That's Just Too Much Crying For One Movie

                                                        

(Don't worry, there will be no spoilers given during this blog.  So if you haven't read/seen The Fault in Our Stars, you're OK to read this.)

A few weeks ago, I hadn't even heard of this book.  I know, the 4th grade teacher who LOVES YA literature hadn't heard of the New York bestselling novel.  But, I hadn't.  Not until Peanut came home from school one day and INSISTED that I take her to see the movie that had just been released in the theater.  

She told me how she'd read the book, and just HAD to see the movie.  HAD TO.  

Being the awesome mom that I am, I agreed...on one condition: I read the book first.  Which isn't a new condition in my house.  Any time there's a movie made from a book, I read the book first.  Some people disagree with my mentality.  They think it best to see the movie first and then read the book to see how much better it is, but I work oppositely to that.  Let me read the book, see how wonderful it is, and then pick apart the movie and the differences that way.

Peanut and I have come to embrace our reading then movie seeing experience.  We read and saw all of the "Harry Potter" books/movies (in which Peanut is STILL obsessed with) and then the Twilight books/movies.  We've read all of The Hunger Games books, saw the first two movies, and we're both excited for the last two movies to come out (they're making the last book in to two movies).  I'm still in the process of reading the Divergent series, but I couldn't get Peanut in to that one.

I digress.

Anywho, with summer school and softball and baseball still going full force when the movie was released, I didn't get to read the book as quickly as I wanted to.  In fact, the library just called me last Monday to tell me that they had it available.  I would have read it when I picked it up, but Peanut wanted to read it again, first.  And she had more time for that kind of stuff.  So, I got the book back on Friday.  I read the book in about 5 hours.  I read for a couple of hours Friday night, and finished it off Saturday morning.

The book was good.  Devastatingly emotionally so.  All I could think while reading each page was why on earth anyone would want to see this book play out in real life.  No spoilers, but the book is HEARTBREAKING.  There are few books that have brought me to tears while reading them, but this one got me a couple of times.

But, I wasn't about to go back on my word about seeing the movie, so yesterday afternoon Peanut and I took off to the theater to watch The Fault in Our Stars.  

Now, I'm no newb when it comes to crying at sad movies.  I still, after watching some movies for the umpteenth time, shed a few tears.

Every time Rose tells Jack that she'll "never let go" in Titanic.

Every time a translucent Patrick Swayze appears to Demi More in Ghost. 

Every time Angel dies and MiMi almost dies in Rent.

The floodgates open, and the tears start to flow.  But, with each of these movies, I start crying about 10 minutes before the end of the movie.  And that's it.  Done.  Movie over.

I have NEVER watched a two hour movie where I started crying about 40 minutes in, and bawled my head off until the movie was over.  Never.  Until yesterday.  And, I'm not talking about those little lumps that appear in your throat and cause a few tears to run down your cheek kind of cries that I'm familiar with when watching sad movies.  I'm talking full out, can't breath because I'm trying so hard to hold back the sobs so that no one in the theater is disturbed by my bawling kind of tears.  

My body was shaking.  The lump in my throat was so big it was causing me pain.  And the tears were rolling down my cheek so fast, that the five napkins I went through could have been rung out and my tears collected to fill up a small container.  

And even though I was doing everything in my power to stifle my sobs, I could hear the same throughout the theater.  Wet sniffles, gasped sobs, and shielded whimpers coming from all around me. 

I even saw the one of two guys that sat two rows in front of me wipe his eyes SEVERAL times.

By the time the movie was over, my throat hurt, my eyes were swollen, and I felt like my heart had been ripped out of my chest and stomped on several times.  Something I've never experienced while watching a movie.  That's because most movies, despite how sad they can be, end up with a warm and fuzzy happy ending.  But, well, this one doesn't.  Hopefully that's not considered a spoiler.  But, really... no happy ending to make all those tears and ripped emotions feel any relief.  

However, it was good.  I enjoyed it, as much as I could with the whole story line.  Of course, the movie wasn't near as good as the book... but it was close.  

After seeing a good movie, I usually rave about how EVERYONE should go see it.  But, with this one?  I'm not so sure I should give that suggestion.  If you like sappy love stories, but are OK with getting your own heart broken...then go see it.  This is NOT a movie I would drag my husband/ boyfriend/ significant other to go see in order to get the romance blooming... unless you want to spend the rest of the night explaining that he's not any less of a man because he cried so hard over a movie.  This is NOT a movie I would go see with a bunch of girlfriends who are out for a good time or a night on the town...unless you want to spend the rest of the night crying in to your drinks about how unfair life can be.  This is NOT a movie I would take a child to that isn't familiar with the way cancer works... unless you want to spend your car ride home explaining cancer and the effects it can have on the body.  

In fact, just go see the movie alone if you're interested in seeing it.  Do that.  Then at least you can watch the movie, sit in your car and collect yourself, and drive home and tell everyone it was a good movie while keeping the secret of how your popcorn got so covered in tears, that it turned in to liquid right there in the bucket.  

Taking your teenage daughter who's already read the book and is fully prepared for what's going to happen is fine.  As long as you're willing to hold her hand not to provide her with support, but for your own support for keeping it together.  

All in all, I'd say the movie was horribly good.  Yes.  That's the way I'd say it.  The story is amazing.  The characters are amazing.  The two combined?  Absolute havoc on your emotions.  

But, I will say the message I took away is one that I will cherish:  Live life for TODAY.  You never know how long you have with the ones you love...so make each moment count.

Cliche? Yes.  But, still the absolute TRUTH!

Have a great Monday, everyone!!