Five Feet Apart (2019)
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Two teenagers with cystic fibrosis navigate a complicated romance while being forced to maintain a strict physical distance for their safety.
The story
Teenagers Stella Grant and Will Newman suffer from cystic fibrosis, a progressive genetic disorder that makes them vulnerable to infections and requires them to stay six feet apart. Stella is a meticulous patient who follows her medical regimen strictly, while Will is a cynical rebel with a grim prognosis. When Stella discovers Will's treatment schedule, she begins to help him, and the two eventually fall in love. However, they must navigate the physical limitations of their illness, struggling to find a way to be close while adhering to the safety protocols required to keep each other alive.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Stella Grant and Will Newman are teenagers living with cystic fibrosis (CF), a condition that requires them to stay six feet apart to avoid cross-infection. Stella is highly disciplined with her treatments, while Will is a rebellious patient who is ineligible for a lung transplant due to a B. cepacia infection. After Stella begins helping Will with his treatments, the two fall in love despite the physical distance. Stella eventually undergoes surgery to replace an infected G-tube, facing it alone due to the death of her sister, Abby. Will supports her by singing a song Abby used to sing. However, after a nurse warns him about the dangers of breaking the six-foot rule, Will decides to distance himself to protect Stella. Stella, determined to reclaim some freedom, meets Will using a pool cue to maintain a five-foot distance. Following the death of Stella's friend Poe, the two rebel against their hospital confinement to see the lights. During this outing, Stella falls through ice and is nearly drowned; Will performs CPR to save her. Though he fears infecting her, Stella survives and successfully receives a lung transplant. While Stella is under anesthesia, Will sets up the lights for her and gives her a sketchbook of drawings before saying a final goodbye.
- First release year
- 2019
- Runtime (minutes)
- 116
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Justin Baldoni
- Writers
- Mikki Daughtry · writer; Tobias Iaconis · writer
- Cast and characters
- Haley Lu Richardson · Stella Grant; Cole Sprouse · William "Will" Newman; Moisés Arias · Poe Ramirez; Kimberly Hébert Gregory · Nurse Barbara; Emily Baldoni · Nurse Julie; Parminder Nagra · Dr. Hamid; Claire Forlani · Meredith Newman, Will's mother; Cynthia Evans · Erin Grant, Stella's mother
- Genres
- coming-of-age; romantic drama; teen drama; teen romance
- Themes
- illness; love; sacrifice; distance; survivor guilt
- Tone and mood
- romantic; melancholic; coming-of-age
- Premise and plot tags
- cystic fibrosis; teen romance; medical drama; hospital setting
- Source material / true-story basis
- Inspired by Claire Wineland
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising Haley Lu Richardson's performance while others criticized the formulaic plot and clichés. The cystic fibrosis community also had mixed responses, with some welcoming the awareness and others criticizing the depiction of medically dangerous behavior.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 53 · scale: 100 · review count: 26; CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- The film's title refers to the 'six foot rule' from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.; The film was inspired by Claire Wineland, who had cystic fibrosis.; The studio pulled an Instagram promotion campaign after it was perceived as tone-deaf.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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