The Perks of Being a Wallflower, based on the teen fiction book of the same name and directed by the book's author Stephen Chbosky, centers on a teenage boy named Charlie (Logan Lerman). Charlie is a smart kid, but has been kind of a loner ever since his best friend committed suicide. During his first couple of days of freshman year, Charlie remains quiet and sits by himself during lunch until he meets Patrick (Ezra Miller). When we first meet Patrick, he seems like the class clown, but we find out he is an outcast himself. Patrick is gay and has secretly been in a relationship with one of the jocks. Patrick along with his stepsister Sam (Emma Watson) introduce Charlie to their group of friends, who are all outcasts in their own way and things begin looking up for Charlie. But even though Sam has a boyfriend, Charlie has feelings for her and for the longest time he hides his feelings by dating, not by choice, one of Sam's friends named Mary Elizabeth (Mae Whitman). Eventually, Charlie's feelings for Sam come out and things get awkward between Charlie and the rest of the group as Charlie's past comes to light and we find out what exactly made him the way he is.
This movie had me laughing one moment and gave me chills the next. Teenagers and young adults will be able to relate to at least one of the characters one way or another, because it deals with real issues. I have not read the book myself, but I feel that every role was cast perfectly and these three young stars are incredible. I wasn't sure about Logan Lerman in this role, but he has proved to be a very good actor. Emma Watson was one of the draws for me going into this movie and she did not disappoint. Finally, stepping out from the Harry Potter franchise, she proves here that the camera loves her and that she will only continue to grow as an actress. But Ezra Miller, who was amazing as a dark and disturbed character in We Need to Talk About Kevin, steals the show here portraying a character who is completely the opposite. Ezra's character brings most of the humor to the screen, but what stands out the most in his case was that he was so believable and hard to not love. On top of the three leads, we have a nice supporting cast as well. We have Dylan McDermott and Kate Walsh as Charlie's parent and the always lovable Paul Rudd as Charlie's English teacher Mr. Anderson. This movie deals with sexuality, drugs, drinking, and most of all friendship. The relationships bring a lot of heart to this movie and in return makes it a very inspiring film.
...AND SIMPLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AND A MUST SEE FOR YOUNG ADULTS. A
Cast: Logan Lerman, Ezra Miller, Emma Watson, Nina Dobrev, Mae Whitman, Paul Rudd, Melanie Lynskey, Dylan McDermott, Kate Walsh, Joan Cusack
Director: Stephen Chbosky
Rating: PG-13 for mature thematic material, drug and alcohol use, sexual content including references, and a fight - all involving teens
The Perks of Being a Wallflower out October 12 is Now in Theaters.
No comments:
Post a Comment