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Shailene Woodley says 'Fault in Our Stars' reflects the passion of real-life, young love

"I think, oftentimes, our society looks at teenagers and sort of discredits their love or they say: 'Oh, that's cute. It's puppy love.' Like they don't know what real love is. And you look at adults and go: 'Are you actually happy? Is this real love? Because if that's real love, then that's not what I want,'" the actress says.

By Karen Butler
Publicity still from Twentieth Century Fox.
Publicity still from Twentieth Century Fox.

NEW YORK, June 4 (UPI) -- Actress Shailene Woodley says her love scene with actor Ansel Elgort in The Fault in Our Stars is her favorite part of the movie because the memorable moment was handled with integrity.

Josh Boone directed the big-screen adaptation of John Green's best-selling, young-adult romance, which tells the story of Gus and Hazel Grace, kindred spirits who fall in love, while battling cancer.

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"You know what scene I actually really love? The love scene. Because it is, to me, very different than most love scenes in young-adult films. It's treated with integrity," Woodley said at a recent press conference in New York.

"I think, oftentimes, our society looks at teenagers and sort of discredits their love or they say: 'Oh, that's cute. It's puppy love.' Like they don't know what real love is. And you look at adults and go: 'Are you actually happy? Is this real love? Because if that's real love, then that's not what I want.'"

"And you look at younger people, who are in love, and the older we get, the more in our heads we get and we are not really available for others as much. And, when you are younger, that love is so pure and, also, teenagers are incredibly passionate," Woodley explained.

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Woodley said Gus and Hazel Grace's on-screen affection perfectly reflects this.

"I love that in their intimate scene, they are passionate with one another," the 22-year-old actress observed. "They are a little bit awkward and a little bit uncomfortable, but not too uncomfortable and not too awkward. I just thought [the scene] was handled with such care. ... I thought it was really special and unique."

Co-starring Laura Dern, Willem Dafoe and Sam Trammell, The Fault in Our Stars opens in U.S. theaters Friday.

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