Watching movies is a favorite pastime and I recently caught three on cable with Shailene Woodley: Divergent, The Fault in Our Stars, and The Spectacular Now. I found myself comparing the different pairings between Woodley and her various leading men, who were all with her in Divergent.
Having seen Divergent first, it was strange to see Ansel Elgort and Woodley play each other's love interests in The Fault in Our Stars. The image of them as siblings was still so fresh on my mind, I was cringing inwardly at the idea of incest.
Seeing Woodley and Miles Teller together in The Spectacular Now was not as strange but I could not help feeling disappointed at the portrayal of how normal it was for two teenagers to fall into bed so easily.
Among the pairings, what appealed to me most was the combination of Theo James and Woodley. Aside from James having the strongest "alpha male" look (at least in my view), it is actually the storyline of Divergent that builds up the most appealing chemistry. Four is shown caring for Tris in non-sexual ways: the various survival and fighting tips--all hinting at blossoming feelings hidden under a veil of mentoring concern. Particularly touching was Four's climbing up the ferris wheel despite his fear of heights because Tris has just taken a beating and must take it easy. And the clincher line, "I've got my spot on the floor," just reveals respect in a way the other two movies do not.
Maybe it does not quite live up to the standards set out in Evert's Chastity Project but based on Woodley's three movies, the hottest chemistry is still the one closest to Gospel values.
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