five feet apart christian movie review

Coram Deo ~

Looking at contemporary culture from a christian worldview.

My Review of FIVE FEET APART

March 21, 2019 by Bill Pence Leave a comment

Five Feet Apart is an emotional film about two teens with cystic fibrosis who fall in love. The film has some content issues, but also has many positive elements. The film is directed by Justin Baldoni (My Last Days ) based on the young adult novel written by Rachael Lippincott, Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis, the latter two of which also wrote the film’s screenplay. Stella, played by Haley Lu Richardson ( Columbus ) was born with cystic fibrosis (CF). As the film begins, she is checking into St. Grace Regional Hospital to deal with an infection, and not able to go on vacation with her friends. At St. Grace she is treated well by the compassionate nurse Barb, played by Kimberly Hebert Gregory, who is skilled in treating Stella and the other CF patients on the floor, including Stella’s best friend Poe, played by Moises Arias. Stella is very well-organized, sticking to her medical routines and exercise. She maintains a “To Do” list, and loves crossing items off of it. One of the items on her list is to study about the afterlife. She has her own YouTube channel, through which she shares her journey with others. Still, she tries to maintain a positive attitude as she waits for a lung transplant, which will buy her another five years. Will, played by Cole Sprouse ( Riverdale ), is another teenage CF patient in the hospital. He is entering an experimental drug program, but even if it is successful, he is not a candidate for a lung transplant. As a result, he has lost hope and is not faithful in following his treatment program. Stella encourages him to stick with his treatment. Will begins to fall for Stella, and she agrees to spend time with him, and to let him draw her as he requests, if he will follow a prescribed routine that she organizes for him. As CF patients are vulnerable to infection, Will and Stella are not allowed to touch. In addition, they must stay at a distance of six feet apart. One of the ways they stay in touch is by Face Timing with each other while in their rooms doing their treatments. As their relationship grows, Stella decides that CF has taken enough from she and Will. As a result, she takes one foot back, and uses a five-foot pool cue to measure the distance that she and Will have to stay apart. The two fall in love, knowing that the odds are against their relationship. How will things turn out? Will Stella get a lung transplant? Will the experimental treatment help Will? The acting performances from the four leading characters are all solid and realistic. Themes in the film include risk, love, death and dying, responsibility, caring for others, hope, human touch and forgiveness. Content concerns include some adult language, including the abuse of God’s name, and some language of a sexual nature. Poe is a homosexual, who talks about his multiple sexual partners and his love for his boyfriend. It seems that relationships with parents are not close and loving. Though one of the items on Stella’s “To Do” list is the afterlife, there is no mention of God. We only see a Hari Krishna symbol on Stella’s hospital room wall and see her meditating. Five Feet Apart is an emotional film that has some content issues but also many positive elements. With so many people in the audience under the age of 25, it was refreshing to see love, friendship and intimacy being portrayed without a sexual relationship. To see Will delight in Stella because of who she is and not her appearance was great. So… for those of you who have read the book, was the book better than the film?

Author: Bill Pence

I’m Bill Pence – married to my best friend Tammy, a graduate of Covenant Seminary, St. Louis Cardinals fan, formerly a manager at a Fortune 50 organization, and in leadership at my local church. I am a life-long learner and have a passion to help people develop, and to use their strengths to their fullest potential. I am an INTJ on Myers-Briggs, 3 on the Enneagram, my top five Strengthsfinder themes are: Belief, Responsibility, Learner, Harmony, and Achiever, and my two StandOut strength roles are Creator and Equalizer. My favorite book is the Bible, with Romans my favorite book of the Bible, and Colossians 3:23 and 2 Corinthians 5:21 being my favorite verses. Some of my other favorite books are The Holiness of God and Chosen by God by R.C. Sproul, and Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper. I enjoy music in a variety of genres, including modern hymns, Christian hip-hop and classic rock. My book Called to Lead: Living and Leading for Jesus in the Workplace and Tammy’s book Study, Savor and Share Scripture: Becoming What We Behold are available in paperback and Kindle editions on Amazon. amazon.com/author/billpence amazon.com/author/tammypence

