Claire Dawson
In the emotional and poignant young adult novel *Five Feet Apart* by Rachael Lippincott, Saint Grace Hospital serves as the central setting where the story unfolds. Located in an unspecified city, the hospital is a specialized facility that treats patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), a life-threatening genetic disorder. It is here that the protagonists, Stella and Will, meet and navigate their complicated relationship while adhering to strict six-foot apart rules to prevent cross-infection. Saint Grace Hospital is not just a backdrop but a character in itself, symbolizing both the limitations and the hope that come with living with a chronic illness. Its wards, treatment rooms, and shared spaces become the stage for the characters' struggles, growth, and love, making it a pivotal location in the narrative.
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What You'll Learn
- Hospital's Fictional Location: Saint Grace Hospital is a fictional setting in the novel and movie Five Feet Apart
- Inspiration for Setting: Inspired by real cystic fibrosis treatment centers, but not based on a specific hospital
- Filming Location: The movie was filmed in New Orleans, using local hospitals as stand-ins for Saint Grace
- Role in Plot: Serves as the central location where the main characters meet and develop their relationship
- Symbolism of Space: Represents isolation, hope, and the struggle of living with chronic illness
Hospital's Fictional Location: Saint Grace Hospital is a fictional setting in the novel and movie Five Feet Apart
Saint Grace Hospital, the central setting in *Five Feet Apart*, is a fictional institution that serves as a vivid backdrop for the story’s emotional and medical drama. While the hospital itself doesn’t exist in the real world, its portrayal is rooted in meticulous research into cystic fibrosis (CF) treatment centers. The authors and filmmakers consulted with medical professionals and CF patients to ensure the hospital’s environment—from sterile wards to specialized equipment—felt authentic. This attention to detail allows the audience to immerse themselves in the characters’ realities, even though the location is purely imaginative.
To understand Saint Grace Hospital’s fictional placement, consider its role in the narrative. The hospital is not tied to a specific city or state, allowing it to symbolize any advanced medical facility treating CF patients. This ambiguity serves a purpose: it shifts focus from geography to the universal struggles of living with a chronic illness. However, the hospital’s design and protocols mirror real-life CF care units, where strict infection control measures, like the "six-foot rule," are enforced to prevent cross-contamination among patients. This blend of fiction and reality makes Saint Grace Hospital a compelling yet relatable setting.
If you’re curious about creating a similar fictional location, start by researching real-world counterparts. For instance, hospitals like Boston Children’s Hospital or Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center are renowned for their CF programs and could inspire details like room layouts, staff interactions, or patient routines. Incorporate specific medical terminology (e.g., "airborne precaution rooms," "nebulizer treatments") to add credibility. Remember, the goal isn’t to replicate a real place but to craft a setting that feels grounded in truth, much like Saint Grace Hospital does in *Five Feet Apart*.
One practical takeaway from Saint Grace Hospital’s portrayal is its emphasis on emotional authenticity. The hospital isn’t just a sterile environment; it’s a space where characters form connections, face mortality, and find hope. When designing fictional medical settings, prioritize human elements—how does the space influence relationships? What does it reveal about the characters’ inner lives? By balancing clinical accuracy with emotional depth, you can create a setting that resonates with audiences, just as Saint Grace Hospital does in the story.
Finally, consider the broader impact of fictional hospitals like Saint Grace. They serve as educational tools, raising awareness about conditions like CF while humanizing the medical experience. For instance, the film’s depiction of the "five-foot rule" (a deviation from the real-life six-foot rule for narrative tension) sparked conversations about CF protocols. If you’re crafting a similar setting, think about how it can inform as well as entertain. Saint Grace Hospital’s legacy lies not just in its fictional existence but in its ability to shed light on real-world challenges.
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Inspiration for Setting: Inspired by real cystic fibrosis treatment centers, but not based on a specific hospital
The setting of Saint Grace Hospital in *Five Feet Apart* is a poignant backdrop that reflects the realities of cystic fibrosis (CF) treatment centers, yet it is not tied to any single real-world facility. This deliberate choice allows the story to capture the universal experience of CF patients without the constraints of a specific location. By drawing inspiration from actual treatment centers, the narrative gains authenticity while maintaining creative freedom to explore themes of isolation, resilience, and connection.
Analyzing the design of Saint Grace Hospital reveals thoughtful attention to detail. The sterile corridors, segregated treatment rooms, and strict infection control protocols mirror the environments CF patients navigate daily. For instance, the six-foot rule enforced in the film is a nod to the real-life practice of maintaining distance between CF patients to prevent cross-infection. This rule, while fictionalized as five feet for dramatic effect, underscores the emotional and physical barriers CF patients face. Such details are not arbitrary; they are rooted in the lived experiences of CF communities, making the setting both relatable and educational.
