I Did It! I watched Five Feet Apart

My take on of Five Feet Apart – The Movie

As you know from my previous post (Why Im Not Ready), I did not see the movie Five Feet Apart(in theaters). However, after reading the book, I made sure to rent the DVD as soon as it went to Red Box. By reading the book, I knew what I was getting myself into making the thought of sitting through it less intimidating.

First off, there will be no movie spoilers here for those who have not seen it. The movie is directed by Justin Baldoni and stars Haley Lu Richardson (Stella) and Cole Sprouse (Will). It tells the story of two CF patients who fall in love despite the strict complications of their relationship. With cystic fibrosis, it is a general rule that people should not be within six feet of each other. So why the name Five Feet Apart? Well, you’ll have to read Rachael Lippincott’s book or watch Baldoni’s movie to find that out.

What I liked about the movie is seeing Claire Wineland, who also is featured in The CF Warrior Project. In fact, Claire was one of the main inspirations behind the movie. I don’t know if it was on purpose or not but Stella was Claire. I’m not even talking about the CF part. I’m talking about her zest for life, her social media magnet status, her familiarity with her drugs, and her closeness with the hospital staff. Will’s character reminded me of Jack Dawson from Titanic in that he was a good-looking guy who puts off one personality around everyone else, but uses his “unusual charm” to reel in Stella. Okay, perhaps those are a few spoilers right there. Sorry.

The difficult part of watching the movie for me was hearing all the coughing and seeing all the difficult times both patients experienced. Knock on wood, I’ve been pretty fortunate, but things can always turn on a dime with CF. My wife Andrea, watching the movie with me, admitted we are lucky I haven’t had some of the rough times these two individuals have experienced. Part of me is happy about that. Part of me feels a little guilty about having been luckier than most. I know I work hard and take care of myself and have had some rough times, but a part of me always feels like I don’t have a right to be included with some of these CF warriors who have been through the most difficult times. It’s almost a form of survivor’s guilt.

Anyway, the movie and book are extremely similar other than the endings. I would say the movie is a cross between Titanic and The Fault in Our Stars. It’s not one of those movies that you come out of saying “I’m going to take on the world.” Or at least that’s not how I felt seeing it. For me, the lesson was that we shouldn’t judge other people’s choices because everyone’s story is different. We are all dying whether we have a terminal disease or not. It’s up to us to seize the moments and determine what, the moment means for each of us.

On a final note, I hear a lot of people say the movie made money and did little for CF. Listen, I don’t know how much money was raised directly from the movie, but I do know that it raised serious awareness and indirectly will contribute to more money being raised. For these reasons, I am very grateful to Justin Baldoni, Rachael Lippincott, and the entire cast of the movie. I also want to say thank you to Claire. She inspired this movie. Though she died last year, her legacy lives on through her videos, her foundation, and this film. Claire, we never met in person, but I consider you a friend and even though you were much younger than me, I still see you as a role model and a hero.

Live your dreams and love your life.

Andy