Or browse by category:

Get the app
Movie Reviews
Best Movie Lists
Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

Best TV Lists
Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
Common Sense Selections for TV
Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

Book Reviews
Best Book Lists
Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

Game Reviews
Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

Podcast Reviews
Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

App Reviews
Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

YouTube Channel Reviews
YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

Explaining the News to Our Kids

Family Tech Planners
Digital Skills
All Articles
Latino Culture
Black Voices
Asian Stories
Native Narratives
LGBTQ+ Pride
Best of Diverse Representation List

Celebrating Black History Month

Movies and TV Shows with Arab Leads

Celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary

Five feet apart, common sense media reviewers.

Strong acting saves predictable, sentimental love story.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Don't take life for granted. Grab love and joy whe

Although cystic fibrosis community is split on som

A young man looks like he's perched precariously o

Lots of yearning looks and one scene in which Stel

Occasional use of strong language, including one "

The AfflowVest, a branded mobile mechanical oscill

Positive Messages

Don't take life for granted. Grab love and joy wherever you can find them, and treasure those closest to you, because you don't know when death will come calling. Strong element of "if you love someone, set them free." Themes also include perseverance, empathy.

Positive Role Models

Although cystic fibrosis community is split on some aspects of movie, there's agreement that this is one of the few movies to even attempt to represent what it's like for teens living with CF (or something other than cancer). Stella, who also has OCD, is diligent about her treatment schedule, craves order. She's caring, loving to her parents and close friends. Will is edgier and has less discipline, but he's artistic and loving and wants to live each day to its fullest. Poe is a caring, selfless friend. The nurses are patient, dedicated, empathetic.

Violence & Scariness

A young man looks like he's perched precariously on a hospital roof and might fall. (Potential spoiler alerts ahead.) A young character who dies of cystic fibrosis is briefly shown coding, then dead on the floor. A character who looks to have died is saved via CPR. Sad conversations about loved ones who've died (and how they died).

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Lots of yearning looks and one scene in which Stella touches her chest sensually in front of Will after they both declare they could touch each other. They also undress down to their underwear and jump into the hospital pool together but don't touch purposely. They hold gloved hands. A couple of cases of asexual accidental touches, both in times of stress or emergency.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Occasional use of strong language, including one "f---ing," plus "bitch" and a couple uses of "s--t," "bulls--t," "a--hole," "hell," "goddamn," "boobs," "oh my God."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

The AfflowVest, a branded mobile mechanical oscillation therapy device used by CF and other chronically ill pulmonary patients, is prominently featured.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Five Feet Apart is based on the best-selling YA novel about Will ( Cole Sprouse ) and Stella ( Haley Lu Richardson ), two hospitalized 17-year-olds with cystic fibrosis (CF) who fall in love. Since the guideline for CF patients is that they should stay a minimum of six feet apart from each other due to the danger of cross-infection, the title refers to the one foot the pair "take back" to be a tiny bit closer as their love story develops. Language isn't frequent but includes a use of "f---ing," plus "s--t," "bulls--t," "a--hole," etc., and a few references to sex (or lack thereof). Will and Stella aren't supposed to touch, much less kiss (saliva exchange would be deadly, as one of them has a serious bacterial infection), so there's no sex, although they do undress down to their underwear in one romantic scene. The movie, which had a CF consultant, has been divisive within the CF community; some members are happy to see more awareness for the disease, which affects about 30,000 in the U.S., and others worry that the movie romanticizes the illness or misleads able-bodied audiences. Ultimately, the story promotes treasuring those closest to you and has themes of perseverance and empathy. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

Parents say (34)
Kids say (173)

Based on 34 parent reviews

Expert review is missing a lot of details about sex.

Parents be warned, sex is the major talking point of this movie., what's the story.

