The Perks of Being a Wallflower

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower”, directed by Stephen Chbosky and released in 2012 is the perfect example of a coming of age film. The scene set in the early 1990s, we are taken through the life of a teenager: Charlie (Logan Lerman). Communicating to the audience through letters he writes to a “friend”, we see through his life as he lives it.

The movie opens up with the sounds of a typewriter and the names of the lead actors and title then cuts into some soft music. As the music plays, we see moving footage of a bridge into a tunnel on a presumed highway – this being the opening scene. Throughout the movie, we hear Charlie’s voice and see his life as he experiences everything. Rather than simply us watching his life play out, we get to hear his voice, his thoughts and basically everything in between on his side of it all.

At first, high school is a rough time for our protagonist, not having anyone he could rely on in his new school. We see even his own sister, Candace (Nina Dobrev) doesn’t try to help him find friends; instead leaving Charlie to fend for himself in the unknown world of high school. He soon meets a senior through his woodshop class: Patrick (Ezra Miller), who welcomes Charlie into his group of friends. They all hit it off immediately and suddenly school doesn’t suck so much anymore. However, since the day he met Sam (Emma Watson), Patrick’s stepsister, he was infatuated. Like most on-screen romances, it wasn’t a “enamored at first sight and smooth sailing from there” kind of interaction. Sam was getting through her own set of obstacles when they met, and was in a less than ideal relationship when she met Charlie. Needless to say, there was plenty of drama that proceeded, but all of it helps him grow as a person. Throughout the film, you can very vividly see all the interpersonal relationships between the characters.

The actor’s performances were very well rendered. Each character maintained their depth despite the shift from novel to movie. Lerman really captures the essence of Charlie, conveying the complicated feelings within him. Similarly, his fellow actors also do an incredible job of fitting the role they’re portraying. You can really get a feel for the emotions that they all display through their gestures, as well as the familiarity they are representing through their smaller actions.

The music used throughout the film was very appropriate at all times. With artists such as David Bowie, Marcus Young, and more, the score is a very important part of the movie. Whether being employed to enhance whatever events are occurring at the time, prelude an upcoming event or evoke some kind of feeling in the viewers, each song or musical number serves a distinct purpose.

One of my favorite scenes in the movie was actually one of the more taboo moments between Charlie’s sister, her boyfriend, and their parents. What had happened was Charlie accidentally saw Derek (Nicholas Braun), his sister’s boyfriend, hit Candace. She noticed him when the ordeal happened, but didn’t want to let him tell their parents. Having her best interests at heart, Charlie still does because he doesn’t want to see his sister get hurt by someone she loves. When the audience learns about the encounter, it’s through a flashback which is him recounting the memory he has of this interaction. The way it’s portrayed on screen is incredibly powerful, the performances being spot on completely.

Another really important moment captured beautifully in this film is the message that Stephen Cbhosky was trying to convey through Charlie. That high school is all about the human connections we make. Feeling is okay, people are temporary, and life is fleeting. As he learns these lessons, we did too having accompanied him on his journey. We get to see Charlies growth as he develops as a person which is quite the cinematographic feat.

To wrap it up, “Perks of Being a Wallflower” was a very important film not only for those who identify with Charlie, but also for those who want to feel like they’re back in high school again. It really captures the essence of being a teenager again, even though at times it gets rather deep. The most important part of the movie that I found to be is that being a film based on a novel, the details and shift from book to movie are very seamlessly done. “Perks of Being  a Wallflower”, thanks to being directed by its author, retains a lot of its original details because of. Many times when books are turned into films, they miss the mark, but this thank to Perks the avid readers who go see the movie doesn’t have to worry about such things. All in all I would give it five out of five stars and definitely recommend everyone to see it.

-Julia Duze