BOOK VS. FILM! Five Feet Apart

by Phoebe N.

The Award-winning YA novel Five Feet Apart, co-written by Rachael Lippincott, Mikki Daughtry, and Tobias Iaconis, centers around Stella Grant and Will Newman, both victims of cystic fibrosis (CF). Spending her whole life in a hospital, Stella has always been organized and well-mannered when it comes to her CF treatments; she is determined to finally be selected for a lung transplant. Will Newman, on the other hand, has been all over the world… confined in different hospitals and constantly on different treatment trial. As CFers, they were bound to be far apart– six feet to be exact– as even the slightest contact would contaminate and lower their chances of survival. The two inevitably catch feelings, but how can you love someone without being able to even touch them? Stella and Will must choose whether their spark and connection are worth more than their own lives.

The Movie

Released on March 15th, 2019, and directed by Justin Baldoni, the movie features Haley Lu Richardson and Cole Sprouse. It carries a rating of 7.2/10 on IMDb and 53% on Rotten Tomatoes. Overall, the film is an accurate representation of the book, and I found that the emotions portrayed by the actors/actresses were fully in-depth. Every scene was detailed and evoked the empathic emotions of the viewers. 
I think the movie is fairly well-produced and made, definitely a tear-jerker. I wouldn’t change anything about this film as it very well captivates the viewers’ feelings and to some extent resonates with the audience as well.

The Book

The novel was definitely an easy read and just like the movie, it evokes strong emotions. The connections between the characters were extremely well developed and brought out a sense of relatability to the readers’ relationships in real life. The story is quite quick-paced which made it hard for me to put it down, and I found myself flipping pages after pages. The romance between the two main characters is heart-fluttering and adorable, an accurate depiction of teen romance.

The Verdict

I highly recommend reading the book AND watching the movie. Despite the clear similarities between both works, they always left me in a stream of tears due to its heartfelt plot. However, to someone who first comes across this story, I do recommend reading the book first as it enhances the story much more deeply compared with the movie adaptation. Either way, certainly prepare your tissues, maybe even a couple of boxes.