FIVE FEET APART is one of a growing number of YA book-to-screen adaptations about teens who fall in love under life-and-death circumstances. Stella ( Haley Lu Richardson ) is a kind, rule-following 17-year-old cystic fibrosis (CF) patient who's back in the hospital for a "tune up" when she meets rule- breaking 17-year-old Will ( Cole Sprouse ), who also has CF and is in the hospital. CF patients are supposed to stay at least six feet apart from one another to avoid contagious infections that could worsen their already precarious condition. Stella is patiently awaiting a lung transplant, while Will, who's tested positive for a dangerous bacteria called B. cepacia , can barely remember to take his meds. The two begin a tentative friendship and flirtation that eventually (and predictably) leads to romance. Stella helps Will be more disciplined with his treatments, and he helps her learn to seize the day. But the seemingly insurmountable question remains: Can two people who can't touch really be together?

Is It Any Good?

This love story requires some suspension of disbelief, but its charming stars and and tear-jerking romance will appeal to fans of The Fault in Our Stars . That doesn't mean audiences should expect as much heartbreak as in FiOS , but the "dying teenagers sharing an intense first love" is definitely a theme of Five Feet Apart , too. Richardson in particular is very talented, and she and Sprouse have just enough spark to make it work, although Stella and Will's romance isn't as swoon-worthy as Hazel Grace and Gus' or as adventurous as Maddy and Olly's . After all, Stella and Will can not, must not touch, so their relationship is limited to conversations and endless longing looks. For some inexplicable reason, their parents are rarely on the hospital floor (in sharp contrast to similar films in which parents sit vigil day after day), and the teens interact mostly with kind, maternal Nurse Barb (Kimberly Hebert Gregory). And Moises Arias stands out as Poe, Stella's hospital bestie and fellow CF patient. Poe supports the idea of Stella, who apparently also has OCD, "dating" Will, even though it puts her at great risk of losing her transplant eligibility.

Because the movie is almost wholly set in the hospital, the plot sometimes feels slow and predictable, and the teens' level of access to all parts of the facility seem far-fetched, considering that such a large hospital would definitely have more attentive security. And the fact that the teens somehow throw a Pinterest-level dinner party is flat-out unbelievable (even with the reason provided). Still, the story will undeniably tug at viewers' heartstrings, and given Sprouse's popularity (thanks to Riverdale ), there's surely an eager fan base ready to see him fall in love, no matter how sad the circumstances.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about what Five Feet Apart teaches viewers about cystic fibrosis. Do you know more about the illness than you did before you saw the movie?

The movie has been somewhat controversial within the CF community, even though there was a CF consultant on the film. Do you think movies need to represent every aspect of an illness or disability accurately? Is there value in creating awareness even if a portrayal isn't 100% realistic?

Which characters are role models ? Why? How does the story show the importance of empathy and perseverance ?

If you've read the book, how does the movie compare? Which do you like better? Why?

Why do you think people like stories about sick teens so much?

Movie Details

In theaters : March 15, 2019
On DVD or streaming : June 11, 2019
Cast : Haley Lu Richardson , Cole Sprouse , Claire Forlani
Director : Justin Baldoni
Inclusion Information : Female actors
Studio : Lionsgate
Genre : Romance
Topics : Book Characters , Friendship
Character Strengths : Empathy , Perseverance
Run time : 116 minutes
MPAA rating : PG-13
MPAA explanation : thematic elements, language and suggestive material
Last updated : March 7, 2024

Our Editors Recommend

Everything, Everything

The Fault in Our Stars

Before I Fall

Me Before You

Pushing Daisies

Movies based on books, teen romance novels, related topics.

Perseverance
Book Characters

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

IMAGES

Five Feet Apart (2019)
Five Feet Apart (2019)
Five Feet Apart (2019)
Five Feet Apart (2019)
Five Feet Apart (2019)
'Five Feet Apart" (2019): A Review

COMMENTS

My Review of FIVE FEET APART
Five Feet Apart, rated PG-13 ** ½ Five Feet Apart is an emotional film about two teens with cystic fibrosis who fall in love. The film has some content issues, but also has many positive elements. The film is directed by Justin Baldoni (My Last Days) based on the young adult novel written by Rachael…
Five Feet Apart Movie Review
Five Feet Apart. By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer. age 13+. Strong acting saves predictable, sentimental love story. Movie PG-13 2019 116 minutes. Rate movie. Parents Say: age 14+ 34 reviews.