On Friday May 30, I purchased tickets to a movie event unlike any other, The Night Before Our Stars, the pre screening to blockbuster The Fault in Our Stars, but I had no idea just exactly what I was buying tickets for.

This night ended up being an experience that I won’t soon forget.

It started with a pretty funny experience for both my mother and I. I reserved our tickets online for the AMC Hamilton 24, because I work at an AMC and thus only go to AMC’S. When we think Hamilton, we think the Hamilton mall area in Mays Landing. However, this AMC Hamilton ended up being an hour and six minutes away in North Jersey, which we discovered upon putting the directions into the GPS. However, we didn’t let this little surprise ruin our night, which we had been excited for since I bought the tickets.

Thus, we made the drive, and on June 5, 2014 we were in one of only 600 theaters in the world that were holding the event. Upon arriving, we received our tickets from the kiosk, and went inside where our tickets were ripped by a greeter. We then made our way down a long hallway to a table where there were posters and bracelets solely for people with “The Night Before Our Stars” tickets. We received our signed poster and charm bracelets, and then had to wait in a line down the hallway for about forty minutes.

As in any long line full of strangers, there were some interesting conversations to be had. It was crazy to me to see how one book and movie had changed so many peoples’ lives, and made them truly appreciate life more. The story is one of two teenagers, with cancer that fall in love, and make the best of the “little infinity” they have been given. While the story is very sad, it also connects to people in a way I’d never before thought a book would be able to do. People talked of their loved ones who had passed from the disease, or of those that they had lost that they wish they’d had more time with in general. People also talked of their first, second, or third loves, and how crazy life can be. It was a completely indescribable experience to be in a crowded hallway full of individuals with their own unique stories, yet all connected by a common interest in a book that had changed our lives.

When we were finally able to enter the theatre, my mother and I were lucky enough to find seats along the back wall of the completely sold out theatre. There was a welcome message on the screen, and after a few minutes author John Green appeared on the screen and told us that the movie was about to start, and that after the film there would be a live Q and A, and that we could use the hashtag #asktfios at the end of the film, and that our questions might be answered live.

The film was excellent. It was almost spot on with the book, and it was so emotional and raw. Shailene Woodley played an amazing Hazel Grace Lancaster, despite the casting director originally thinking she was too old for the role. Ansel Elgort was just as witty and charming as the Augustus Waters’ character he had to play. The story was poignant and heartfelt and by the end of the movie the entire theatre was crying. However, the movie was also very witty and comical, and there were just as many laughs as tears.

Throughout the movie, and especially at the end, everyone clapped and cheered, and then everyone started standing. The movie had earned a standing ovation in a movie theatre, and I have a feeling this was something that has never happened before.

About 15 minutes after the credits rolled, John Green again appeared on the screen to tell the audiences to tweet their questions, and that the live Q and A was about to start. The Q and A was such a cool experience. We were watching live on a screen, but from the setting and being in a room with a bunch of strangers, it felt like we were actually there. They had live musical performances from Birdy and Natt and Alex Wolff, and much of the theatre clapped and even danced.

The entire experience overall was so unique and touching, and it is something that I think neither I nor anyone in the theatre who experienced it will ever forget. We are human beings first, and it is something truly magical when such a large group of people can rally around one common thing, and have a great night together. Go see the Fault in Our Stars this weekend, it will have you on your feet in both tears and joy, and it will make you truly appreciate the life you’ve been given.