Instructively, creating a setting like Saint Grace Hospital requires balancing realism with narrative needs. Writers and filmmakers can achieve this by consulting medical professionals, visiting treatment centers, and engaging with patient advocacy groups. For example, incorporating specific elements like HEPA filters, airlock entrances, and color-coded zones can add depth to the setting. However, caution must be exercised to avoid over-medicalizing the environment, as the story’s emotional core lies in the human experience, not the clinical details. Practical tips include focusing on how the setting amplifies character emotions—such as using stark lighting to highlight loneliness or warm tones to signify hope.
Comparatively, Saint Grace Hospital stands apart from other fictional medical settings by prioritizing accuracy over dramatization. Unlike hospitals in action-packed medical dramas, it avoids exaggerated chaos or miraculous cures. Instead, it emphasizes the mundane yet profound routines of CF care, such as daily physiotherapy sessions and medication regimens. This approach not only educates audiences about CF but also humanizes the condition, fostering empathy and understanding. By grounding the setting in reality, the story transcends its fictional boundaries, resonating with both patients and caregivers.
Descriptively, Saint Grace Hospital is more than a physical space—it is a character in its own right. Its walls echo with the laughter and tears of patients, its rooms bear witness to moments of despair and triumph, and its corridors symbolize the journey of those fighting CF. The setting’s duality—both a place of confinement and a sanctuary of hope—mirrors the complex emotions experienced by CF patients. By crafting such a nuanced environment, the creators of *Five Feet Apart* ensure that Saint Grace Hospital is not just a backdrop but a vital element of the story’s emotional landscape.
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Filming Location: The movie was filmed in New Orleans, using local hospitals as stand-ins for Saint Grace
The heart of *Five Feet Apart* beats in New Orleans, a city whose hospitals became the canvas for Saint Grace. While the story unfolds in a fictional medical facility, the production team chose the vibrant, historic backdrop of New Orleans to bring it to life. This decision wasn’t arbitrary; the city’s unique architecture and atmosphere lent authenticity to the narrative, blending the emotional weight of the story with the visual richness of its setting. By using local hospitals as stand-ins, the filmmakers created a seamless illusion, allowing audiences to immerse themselves in Stella and Will’s world without distraction.
From a logistical standpoint, filming in New Orleans offered practical advantages. The city’s diverse range of medical facilities provided the production team with ample options to replicate the various wards, corridors, and treatment rooms of Saint Grace. Hospitals like Ochsner Medical Center and Tulane Medical Center, with their modern yet approachable designs, served as ideal substitutes. These locations were not only visually convincing but also accessible, minimizing the need for extensive set construction and ensuring the production stayed on schedule. For filmmakers, this approach was a win-win: cost-effective and visually authentic.
However, using real hospitals as filming locations came with its own set of challenges. Patient privacy and hospital operations had to be carefully managed to avoid disruptions. The production team worked closely with hospital staff to schedule filming during off-peak hours and in areas that wouldn’t interfere with patient care. This required meticulous planning, from coordinating with administrators to ensuring that actors and crew adhered to strict protocols. For instance, scenes in sterile environments like treatment rooms demanded extra care to maintain cleanliness and avoid contamination. Despite these hurdles, the result was a portrayal of Saint Grace that felt genuine and grounded.
Beyond practicality, the choice to film in New Orleans added a layer of emotional depth to the story. The city’s resilience and spirit subtly influenced the narrative, mirroring the characters’ own struggles and triumphs. New Orleans, with its history of overcoming adversity, provided a fitting backdrop for a story about love, loss, and the human capacity to endure. The local hospitals, with their real-world significance, became more than just sets—they became characters in their own right, embodying the hope and hardship at the core of *Five Feet Apart*. This fusion of location and narrative elevated the film, making Saint Grace feel less like a fictional place and more like a lived-in, breathing institution.
For fans of the movie, visiting New Orleans offers a unique opportunity to connect with the story on a deeper level. While Saint Grace itself is fictional, the hospitals that stood in for it are very real, and exploring the city can provide a tangible link to the film’s emotional journey. Practical tips for visitors include researching the specific hospitals used in filming (though many scenes were shot on soundstages, some exteriors and interiors are identifiable) and pairing a visit with a tour of New Orleans’ other cinematic landmarks. This not only enriches the experience but also highlights the city’s role as a versatile and captivating filming destination. In the end, New Orleans doesn’t just serve as a backdrop for *Five Feet Apart*—it becomes an integral part of its soul.
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Role in Plot: Serves as the central location where the main characters meet and develop their relationship
Saint Grace Hospital isn't just a backdrop in *Five Feet Apart*—it's the crucible where the story's emotional core is forged. Imagine a sterile, fluorescent-lit world where every breath is measured and every touch forbidden. This is where Stella and Will, two teenagers with cystic fibrosis, are confined, their lives dictated by the relentless rhythm of treatments and the ever-present threat of infection. Their meeting in the hospital's sterile corridors isn't a chance encounter; it's a collision of two isolated souls, each yearning for connection in a world that demands they stay apart.
