You’ll Wonder – why you didn’t watch this sooner
I was a big fan of Stephen Chbosky’s last film The Perks of Being a Wallflower, although I wasn’t quite sure if would enjoy his latest film Wonder. My biggest worry was that the story would be overly sentimental and emphasize too much on Auggie’s struggle to fit in with others due to the way people treat him because of his facial deformity. I don’t have an issue with stories focusing on this type of content when it’s done well but it can get overbearing watching a nearly two hour film which constantly focuses on the negatives, it can be draining. Certain films can work this type of storytelling in its favour but it would have felt forced and unnecessary in Wonder, thankfully Wonder isn’t that type of film, sure it does have moments that are going to pull on your heartstrings but it never feels as if it’s manipulating your emotions, the moments of sadness are earned.
Wonder tells the story of August “Auggie” Pullman who is going to experience school life for the first time. He has been home-schooled since birth due to a rare medical facial deformity that has resulted in him undergoing numerous surgeries. We get to see how starting fifth grade affects Auggie’s life and everyone close to him including his parents, sister, her recently estranged friend and his new classmates.
First of all I’ve got to state that it is great to see Owen Wilson again, I know he’s done other movies recently but there hasn’t really been anything that has stood out for me. Wilson plays Auggie’s father and is delightful to watch in the role as he brings so much charm and heart to his character, the relationship between him and his son (played by Jacob Tremblay) is really quite beautiful thanks to both of their performances. Actually let me sum this area up by saying everyone in this film gives a great performance in relation to their characters, there is a clear understanding from each actor of their characters motivations and the established actors like Wilson and Julia Roberts never take the spotlight away from the younger actors and allow them to shine.
The best aspect of this film is that the story is told through the eyes of four characters (Auggie, his sister Olivia, her estranged friend Miranda and Auggie’s newfound friend Jack Will) instead of focusing solely from Auggie’s perspective. So not only do we get to see Auggie adapt to school life where he encounters bullies, new friends and supportive teachers but we also get to see how his sister Olivia is being neglected by her mother, coming to terms with the loss of her grandmother and trying to understand why her best friend is being distant. We also get to learn why Miranda has suddenly become so distant and get an insight into her life, giving us this insight makes her a much better character otherwise without it she would’ve been very stereotypical. Jack Will is conflicted as his group of friends have been bullying Auggie but by spending time with Auggie which his mother initially encouraged he has grown to like him and has to deal with peer pressure and ultimately doing the right thing.
This is the film’s biggest strength as it gives each character depth to their actions and allows you to understand their intentions as it builds an emotional attachment with them, without this story structure the film would’ve felt very restricted on its view of the events that happen throughout. Each of these characters are easy to empathize with as most of us have at least experienced something similar to what their characters are going through and it’s not difficult to imagine yourself in their situation. Everything that happens in the story has a chain reaction and we get to see how it clearly affects another character, basically what I’m trying to tell you without spoiling too much is that this is a really well rounded story.
Wonder is the best family film this year and probably one of the best films I’ve seen this year, I thought it was a really well told story, with terrific performances and a good message for all. There is also a couple of surprise cameos from Star Wars characters as Auggie is a massive fan and uses these characters as a way to show the audience how he feels in society. The film is full of great dramatic moments and well timed comedy that never undercuts the drama, If you haven’t already seen Wonder, consider giving it a go, as it’s an endearing story that is sure to warm your heart with the charming performances from the main core of the cast and most importantly entertain you.