A sincere and mostly effective romantic drama

Romantic dramas involving terminal illness were popularised again with the 2014 box office hit The Fault in Our Stars, an adaptation of the popular young adult novel of the same name. 2019's Five Feet Apart ditches cancer in favour of cystic fibrosis, with screenwriters Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis using the opportunity to educate mainstream film-goers about the intense difficulties of this debilitating, life-threatening disorder. The feature-length directorial debut for veteran TV actor Justin Baldoni, Five Feet Apart actually works for the most part despite the story's been-there-done-that disposition; it is easy to become invested in this vividly drawn world, and care about the central relationship. Unfortunately, the movie is handicapped by a third act which devolves into exasperating melodrama, though the ultimate dénouement is effective despite its forced, manipulative nature.

Teenager Stella Grant (Haley Lu Richardson) is afflicted with cystic fibrosis, attempting to live a normal life as she keenly uses social media to communicate her daily routine to the world. Returning to the hospital with renewed health issues, Stella meets former CF patient Will (Cole Sprouse), who's undergoing a special clinical drug trial but cannot bring himself to maintain a consistent treatment program. Although Stella is initially resentful of Will and hesitant to speak to him, the two eventually make a deal which allows Will to draw Stella, and Stella to organise Will's treatment program that he must follow to the letter. The pair build a relationship, but continue to respect the rule of maintaining a distance of at least six feet from one another, at the risk of dying from cross-infection. Will's devil-may-care attitude begins to rub off on Stella, who chooses to rebel against the rules and remain only five feet away from fellow CFers.

In many respects, Five Feet Apart plays out like a flavour-of-the-month YA novel, to the extent that one could be forgiven for assuming this is a YA adaptation. However, the material actually began as a screenplay before being adapted into a book while the movie was in post-production. There's a slight When Harry Met Sally vibe to the central characters' relationship, with Stella's clinical OCD tendencies and Will's rebellious streak rendering them virtually incompatible as a couple. Chief to the film's success is the sense of authenticity, with Baldoni recruiting real CF sufferer Claire Wineland as a consultant on the project. This is certainly a fascinating conceit for a romantic drama, and the film will likely aid CF awareness as a result. Five Feet Apart works best when focusing on gentle character interaction, with the second act soaring as Stella and Will experience the ups and downs of their budding relationship. This delicate emotionality is thrown to the wind, however, with a desperate last act that goes unnecessarily big. Character action lacks proper motivation, and the characters' rampant stupidity might make you question whether this story is still worth your investment.

Whereas comparable motion pictures are usually pedestrian from a filmmaking standpoint, Five Feet Apart is visually inviting and sumptuous, photographed to perfection by cinematographer Frank G. DeMarco (All Is Lost, Margin Call). Shot in a recently built hospital in New Orleans, the production design is eye-catching, transforming the sterile hospital rooms into believable, personalised, lived-in spaces, underscoring the reality of how CF patients live. Baldoni happily avoids the temptation to turn the hospital into a prison, depicting the clinical staff as strict but wholly human, with the sometimes frustratingly by-the-book Barb (Kimberly Hebert Gregory) simply concerned with patient safety. It's a refreshing perspective, eschewing any superfluous forced antagonists beyond CF itself. Baldoni's filmmaking style is recognisable for this genre, often resorting to montages accompanied by cutesy pop music, while the score by Brian Tyler and Breton Vivian shamelessly pulls on the heartstrings.

Perpetually keeping the material afloat, even throughout its rougher patches, are the lead actors. As Stella, Richardson is so natural and down-to-earth, handling the diverse requirements of the script like a consummate professional. She is able to convey joy, sadness, frustration and love with seemingly little effort, and she's charming to boot. Meanwhile, recognisable former child actor Sprouse (whom you may remember from Big Daddy and Friends) makes an equally good impression as the brooding love interest, giving the role real gravitas and believability. Five Feet Apart is unmistakably cheesy at times, but it does work more often than not thanks to the level of sincerity on display, and its heart is in the right place. It's just less successful when the movie resorts to unfortunate YA clichés, a creative choice that is especially disheartening since the story's conceit is otherwise unconventional. Nevertheless, Five Feet Apart will almost certainly work for its target market, and you could do a lot worse in this subgenre.

6.6/10