The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Perks of Being a Wallflower? Soooo Many! 

Oh, the awkward moments at high school dances (Courtesy of NME)

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of the best movies I’ve had the pleasure of seeing all year. It’s a heartfelt and outstandingly acted tale of adolescence as seen through the eyes of high school freshman whose mind is haunted with much more than it seems.

Charlie (Logan Lerman) walks through the doors of the high school of his Pennsylvania suburb with no friends and no high hopes. It isn’t until his woodshop class that he meets an eccentric senior named Patrick, who welcomes Charlie into his friend group, which includes his step-sister Sam (Emma Watson). Charlie vies for the attention of Sam, who is head-over-heals for her college boyfriend, yet still adores her new freshman friend.

Charlie goes to parties and dances with his new pals, participates in Rocky Horror Picture Show re-enactments with them, and for the first time since his best friend shot himself in eight grade, feels included. Still clouding his mind is the thought of his aunt, who died on his seventh birthday. Throughout the year, the finding and subsequent loss of his new friend group after graduation, struggles of Sam’s prior sexual reputation, Patrick’s homosexuality, his own sporadic insecurity and depression, and his disturbing memories causes a total breakdown for Charlie at the end of the year.

The screenplay is so effective in illustrating modern high school inconveniences alongside daily triumphs on a micro level. The real gem of the movie, though, is the cast, and the way they so brilliantly bring this script to the screen. Logan Lerman, whose claim to fame was the lesser known Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, strays away from the family friendly adventure genre and makes a successful leap to a more mature role. He portrayed the insecurity of Charlie almost effortlessly. Frankly, Ezra Miller kind of creeped me out in We Need to Talk About Kevin, where he played a teenager who goes on a killing spree in his high school with a bow and arrow. His performance in this movie took an opposite turn and showed me he can pull off both disturbing drama roles as well as a dual drama/comedy role, helping me appreciate his acting far more. By far, the best move by the casters was putting Emma Watson in the credits. Not only did it help boost the publicity of the movie, it showed Watson has the absolute ability to go beyond the Hermione Granger portrait she painted for herself over the past decade. Kudos, fellas.

I can’t stress this enough – this is one of the best movies of the year. It’s touching, hilarious, disturbing, and dramatic all when it needs to be. While some of us aren’t eager to revisit those awkward high school days, it’s a well-made film that places you back there, with all the emotion, stress, romantic tension, and more importantly, the unforgettable memories with true and dedicated friends. Go see this movie; your love for it will be infinite.

Rating: 5/5