Wonder

Wonder

This is wonder in the loudest movie poster’s terms there ever can be. I say this not in the most cynical tone possible, although it probably sounds that way. Just like Stephen Chomsky’s previous picture The perks of being a Wallflower, Wonder also knows how to get the audience interested in the characters and the story and makes them care enough to become a part of it.

You cheer when the director wants you to cheer, you laugh when the times comes to laugh, and you cry when the situation calls for it all of this seems so natural. In a movie that had her duller moments it would have been construed as sentimentalism or manipulation. Simply put, in Wonder, beauty is never for free it is earned.

Inspired by the novel of the same name, Wonder is about the 10-year-old kid August “Auggie” Pullman (Room’s Jacob Tremblay) who for his first year of middle school attends a real-life setting school after being homeschooled all his life by his mother, Isabel (played by Julia Roberts). On its own, that already sounds like a film storyline. But there is one thing that is causing Auggie’s shift from being ‘homeschooled’ to ‘real school’ more difficult. Auggie’s face had a birth defect and he had to go through 27 plastic surgery operations.

Every time I see him, he still doesn’t look very much like a normal child. But Augie is just an average child, one that he using his narration tries to bring out. He adores the ‘Star Wars’ series, enjoys playing video games, and has dreams of becoming an astronaut. The other children however have yet to appreciate it. Up until this moment, Auggie has concealed his face in public with a space helmet. In that sense, the transition from nearly being in privacy all the time and to a school is very difficult in his case. But it is not a choice that Isabel and Augie’s father, Nate (Owen Wilson) would have preferred making sooner or later.

Auggie arrives for school with his supportive allies which includes the amicable headmaster Mr. Tushman, Mr. Browne played by the charismatic Daveed Diggs and the very first student to see and befriend Auggie, Jack Will played by Noah Jupe. However, he also has his share of enemies, particularly a school bully named Julian, played by Bryce Gheisar.

Wonder does a remarkable job of making us feel sorry for Auggie. Not the least because of the things that are shown happening to him in the movie, but his character’s portrayal by Tremblay was exceptionally detailed and efficient as well. It would be quite a task for the audience to not feel bad for him with such a soft voice, combined with a high pitch. Even more so when his character is somewhat cynical to the fact that kids can be mean, and mostly does not pay attention to the bullying. Even if it is an exaggerated portrayal from the movie perspective.

The story takes off well from Auggie’s point of view but at some stage, the focus shifts to his sister Via’s (Izabela Vidovic) perspective. The same way we have already understood in the case of Lady Bird, we realize this is not fully Auggie’s movie but that of the people around him. Auggie is the apple of her parents’ eye and for her it’s alright. Via has tried to manage all her issues by herself but looks forward to the start of a new school year, which is not easy for her, especially when her best friend Miranda (Danielle Rose Russell) has been ignoring her.

Both the book and the movie Wonder are for children. This change in who tells the story in this case Auggie’s sister Via, her friend Miranda and classmate Jack Will makes it clear that one of the lessons children should learn is the lesson of empathy. No wonder a wallflower has been so popular, Chomsky clearly has an understanding of young minds and young hearts.

Particularly, the heart that is feeling lonely. In Perks, there is an intense desire from the main character to belong and so it was with Auggie. And similar to Perks, the events of the people surrounding the main character are as significant as the main character’s development.

I don’t want to say that for those who did not appreciate Wonder, you have a heart of stone. But this is one of those films that can brighten the day of anyone. That’s why it won best feel good movie of the year.

Not to take away from its cinematic accomplishment. Chomsky is a well appointed director and has the capacity of making his audiences feel. And just when you think the situation cannot get any better so, the film concludes with a song from the band Passion Pit.

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