The Perks of Being a Wallflower Movie Review

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

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Written by: Stephen Chbosky
Directed by: Stephen Chbosky
Starring: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Paul Rudd, Mae Whitman, Dylan McDermott, Kate Walsh, Johnny Simmons, Joan Cusack, Nina Dobrev, Nicholas Braun, Julia Garner, Tom Savini
Rated: PG-13
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Plot
Charlie, a fifteen-year-old introvert, enters high school and is nervous about his new life. When he befriends two seniors, he learns to cope with his tumultuous past.

Verdict
This explores the typical themes of the high school setting; trying to find where you fit in and make friends. This treats the subject seriously without ever falling into cliches. There is a lot of abuse and trauma these characters face, but this movie remains hopeful. Despite doubts and uncertainty, these wise beyond their years characters manage to have fun and find their place. It's a solid movie, but it's the trauma the characters face that leaves an impact, good or bad.
Watch It.

Review
Charlie (Logan Lerman) is a freshman trying to figure out his place in high school. It's no simple task. This is an easy entry point, most people have felt trepidation about high school or fitting in with various social circles. Charlie battles low level despair, and it's unclear if the cause is due to something that's happened or his uncertainty about the future. He meets seniors Sam (Emma Watson) and Patrick (Ezra Miller) who invite him into their group, realizing he doesn't have anyone else.

Logan Lerman plays Charlie

Charlie is this caring, observant kid that finds a place to fit in with upperclassmen. Charlie soon develops a crush on Sam, but it's clear she sees him as a friend though she does care about him. The amount of kindness in this group is sweet. It feels a lot like an adult writing about what they wish their childhood could have been, that or a story heavily influenced by nostalgia.

While this has a lot of the typical high school situations, it treats them seriously, confronting real issues. Charlie's crush on Sam isn't reciprocated which leads to Charlie dating someone else in the friend group. It's funny how this punk rock girl becomes such a typical girly girl and so in love, but it's telling. Her punk rock look was a defense. He's not really interested but is too nice to tell her no.

Ezra Miller, Logan Lerman, Emma Watson play Patrick, Charlie, Sam

It's heartbreaking how so many of these teens are dealing with trauma. Patrick is in a closeted relationship and feels the pain of the other person pretending the relationship doesn't exist at school Sam gained a reputation as a freshman, but that was due to upperclassman getting her drunk and taking advantage of her. Charlie could have been put in a similar situation if Sam and Patrick hadn't taken him in and provided guidance. These are difficult topics, but the movie captures some really nice moments.

Emma Watson plays Sam

We discover a bit about Charlie's past, and he has all of these emotions that he hasn't processed tied to his aunt. It's terrible and tragic. To extrapolate, you think about children in general labeled as problem children and you wonder are they acting out due to trauma and abuse? That's a harrowing thought. There's more emotional and physical abuse than we'd care to believe in the world.

Despite so much despair in this movie, there is a lot of hope. It captures some fun and funny moments between the friend group, but it's the emotional reveals that make this movie stick with you. This has some big moments that never succumb to cliche or manipulation because the movie sets up the foundation to achieve those moments and earn them. It feels authentic.