The hospital's rigid rules, designed to protect, become the very walls that fuel their rebellion. Six feet of distance, a seemingly insurmountable chasm, becomes the canvas for their blossoming love, expressed through stolen glances across hallways, whispered conversations through windows, and clandestine meetings in supply closets.
Consider the hospital's architecture as a metaphor for their relationship. Stark white walls mirror the clinical nature of their interactions, initially guarded and cautious. But as their bond deepens, they find hidden nooks and crannies within the hospital's labyrinthine layout, symbolic of the intimacy they carve out despite the constraints. The rooftop, a forbidden zone, becomes their sanctuary, a place where they can momentarily escape the suffocating grip of their illness and the hospital's rules, allowing their love to flourish, however fleetingly.
The hospital's role isn't merely to provide a setting; it actively shapes the narrative. The constant presence of medical equipment, the beeping monitors, and the ever-watchful eyes of nurses serve as constant reminders of the fragility of life and the urgency of their connection. Every stolen moment, every defiant act of closeness, is amplified by the hospital's sterile environment, highlighting the intensity of their emotions and the preciousness of their time together.
This central location forces the characters to confront their mortality head-on. The hospital, a place of both healing and potential tragedy, becomes a microcosm of their lives, a stark reminder that every moment is borrowed. This awareness fuels their desire to live fully, to love fiercely, and to defy the limitations imposed upon them, even if it means risking everything. Saint Grace Hospital, far from being a passive setting, is a dynamic force, a character in its own right, pushing Stella and Will to confront their fears, challenge societal norms, and ultimately, embrace the beauty and fragility of life.
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Symbolism of Space: Represents isolation, hope, and the struggle of living with chronic illness
Saint Grace Hospital in *Five Feet Apart* is more than a physical location; it’s a symbolic space that encapsulates the isolation, hope, and daily struggles of living with cystic fibrosis (CF). The hospital’s sterile corridors, partitioned rooms, and strict six-foot distance rule mirror the emotional and physical barriers CF patients face. These spaces become a microcosm of their lives, where walls and rules dictate interactions, reinforcing a sense of separation from the outside world. The very architecture of the hospital—clinical, controlled, and confining—serves as a constant reminder of the limitations imposed by chronic illness.
Consider the hospital’s role as a double-edged sword. On one hand, it’s a sanctuary where patients receive life-sustaining treatments, such as twice-daily airway clearance sessions and enzyme supplements with every meal. On the other, it’s a prison where freedom is measured in feet, not miles. The six-foot rule, later adjusted to five feet in the film, symbolizes the paradox of CF: the need for connection versus the necessity of isolation. This spatial restriction becomes a metaphor for the emotional distance patients often feel, even when surrounded by others who share their condition.
Hope, however, emerges in the small rebellions against these confines. The characters’ clandestine meetings in stairwells or rooftops highlight the human desire to transcend limitations, even at great risk. These spaces, though dangerous for their health, become arenas of defiance and intimacy, where moments of joy and connection are stolen from the grip of illness. The hospital’s rigid structure thus contrasts sharply with the characters’ resilience, illustrating how hope thrives in the gaps between rules and reality.
Practically, the hospital’s design reflects real-world CF care protocols. Inpatient units often segregate CF patients to prevent cross-infection, a measure both protective and isolating. For adolescents, this isolation can exacerbate feelings of loneliness, making peer support critical. Programs like virtual support groups or hospital-organized events can mitigate this, though they rarely replace the need for physical proximity. Parents and caregivers should advocate for balanced care—one that prioritizes infection control without sacrificing emotional well-being.
Ultimately, Saint Grace Hospital’s symbolism extends beyond its walls. It challenges viewers to reconsider how spaces are designed for chronically ill individuals, urging a balance between safety and humanity. The hospital isn’t just a setting; it’s a character in the story of CF, embodying the tension between life and limitation, isolation and hope. Its portrayal serves as a reminder that even in the most restrictive environments, the human spirit finds ways to reach out, connect, and endure.
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Frequently asked questions
Saint Grace Hospital is a fictional hospital created for the movie *Five Feet Apart*. It does not exist in real life.
The scenes set in Saint Grace Hospital were filmed in a real hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana, with additional sets built for the movie.
While Saint Grace Hospital is fictional, it was inspired by real-life hospitals and treatment centers that care for patients with cystic fibrosis.
Since Saint Grace Hospital is fictional, you cannot visit it. However, you can visit the actual filming locations in New Orleans if they are open to the public.
Saint Grace Hospital is the central setting where the main characters, Stella and Will, meet and navigate their relationship while undergoing treatment for cystic fibrosis.
