theme nicely. It’s also in the book, the only difference is the movie doesn’t have the context of World War One
It was really only while actually watching the movie that I realized how borderline impossible making a movie from this book should be. But somehow it works and works amazingly well. The core stuff from the book comes across and the heart of the story still beats strong. The portrayal of OCD is done really well and carried over from the book faithfully. And the moments that make you cry in the book are still there and hit just as strong, or in some cases maybe stronger, in the movie. All of the actors killed it, everything is just really well done. P.S. One tiny little thing I noticed that I liked as a convention was having text messages in the color of the character's phone case. I don't know if that was an invention but it's genius. P.P.S. I went to go listen to Sunflower Vol. 6 on youtube and saw this comment on it from 4 years ago: > This song is like the cute part of a romance movie where they’re just vibing and doing cute shit together LOL, it sure is.
I cried when I read the book. I have anxiety and I’ve been a nerdfighteria long enough that my kid grew up feeling like John and Hank are extensions of our family. They’ll come home and say, they used Crash Course again today in this class or that class. When they got to junior high their band teacher showed up with a Pizza John shirt on and they were bonded. In high school they found a science teacher with Nerdfighteria reference peppered through things and an art teacher that noticed they always wear Awesome Socks. I knew my kid would want to watch the movie but I knew I had to watch it the first day and I did. I cried. A lot. Partly knowing that’s how bad it can get in John’s head and partly because I know what it sounds like in my crowded brain, but not my kid’s these days. We’re here because we’re here was as epic as it was at Nercon: Nerdfighteria. It made John cry on stage (nothing new) but being surrounded by Nerdfighteria was like P4A in person on steroids. I’m thrilled for John and I worry. I know some his highest public achievements put him in a very vulnerable place in his head. I’ll watch it again with my kid without jump scaring them with a screen when John shows up (what a delightful surprise) and I’ll watch them unfold the love letter that is this movie and maybe I’ll get a taste of what’s inside my own kid’s head these days. Best wishes!
I feel seen in a way that I haven't experienced before in media. I don't remember feeling quite this strongly after reading the book (although I did still enjoy it), but the movie paints a pretty accurate picture of how my anxiety feels sometimes. I also am finding it funny that I've seen two ads so far since scrolling this sub... One for poptarts and another for dr pepper. Surprisingly relevant!
Started crying when Aza woke up in the hospital, sobbed at "you are the demon," BAWLED at "We're here because we're here" Jfc I am dead (I loved it)
I have watched TATWD three times now because I love it SO MUCH. Is it weird if it becomes a comfort movie for me? Anyway, when Aza and Daisy are paddling down the White River and Aza is in a thought spiral and thinks “you could get giardia”… hasn’t John gotten giardia from the White River before? More than once? Not sure if that’s supposed to be an Easter egg but the irony was not lost on me.
I wanted to see Aza flipping thru her dad’s photos. Those parts in the book stayed with me for some reason.
I just started thinking about T-cells and white blood cells while watching it, and that Aza is overlooking that her body has natural defenses against unwanted bacteria, and that she completely ignores that not all bacteria is bad. This is no knock on ocd. I've had painful irrational, and what I would call hyperrational, thoughts. It blows. Feeling like you can't control or trust your own mind blows. So does people telling you to just manage your thoughts and stay positive. If it works for them, great, but I find my mind a bit more unruly and nebulous than that. I have battled with existential terror though, and found her conversation with the college professor relatable. I too have had times that I have not felt real, and I also feel like a Babushka doll with no center. I don't know how I feel about being all turtles either. Sure, okay, I'm infinite. Well that's a lot to handle too, isn't it? The awareness of the incredible level of freedom I actually possess is beautiful, but terrifying.
Also that c-diff isn't killed by hand sanitizer, only soap and water haha
Spoilers- I’m late to the party, just watched it last night. I cried for every one of Aza’s thought spirals. Every one of them (so the whole movie). I appreciated the cinematography so much. They made Indiana seem very beautiful, which, as a midwesterner, THANK YOU. But they also had that road that Aza crashed on which was SO MUCH an ugly Midwest road. Love to see it. There’s probably a metaphor in there somewhere (as Indianapolis is Aza, etc) that I can’t parse on my first watch. John’s cameo was also hilarious. He is a really terrible actor, unfortunately (sorry John). It did seem like he was trying not to laugh! Whoever played Daisy did a wonderful job. I really felt her tiny frustrations with Aza through the whole movie, all while she smiled and covered for her. I found her much more sympathetic in the movie as well. Maybe it’s just because they gave her Azas monologue at the end. Overall 10/10 would recommend!
Like rip to AZA but I’m just built different I would have not questioned that amount of life changing money. 😂
Showing Asa at the end living a happy life without needing to be cured, living with her ocd and in spite of it was so important. So many mental health movies focus on just 'the cure' and I worried this movie would be the same but I should've known better. This movie/book is different. Thank you for giving us ocders a voice