Five Feet Apart - A finite boundary of infinite love

 By: Harshani Pamodya Wickramasinghe

“Human touch is our first method of communication. All it takes is a delicate caress of a finger to provide safety, security, and comfort or a gentle kiss on a cheek. It brings us together when we're
joyful, strengthens us when we're afraid, and delights us when we're passionate and in love. We
crave the touch of someone we love almost as much as we require air to breathe. But some have
never grasped the significance of touch. The touch of love and care.”

No matter how valuable the caress is if the touch is a significant factor that poses a risk in a relationship. Are there lovers on earth who can love untouched? “Five Feet Apart” is  an American romantic drama film directed by Justin Baldoni and written by Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis. 

It was initially released on March 7, 2019. The cast including, Haley Lu Richardson, Cole Sprouse, and Moises Arias, portray the characters. The film is partially inspired and influenced by Claire Wineland, who also acted as a consultant for the movie. There are various definitions of love, and  everyone wants their love story to end in a happy ending. But some beautiful love stories of this world are bounded up with reality. In this movie, the love story of Will and Stella puts us in a situation where it is difficult to describe in words at some places. The film shows a humane vision of Cystic fibrosis patients, struggling through this disease and falling for each other. Cystic fibrosis is a genetic condition that causes a buildup of thick mucus in the lungs. Cepacia is an exceedingly resilient type of bacteria that is resistant to treatment. It is highly contagious to other people suffering from the same disease. For people with CF, being close to others with the illness puts them at greater risk of getting and spreading dangerous germs and bacteria. It is called cross‐infection. As a result, there is a six-foot rule that should always be followed.

The patients don't have barriers to spending time with healthy people as they desire. Unfortunately, a cystic fibrosis patient in a hospital is more likely to meet another similar patient and be forced to stay apart due to their illness.

Stella Grant (Haley Lu Richardson) is a cystic fibrosis patient making frequent visits to the hospital and is a well-organized, self-possessed girl who strives to get healthy, making videos about her illness and healing others. She meets Will Newman (Cole Sprouse) during their clinical trial, who seems less enthusiastic and disregards his health. Will wants to draw Stella. Then Stella makes a deal with him as if he will allow her to help him with his regime, Stella will eventually consent him to paint her. Even in his treatment, Will's only concern was what would happen if this didn't work. They begin the treatments together via texting and video calls. The pile of letters coming under the door makes their bond even more special and hopeful. When you get a man who gives you hope and desire to live, you begin to feel how good life is and are afraid to die. Will explains the feeling that Stella makes him wish for a life he won't be able to have. That's the most dreadful feeling he ever had. 

Six feet doesn’t seem like a big deal until they fall in love. The film is named "Five Feet Apart" because the protagonists disobey the six feet rule and decide to get one foot closer to each other. Stella says it  perfectly as she doesn't mind stealing one foot back after all that CF has taken from her. Then this young couple has used a five-foot pool cue to measure their distance. Stella's best buddy Poe (Moises Arias) is also a fellow cystic fibrosis sufferer who is emotionally intelligent, sensitive, as well as hilarious. His death happens the day after Will’s surprise birthday party. It hurts Stella so much that she yells, even though he's her best friend, she couldn’t be able even to hug him. The sudden death of Stella's sister, Abby, and Poe’s separation makes the cause of her grief. Then she decided to walk to watch the streetlights as she remembers that Poe couldn’t live his life and chase his dreams while he was living. Accidentally, Stella sinks into the cold water of a frozen pond during this snowy walk. Then Will had to give her artificial respiration, though the risk of infection was high.

Finally, Stella had found perfectly matching lungs. Her surgery was successful, and the artificial respiration did not cause a bacterial infection. However, Will was not in good health with the treatments. He leaves after letting her see the streetlights because he can't endanger Stella with her new lungs. Will is a lover who fulfills the promises more than the same way and happily says goodbye. In the movie, audiences can make open conclusions whether Will dies or the two see each other again. According to my perspective, this film themes around a wide range of life, death, love, and hopes. A breath of fresh air is not magic for many of us, but some people suffer and die for just one breath. Human touch can cause wonders in the world as it affects both the physical and mental health of a person and releases the hormone oxytocin, which is responsible for regulating positive moods, pleasing the mind, and bringing loved ones closer. 

 

The film ends with some video clips emphasizing the importance of the touch from the person you love in your life.

          “So, if you're watching this and in a position to do so, reach out and touch him. Feel free to touch her. It's far too short of a life to squander a single moment.”

Image courtesy: https://bit.ly/3gf2pVj