“The Fault in Our Stars” Review, 2014 film
Interpersonal Communication Essay
The film that will be studied is the movie ‘The fault in our stars,’ which has been able to gather a large public viewing over time. It is a film that gives a story that is found in a novel, which shares the story of the two young cancer patients and the turmoil that they face while they are trying to deal with their terminal sickness. First is Hazel, who is merely 16 but has been sick for three years. She meets Augustus, a boy who had cancer, in a support group that is intended for patients who are suffering from cancer, have been in remission, or are still dealing with the consequences of their sickness (Green). Their friendship grows to a relationship, and it is tested further when Augustus ends up getting cancer as well and is unfortunately terminal this time round. The treatment is no longer working, which means that the two have to start getting used to the idea that they will not be in each other’s lives for much longer. The changes they experience in their lives make it the perfect romantic film with a tragic but happy ending. The main character, Augustus, ends up losing his life, and Hazel is forced to get used to life without him.
Knapp Model of Relationship Development and Deterioration
The Knapp model can be seen in this film, showing the growth and deterioration that the relationship between Augustus and Hazel goes through. The initiation would start at the support group, and they would end up trying out new things for Hazel. The friendship that they formed continued to grow, and it would end up with the two bonding over the things that they had in common such as their interests and their zeal for life. The ironic thing is that their disease would be the thing that brought them together and would eventually bring them apart. When Gus got sick once more, the dynamics of their relationship would change (Johnson, Amy Janan, et al. 55).
She would be the more active in the relationship, experiencing life while he would be slowly losing his. They would differentiating the activities they were taking part in, such as their interests and the people they were now feeling. She also starts avoiding Gus because she does not want to hurt him and his family after he is gone, and there is no longer anything to keep them together. Eventually, he would end losing his life, and she would be left alone to deal with the relationship that she had once formed with him and the feelings that would no longer be reciprocated. (Johnson, Amy Janan, et al. 60). The type of relationship that the two have is more on the growth stage since they get to bond for a long time and create conditions suitable for them to enjoy the time they have left, which they do not know is how long. The relationship that the two have is able to give them the chance to enjoy a normal relationship, and it takes the form of a typical romantic relationship.
Conclusion
Knapp’s relationship model is one that allows people to understand the different stages of relationships. One gets to see that the different relationship stages can help one avoid the loop of being caught in a failing relationship. Making use of the movie ‘The fault in our stars’ helps one understand how the different human relationships move from one stage to the other.
