Wonder

Wonder

Directed by Stephen Chbosky

Written by R.J. Palacio (Novel), Stephen Chbosky, Steve Conrad and Jack Thorne

I want to say before I get into the review proper that I usually don't like feel-good movies. At the risk of sounding pretentious I prefer movies that challenge me emotionally, I'd rather get a sad ending like in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford than get something sappy. To be honest my intention to see this movie wasn't exactly pure, I had to choose between going to see this or Justice League; while I know that I'm going to see that one, the same way a prisoner on death row knows he's going to be executed I suppose, I just had to put that on hold. I'm happy to report though that this is one of the few feel-good movies that I actually really enjoyed and I think you should definitely give this one a watch.

The film follows Auggie Pullman (Jacob Tremblay), a boy with a facial deformity, and his time in the fifth grade, the first time he's ever been in school with other kids. His parents are very concerned about how the other kids will take him. His first few weeks are rough as he is understandably nervous but he eventually makes some friends while being hounded by a bully named Julian (Bryce Gheisar). Surprisingly, the film also follows some of the other characters as well, showing their perspectives as Auggie goes to school including his sister Via (Izabela Vidovic), her friend Miranda (Danielle Rose Russell) and Auggie's first friend Jack (Noah Jupe).

The story begins as your standard anti-bullying movie might but as it changes perspectives it sets itself apart, focusing not just on Auggie (though he is still the main character) but on how his situation affects those around him. I think my favorite section is Via's and the wonderful acting on the part of Izabela Vidovic. Her story is very touching and her relationship with a fellow student is great to watch.

If there is a problem I had with these sections I would have to say that it doesn't really feel like all of them are separate. What I mean by this is that for certain sections, particularly Jack's, it feels like there's a scene or two that focuses on him before going right back to Auggie and because of this I started to wonder why they broke it up into separate parts in the first place. Another fault I had with the film is that the transitions at the beginning of these sections are a bit uneven. By that I mean, all of the sections just have the name of the character it follows but with Miranda's section they stylize it a bit by having the title appear from behind a pair of sliding doors. If this seems like a nonissue that's because it is, it just bugged me a bit.

The characters are by far the strongest part of the film. Before going on I have to say that the heart-wrenching nature of this movie might be influencing how I feel about these characters, as well as my opinion of the movie as a whole. With that said, I found these characters rounded, if a bit cliché.

Auggie is a introverted geek who loves Star Wars and science and is very self-conscious about how he looks. He is played very well by Jacob Tremblay and he serves as the emotional center of the film. He's shy and loveable and it's very easy to sympathize with him, especially if you're a parent or you yourself are a shy, introverted geek (oh god, am I projecting?). I sat directly behind an older couple and I heard a few mentions of how they loved Auggie and how they felt so bad for him.

Via is my favorite character. She's a very likeable character who you grow to love once her section starts. Beforehand she's a very quiet character who stays in the background but once you are shown why that is you completely understand and feel for her. I also really liked how the parents (Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson) were depicted, specifically Julia Roberts. She is a woman who was writing her Master's dissertation before Auggie was born and put her whole professional life, and her relationship with her daughter, on hold. She was depicted as a caring mother but one who is perhaps too focused on her son. While I say that I like Owen Wilson's character I don't mean to say that he is particularly rounded, he's basically the comic relief, the caring but aloof dad who just wants the best for his kids. He's easy to like but not particularly deep. As a side note that has nothing at all to do with the movie I desperately wanted him to say the famous "wow" line, but sadly no luck.

I think the weakest of the characters we're meant to take seriously is Julian the bully. He is just a step below the overblown bully characters Stephen King loves to write (think Kiefer Sutherland's bully character in Stand By Me). He's the bully who is a bully just because. While I can understand that kids are pretty awful in most cases there isn't a lot of buildup from being just a mean kid to Auggie at the beginning to some of the stuff he does at the end. The final big scene with him is satisfying but strikes me as very needless and sappy and I would say is the worst in the movie from my point of view.

Another flaw I found is that there weren't satisfying conclusions to some of the plot threads that are presented. For example there is some tension between Via and Miranda and while the conclusion of their story is happy it kind of feels like they don't build up to it enough. Julian's resolution too also seems to come a bit out of left field, without spoiling too much.

The other elements of the film really didn't stand out to me too much. I have a feeling on cinematography, editing and music where if it doesn't contribute to the artistic or thematic elements of the movie in a positive way it shouldn't be noticeable and this film follows that philosophy. Aside from some heartwarming imagination scenes there isn't really any obvious artistic flare. I'm okay with this and I didn't mind it at all. With that being said I couldn't really recall any of the music. I know there was some during certain scenes but I couldn't tell you what it was if you put a gun to my head.

As I've said, this isn't a perfect movie, not by a long shot. But the core of the film is so strong and there's so much to like that I feel the good outweighs the bad. Yes, the ending is very sappy and cliché but damn if I wasn't almost in tears as the credits rolled. I have no reservations about recommending this to everyone, despite how sappy it can sometimes get. The acting is superb with just about every character, though Owen Wilson basically plays the same character he always does, and this film earns every emotional moment it strives for. Check it out, it's a great flick that deserves your attention.

Your Deeds Are Your Monuments- Inscription on and Egyptian Tomb