“Wonder” ranked second in gross profits following “Justice League” in its opening weekend.
Credit:@WonderTheMovie
To be in a state of wonderment is to have a feeling of surprising admiration for something beautiful, inexplicable or just miraculous. “Wonder,” the American drama film based on a touching story of a young boy, does a great job at evoking this feeling and at times making its viewers want to burst into a pool of their own tears. In fact, in this movie, wonder is more than just an emotional reaction; it is a description of a someone so amazing he leaves one in awe.
The film does a superb job at bringing up the issues of prejudice and bullying in society along with the art of self-acceptance in such a culture that motivates and induces self-hate. The motion picture depicts a year in the life of young, 10-year old August “Auggie” Pullman who has an exceedingly rare innate facial deformity, that is most likely emulating Treacher Collins Syndrome, but is referred to by Auggie as “mandibulofacial dysostosis”. Unfortunately, after 27 surgeries and some medical treatments, Auggie is left with an unpleasant facial appearance.
Because of his many surgeries, Auggie’s mother, Isabel, sacrificed her career to stay at home with him and homeschool him. However, due to his age, both his mother and father decided to send him to middle school so that he can socialize with others and adapt to and become comfortable with the outside world. From there the plot thickens with the normal societal reactions to someone who is different, but the writers and producers wonderfully crafted the plot in such a way that it is not oversentimental. In fact, “Wonder” tugs at the heartstrings of those who are watching which induces empathy, and it juxtaposes this perfect amount of sentimentalism with keen intelligence and even a bit of humor.
“Wonder” was released on Nov. 17. It was founded on the popular children’s novel of the same name written in 2012 by Raquel Jaramillo, professionally recognized as R. J. Palacio. The movie was directed by Stephen Chbosky, who also co-wrote the screenplay alongside Steve Conrad and Jack Thorne. Chbosky is very well known for greatness seeing that he was also responsible for the live-action 2017 adaption of Beauty and the Beast. Additionally, he was the screenwriter and director of “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”, and the author of the novel of the same name on which it was based. This speaks volumes for the success of “Wonder.”
The film is comprised of a cast describe by the New York Times as wonderful from top to bottom. It stars Jacob Tremblay as August “Auggie” Pullman, Julia Roberts, a very stunning and successful actress as Isabel Pullman, Auggie’s mother, well-known actor Owen Wilson as Nate Pullman, Auggie’s father and Izabela Vidovic as Olivia “Via” Pullman, Auggie’s sister. The movie also features Mandy Patinkin as Mr. Tushman, and Daveed Diggs as Mr. Browne.
Despite his obvious importance, “Wonder” is not solely about Auggie. It is not just another movie that displays the difficulties of living with deformities. Wonder the movie conformed to the book’s multi-character narration form. By shifting the film and exploring the lives of other characters, viewers are better able to understand the role of the characters, in addition to their reasoning. This tactic clarifies choices made throughout the movie by specific personas. This strategy is also a familiar maneuver for Chbosky; it is one that is also seen in “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” The utilization of plural narration in his movies has allowed him to cover crucial adolescent events brilliantly. This alters the
movie from being about a young boy who is bullied to a film representing everyone who suffers from societal marginalization.
“Wonder” is a family-oriented movie presenting all the normative aspects of a modern day nuclear family. Mommy and Daddy Pullman represent the happily married couple who love their children unconditionally and argue over what is best for them. Auggie’s older sister depicts the elder sibling that is ashamed of their younger siblings and finally, Auggie, the only person who is not deemed as normal, struggles to fit in and ultimately realizes that he cannot fit in because he was born to stand out. This adds to its authenticity and engages its viewers by giving them a plot to which they can relate. Even the trailer alone captures one’s attention.
Additionally, the film’s debut during the Thanksgiving holiday is appropriate. It reminds viewers to be grateful for those who genuinely love us despite our differences. Also, to be thankful for life’s difficulties because it is those exact struggles that make us stronger.
Overall, “Wonder” is a film that one can walk into and think ‘this is awkward,’ but walk out and strongly acclaim that it was amazing. It is touching and amusing without being immensely sad. Out of all the films this year that makes use of the sole word that constitutes this motion picture’s title, Wonder the movie is the only one that candidly honors its true meaning. Rotten Tomatoes rates the movie four out of five stars but many would agree that the film is a five-star one that must be seen especially during this holiday season.
