The Perks of Being a Wallflower
(A- or 3.5/4 stars)
The events of 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' (directed by Stephen Chbosky & adapted by him from his own novel) transpire over the course of 1 school yr. during the early 1990's in a Pittsburgh suburb. In voiceover entries from his diary, Charlie (Logan Lerman) tells us his hopes & fears about his transition into high school where he's already known as the "weird kid who spent time in a hospital." A shy loner, he eats lunch by himself. Charlie is so quiet that he even stays to himself when Mr. Anderson (Paul Rudd), his English teacher, asks the class a very hard question that he knows the answer to.
Thankfully, his muted existence a wallflower ends when he is befriended by 2 seniors - step-siblings Patrick (Ezra Miller) & Sam (Emma Watson) - who harbor some secrets, revel in their nonconformist status, & see something soulful inside of Charlie. Patrick is a class clown extrovert with an acute sense of humor & a wit that keeps his small circle of "misfit" friends constantly entertained. And Sam is his aforementioned wild child stepsister; an example of her free spirit occurs when she stands up in the back of a pickup truck as it passes through a tunnel while the radio plays David Bowie's rock anthem, "Heroes."
Eventually, Charlie becomes an accepted member of their circle & even dates (for a spell) the chatty, vegan Buddhist {isn't there always one in high school, haha} Mary Elizabeth (Mae Whitman). And yet, Charlie realizes that Sam is his soul mate/kindred spirit with a love of the same music & a lack of self-confidence that matches his own. Despite the fact that he wants to extend their relationship beyond friendship, she clings to a college-aged boyfriend ... even though he mistreats her. All the while, he helps Sam prepare for the SATs as she really wants to make it into Penn State.
Charlie learns what it means to be a bit of a party animal (a little drinking, drugs & even acting at a Rocky Horror Show screening) & in a moment of spontaneous courage, he saves his eccentric pal Patrick from a terrible beating at the hands of 2 macho football players. This act of incendiary courage would seem to be a positive thing. But there's a reason for his brutal response; as a deep, dark secret lurks in the back of Charlie's mind from his past. When things start going badly, he begins to lose his composure, & as it happens in the last Act of this film ... his life threatens to spiral out of control.
This great coming-of-age dramedy is brought to life onscreen by some stand-out performances. As Sam, Emma Watson wipes away remnants of Hermione Granger & gets to show more range (heartache, resiliency). I would have been as entranced by her in high school as Charlie was. As Patrick, Ezra Miller inhabits a character who is nothing like the disturbing one in last yr.'s We Need to Talk About Kevin. And Logan Lerman steals the show as the film's sweet, quiet observer who holds a deep core of sadness. It is easy to see why Patrick & Sam cherish young Charlie: he is a sensitive, intelligent, & compassionate person who wants so desperately to overcome his demons & come out of his shell. I loved watching his (and the other character's) journey of self-discovery & transformation.
'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' perfectly captures the awkwardness, the loneliness, & the unusual friendships that develop in high school when you're an outsider looking in. And it will be especially meaningful to those who attended school in the '80s/'90s; taking a smart & emotionally resonant look at a period of life about which many of us have selective memories of awkwardness, joy, loneliness, confusion & hope.
Thankfully, his muted existence a wallflower ends when he is befriended by 2 seniors - step-siblings Patrick (Ezra Miller) & Sam (Emma Watson) - who harbor some secrets, revel in their nonconformist status, & see something soulful inside of Charlie. Patrick is a class clown extrovert with an acute sense of humor & a wit that keeps his small circle of "misfit" friends constantly entertained. And Sam is his aforementioned wild child stepsister; an example of her free spirit occurs when she stands up in the back of a pickup truck as it passes through a tunnel while the radio plays David Bowie's rock anthem, "Heroes."
Eventually, Charlie becomes an accepted member of their circle & even dates (for a spell) the chatty, vegan Buddhist {isn't there always one in high school, haha} Mary Elizabeth (Mae Whitman). And yet, Charlie realizes that Sam is his soul mate/kindred spirit with a love of the same music & a lack of self-confidence that matches his own. Despite the fact that he wants to extend their relationship beyond friendship, she clings to a college-aged boyfriend ... even though he mistreats her. All the while, he helps Sam prepare for the SATs as she really wants to make it into Penn State.
Charlie learns what it means to be a bit of a party animal (a little drinking, drugs & even acting at a Rocky Horror Show screening) & in a moment of spontaneous courage, he saves his eccentric pal Patrick from a terrible beating at the hands of 2 macho football players. This act of incendiary courage would seem to be a positive thing. But there's a reason for his brutal response; as a deep, dark secret lurks in the back of Charlie's mind from his past. When things start going badly, he begins to lose his composure, & as it happens in the last Act of this film ... his life threatens to spiral out of control.
This great coming-of-age dramedy is brought to life onscreen by some stand-out performances. As Sam, Emma Watson wipes away remnants of Hermione Granger & gets to show more range (heartache, resiliency). I would have been as entranced by her in high school as Charlie was. As Patrick, Ezra Miller inhabits a character who is nothing like the disturbing one in last yr.'s We Need to Talk About Kevin. And Logan Lerman steals the show as the film's sweet, quiet observer who holds a deep core of sadness. It is easy to see why Patrick & Sam cherish young Charlie: he is a sensitive, intelligent, & compassionate person who wants so desperately to overcome his demons & come out of his shell. I loved watching his (and the other character's) journey of self-discovery & transformation.
'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' perfectly captures the awkwardness, the loneliness, & the unusual friendships that develop in high school when you're an outsider looking in. And it will be especially meaningful to those who attended school in the '80s/'90s; taking a smart & emotionally resonant look at a period of life about which many of us have selective memories of awkwardness, joy, loneliness, confusion & hope.