You Had Us At Cole Sprouse
Another teen romance movie is set to release in March of 2019 and if the fact that it marks “Riverdale” star Cole Sprouse’s long-awaited return to film doesn’t seal the deal for you, it will also hopefully be an opportunity to learn about a fatal genetic disease that affects more than 70,000 people worldwide: cystic fibrosis. The film, directed by “Jane the Virgin” star Justin Baldoni, also features “The Edge of Seventeen’s” Haley Lu Richardson and explores themes of desire and restriction as two teenagers balance falling in love, with the constraint of a serious illness. If you’re intrigued, keep reading because we’ve put together a list of everything we know, circa 2018, about this upcoming 2019 romantic drama that you’ll definitely want to know.
#5: It Has a Heart-Wrenching Plot
The story of this movie may remind you of “The Fault in Our Starsâ€, but it actually has a unique twist. Both lead characters, Stella and Will, have cystic fibrosis; and because they risk catching infections from each other, they have to remain, well, 5 feet apart at all times. The film’s director said he sought to answer these questions: “What if the most intimate relationship of your life was with someone you couldn’t be physically intimate with? Could love transcend human touch during the most vulnerable time of our life?” We know this is going to be a love story not quite like anything we’ve seen before!
#4: It’s Cole Sprouse’s First Major Film Since “Big Daddyâ€
Nowadays, Cole Sprouse is a teen heartthrob best known for his role as Jughead on “Riverdale,†and has pursued much of his career on television, with a role on “Friendsâ€, and a starring role in Disney’s “The Suite Life of Zack & Codyâ€. His last truly important film role was way back in 1999, alongside Adam Sandler in “Big Daddyâ€! His costar in “Five Feet Apart,†the talented Haley Lu Richardson, isn’t quite as well known as Cole. You may recognize her, however, from the supporting role she played in 2016’s “The Edge of Seventeenâ€.
#3: The Director Is a Well-Known Actor
If you recognize the aforementioned director of this film, it’s probably because he’s much better known for his work in front of the camera than behind it. Justin Baldoni’s most prominent role has been playing Rafael Solano on “Jane the Virginâ€, the character whose sperm is accidentally used to get Jane pregnant, kicking off the action of the show. It turns out, though, that Baldoni is multi-talented, and this is his directorial debut as far as feature films go. And guess what? He actually acted in an episode of “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody†alongside Cole Sprouse!
#2: It’s Already Been Both Praised and Criticized
As soon as the trailer for the film dropped, many cystic fibrosis advocates voiced their concerns with the fact that some of what they saw in the clips was unrealistic. For example, they maintain that two people with CF should never actually be in the same room indoors, according to best medical practices. Justin Baldoni defended his decisions, saying they had to take some creative licence in order to make the film. Some advocates, on the other hand, are just happy to see this relatively rare disease depicted on screen, and believe the representation alone is enough for it to be deserving of praise. Let’s see what the critics say when it’s actually released!
Not all awareness is good awareness and, personally, five feet apart is just another story in the long tradition of portraying terminal illness and disability by abled actors for the sake of making healthy people glad they’re not personally sick or disabled.
— Elsie Tellier 💖 (@65PinkRoses) November 2, 2018
i am in SHOCK. CF!!!! CYSTIC FIBROSIS!!!! BEING REPRESENTED IN THE MEDIA!!!! am i crying? maybe https://t.co/Qb74Up0tA0
— ðšœðš¢ðšðš”ðš—ðšŽðšŽ 💫 (@sydney_squires) November 3, 2018
#1: The Actors Did Their Homework
When you’re creating a film like this one, where a serious illness has to be accurately represented as much as possible, it’s important for everyone involved to inform themselves on the topic. So the filmmakers partnered with Claire’s Place Foundation and its founder, the late Claire Wineland, who “provide emotional and financial support to families living with cystic fibrosis,†in order to learn about the disease. Sprouse, for one, definitely took his research seriously, saying, “There are some roles that carry a real responsibility for accurate representation, this was one of them.” We most certainly agree.
For more details on this upcoming Cole Sprouse film, make sure to check out the full MsMojo video below!
