Director: Stephen Chbosky
Starring: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller
Box Office: $17,738,570 (USA)
DVD Review
I wanted to see this film when it was released in theatres. But it had a short and limited release and we couldn't fit it into our movie schedule.
The Perks of Being A Wallflower is a novel written by Chbosky, who adapted and directed the film. A rarity for films adapted or based on novels and a risk that was well worth taking by Mr. Mudd Productions - a producing team that includes actor John Malkovich and who were behind the 2007 hit Juno.
The film stars Lerman as Charlie, a nervous and shy teenager who is about to begin his freshman year of high school. He finds it difficult to make friends, only making a connection with his English teacher, Mr. Anderson (Paul Rudd). He is introduced to an extroverted senior, Patrick (Miller), in his shop class, and later befriends both Patrick and his stepsister Sam (Watson). Charlie, along with his two new friends, become close and start to go through the highs and lows of growing up.
The film touches on several hard-hitting topics including: suicide, depression, homophobia, and drug abuse. And the story and topics are brought forth convincingly through strong performances from the film`s young cast. Thought the supporting cast, which includes: Rudd, Dylan McDermott, Kate Walsh, and Joan Cusack, provide a talented balance to the younger cast`s main storyline, it`s the three young stars who shine the brightest in their complex and troubled characters.
Lerman, who is best known for his role as the title character in Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Lightning Thief, portrays the character of Charlie with such poise and conviction, you forget at times that he is still only in his early twenties. He is likeable as the main character, but still able to provide depth and emotion to a character who has a certain amount of darkness in him.
Watson quickly sheds her "Hermione Granger" image with a character so uniquely different from the female leads in teen films today. She's fragile, yet strong. Full of angst, yet full of hope. It's great to see a young female actor tap into the emotion of a character that makes her so relatable and likeable to people of all ages, especially teen girls. (Unlike Kristen Stewart who can't seem to produce a genuine emotion, even if her life depended on it).
It was so refreshing to see a coming-of-age film that was different. We are inundated with cookie-cutter teen films and rarely get to see a movie that has profound messages and a sense of redemption and hope for teens and essentially, people in general.
Within the first 15 minutes of the movie, I felt like I was watching a John Hughes' film. Not in a way that Chbosky was trying to emulate Hughes; it was a more respectful, "your views on the teen genre were accurate and real", type of way. There hasn't been a film like this that speaks so fluently to its generation since The Breakfast Club. We can only hope that 20 years from now, teens are still being shown this film and realizing the importance of its message.
Final Verdict: See it. Don't be turned off by the teen aspect of this film; it is a film that all audiences can enjoy. A great story, an honest approach to it's direction, a talented young cast and a stellar soundtrack create the perfect ingredients for a successful film. One of the best of 2012, it's heartfelt, funny and true and will have you believing that "we are infinite".
Rotten Tomatoes
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