The Perks of Being a
Wallflower
(USA, 103 min.)
Written and directed by Stephen Chbosky
Starring: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Paul Rudd,
Mae Whitman, Nina Dobrev, Melanie Lynskey.
“Right now we are alive and in this moment I swear we are
infinite,” says Charlie (Logan Lerman) in the final sequence of The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Charlie’s
moment of bliss is inspired by a particular song that he and his friends hear
on the radio while taking a freeing joyride along the highway. The mystery of
the song provides a tread about the shared experiences that define us
throughout our lives. (It also serves as a fine moment to situate the period
for the film, as Perks shows how difficult
life was for kids before Shazam.) Perks,
based on the beloved best-seller, sees author Stephen Chbosky bring his own
work to the screen. I haven’t read the novel, but the words with which Charlie
closes the film are sure to have fans and fellow moviegoers in a state of
bliss.
The Perks of Being a
Wallflower is bound to touch a nerve with anyone who found high school to
be among the less enjoyable years of his or her life. The film also celebrates
the outsiders, though, so it’s bound to connect in a way similar to how people
discovered a part of themselves in the book. Charlie, for example, is an
introverted misfit who dreads the first day of his freshman year. Charlie’s
nervousness will bring anyone who was shy to walk the halls back to their high
school years. Perks takes them though
a heartfelt coming-of-age story about the highs and lows of being an outsider.
High school isn’t all that bad, though, once Charlie makes
the first move towards making a friend. He sees a fellow loner in Patrick (Ezra
Miller), a flamboyant senior whom his classmates (and teachers) mock with the
name “Nothing”. Patrick is hardly one to make someone feel worthless, though,
and he reciprocates Charlie’s friendship.
Charlie forms a band a misfits with Patrick and Patrick’s
stepsister, Sam (Emma Watson). With Patrick and Sam, Charlie gradually learns
that the world isn’t such a scary place and he gets used to having a social
life. He even discovers how to love a girl, as he inevitably falls in love with
Sam during their hangouts together.
The Perks of Being a
Wallflower doesn’t shy away from engaging with many of the life lessons
that shape one’s identity during adolescent years. Before learning the annoying
bliss of young love, Charlie first struggles with death and trauma. Plagued by
memories of his deceased aunt Helen (Melanie Lynskey), who provided fond childhood
memories, Charlie is plagued by recurrent nightmares and crippling self-doubts, and his constant insecurity grants an underlying roadblock to him achieving his full potential.
Likewise, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
extends the three-dimensionality to its supporting characters, especially Sam
and Patrick.
Sam, much like Charlie’s aunt Helen, has a history of being
a magnet to lousy boyfriends. Part of Charlie’s attraction to Sam is to make
the repairs he couldn’t offer to Aunt Helen. Charlie helps Sam prepare for her
university years by prepping her for the SATs and by appreciating her
regardless of her past, much like she and Patrick do for him. Patrick, on the
other hand, seems the most confident character of the group. One of the first
openly gay students at the school, Patrick is a pariah amongst his peers, but
he takes pride in himself and sees beyond the trivial whisperings of the school
corridors. The Perks of Being a
Wallflower succeeds best in its portrayal of Patrick’s relationship with both
himself and others because Patrick is defined not by sexuality, but by the
openness and vibrancy of his character. Patrick’s not a Degrassi-type
character, either, even though he laments to Charlie that his life is an after
school special, and his sexuality is simply another aspect of his personality.
The Perks of Being a
Wallflower might seem like it’s geared for the middle-school crowd. While
it brings to the screen a novel that speaks to a younger generation of readers and
stars a roster of young up-and-coming actors, it would be too dismissive to recommend
the film for just the teen crowd. Perks
is far more than a teen movie; rather, it’s a dramedy about teens and the
troubles they have in those awkward years when they must learn quickly to
become adults. Shot in a straightforward and conventional, if stylistically
flat, fashion, Perks keeps its hearty
tale accessible for the younger audience and
discerning viewers alike. This endlessly likable story speaks to the heart and takes viewers
back to a time when they were young.
There’s a feel to Perks
of Being a Wallflower that’s much like the sentiment Charlie expresses at
the end of the film. Perks feels
infinite thanks to the timelessness and agelessness of its morale. (And to some extent its overlength.) The film is
just as honest and substantial as anything John Hughes ever made, so moviegoers
can enjoy a film that seems tailored to one generation, but actually speaks to
many. Regardless of age, The Perks of
Being a Wallflower will leave moviegoers with a high school high.
Rating: ★★★½ (out of ★★★★★)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is currently playing in Ottawa at
Empire Kanata and World Exchange Empire 7.
*Photos courtesy eOne Films
