Romantic or love stories have been around for many years--so much so that it has exhausted its different ways to woo an audience. So, they have taken a different turn it that these love stories have an entirely odd origin in how the two meet. Sometimes they can be in a mental health facility or have a disease, whether it be terminal or not. We've seen It's Kind of a Funny Story" '10, "The Fault in Our Stars" '14 and "Everything, Everything" '17. These films put two characters in difficult situations and they flourish in spite of the hardships. So now we have "Five Feet Apart" to add to that list.
Stella Grant (Haley Lu Richardson) is every bit a seventeen-year-old...she's attached to her laptop and loves her best friends. But unlike most teenagers, she spends much of her time living in a hospital as a cystic fibrosis patient. Her life is full of routines, boundaries and self-control--all of which is put to the test when she meets an impossibly charming fellow CF patient named Will Newman (Cole Sprouse). There's an instant flirtation, though restrictions dictate that they must maintain a safe distance between them, hence the title, five feet apart. As their connection intensifies, so does the temptation to throw the rules out the window and embrace that attraction. Further complicating matters is Will's potentially dangerous rebellion against his ongoing medical treatment. Through friend and fellow CF patient, Poe (Moises Arias) and their nurse, Barb (Kimberly Hebert Gregory), Stella gradually inspires Will to live life to the fullest, but can Stella ultimately save the person she loves when even a single touch is off limits?
Others to round out the cast are Parminder Nagra as Dr. Noor Hamid, Claire Forlani as Meredith, Will's mother, Emily Baldoni as Stella's mother, Gary Weeks as Tom, Stella's father, Sue-Lynn Ansari as Nurse and Ariana Guerra as Hope Gomez.
Interesting that this was directed by a virtual documentarian, Justin Baldoni ("My Last Days: Meet Shane Burcaw" (documentary) '13, "Rebel With a Cause: The Sam Simon Story" (TV movie documentary) '15) plus TV and shorts. I can surely appreciate someone getting out of their comfort zone and attempt a new area in which to delve into. Of course, he has TV to his credit, but feature films are a whole new breed. He truly was able to showcase these actors to be real as these cystic fibrosis patients without them getting maudlin which would be easy to do. If you like his brand of directing, his "Laughing At My Nightmare" (documentary) is in post-production for a 2019 release. It was adequately written by Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis (video). Considering the limited experience of these writers-- they are virtually new to writing screenplays, this was an exemplary job done. This certainly wasn't an Academy Award winning screenplay--it wasn't without issues, but an admirable attempt at what it would be like to have such a devastating disease as cystic fibrosis. There was some choppiness and inconsistencies, but otherwise an intriguing story and approach to it. Given the chance to produce more work and these writers will excel. In fact, their "The Curse of La Llorona" is completed and is slated for a later 2019 release date. The best thing about this is the fact that even though the cards are stacked against these two characters, they learn to adapt to a situation in spite of the obstacles involved. Kudos to these two writers to allow us to see this.
When you go to the multiplex to see this, you'll have to bring a half a box of Kleenex in order to get through this. Not that it's maudlin, but it does deal with a truly deadly disease where the only redemption of the disease is a pair of transplanted lungs--and there's still no guarantee that they'll take. The ensemble cast wins the audience over which helps with the seriousness of the situation. If anyone has a dreadful disease or knows someone who is going through a tough situation, this speaks volumes.
Out of 4 Stars: 3 Rated: PG-13 116mins.
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