A Review on Perks of Being a Wallflower

ORIENTATION: Perks of Being a Wallflower is a 2012 American

coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Stephen Chbosky,
based on Chbosky’s 1999 novel of the same name. Logan Lerman stars as
a teenager named Charlie who writes to an unnamed friend, and these
epistles chronicle his trials, tribulations, and triumphs as he goes through
his first year of high school. The film depicts his depression and anxiety
as he goes through his journey in high school making new friends. The
film's ensemble cast also features Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Mae
Whitman, Kate Walsh, Dylan McDermott, Nina Dobrev, Johnny
Simmons, Erin Wilhelmi, Melanie Lynskey, Paul Rudd and Joan Cusack.
The film premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival on
September 8, 2012, followed by the United States' theatrical release on
September 21, 2012, by Summit Entertainment.

INTERPRETATIVE: The story set in 1992 when, a young high school

student, Charlie (Logan Lerman), who has been suffering from clinical
depression from childhood setbacks has recently been discharged from a
mental health care institution. Charlie is uneasy about beginning his
freshman year of high school; he is shy and finds difficulty in making
friends, but he connects with his English teacher, Mr. Anderson (Paul
Rudd).

Charlie meets two seniors, Sam (Emma Watson) and her stepbrother
Patrick (Ezra Miller), at a football game and they invite him to a party.
Charlie unknowingly eats a cannabis brownie, gets high and discloses to
Sam that the year before, his best friend committed suicide. He also walks
in on Patrick and Brad (Johnny Simmons), a popular athlete, kissing.
Patrick tells Charlie that Brad doesn't want anyone to know he's gay, so
Charlie agrees to keep it a secret. Sam realizes that Charlie has no other
friends, so she and Patrick make a special effort to bring Charlie into their
group. On their way home the three hear an unknown song on the radio,
Sam instructs Patrick to drive through a tunnel so she can stand up in the
back of the pickup while the music blasts.

Sam needs to improve her SAT scores to have a better chance of

being accepted to Pennsylvania State University, so Charlie offers to tutor
her, improving her grades. At Christmas, Sam gives Charlie a vintage
typewriter to thank him for his help. The two discuss relationships, and
Charlie reveals he has never been kissed. Sam, though already involved
with someone else, tells Charlie she wants his first kiss to be from
someone who loves him, and kisses him. Charlie, in love with Sam,
begins to try to find ways to show her how he feels.

At a regular Rocky Horror Picture Show performance, Charlie is

asked to fill in for Sam's boyfriend Craig, who is not there. Their friend
Mary Elizabeth (Mae Whitman) is impressed and asks Charlie to the
Sadie Hawkins dance. The two enter into a unsatisfactory relationship.
Finally, at a party, when Charlie is dared to kiss the prettiest girl in the
room, he chooses Sam, upsetting both her and Mary Elizabeth. Patrick
recommends Charlie stay away from the group for a while, and the
isolation causes him to sink back into depression. He experiences
flashbacks of his Aunt Helen (Melanie Lynskey), who died in a car
accident when he was seven years old.

Brad shows up to school with bruises on his face having been caught
by his father having sex with Patrick. Brad lies, saying that he was
jumped and beaten up. Brad distances himself from Patrick, calling him a
"faggot" causing Patrick to punch him. Brad's friends begin beating
Patrick, but Charlie forcefully intervenes, then blacks out. When he
recovers he finds that he has bruised knuckles and Brad's friends are on
the floor, incapacitated. Sam and Patrick express their gratitude to
Charlie, and the three become friends again.

Patrick tries to cope with what happened with Brad, at one point
kissing Charlie, but immediately apologizing afterwards. Charlie keeps
getting worse after the blackout. Sam is accepted into Penn State, and
breaks up with Craig on prom night after learning he has been cheating
on her. The night before she departs, she brings Charlie to her room. They
confide in each other and kiss, but when Sam touches Charlie's thigh, he
experiences a momentary flashback of his Aunt Helen, which he passes
off as nothing, and they continue to kiss. After she leaves for college,
though, his emotional state deteriorates and his flashbacks worsen. He
calls his sister blaming himself for Helen's death, and admits he may have
wanted it to happen. His sister realizes he is in trouble and calls the
police. Charlie passes out as they burst through the door and wakes up in
a hospital, where psychiatrist Dr. Burton (Joan Cusack) manages to bring
out Charlie's repressed memories which reveals that his aunt sexually
abused him.

The night Charlie is released from the hospital he is visited by Sam

and Patrick. Sam explains what college life is like, and that she has found
"The Tunnel Song" — "Heroes" by David Bowie. The three revisit the
tunnel, where Charlie kisses Sam again, and he stands up in the back of
the truck. Charlie acknowledges that he feels alive and in that moment
—"We are infinite."

EVALUATION: The Perks of Being a Wallflower successfully balances

touching drama, charming performances, and a challenging storyline with
a proficiency that will likely surprise viewers who are less familiar with
director. While the novel isn't required reading for enjoying film version,
anyone who has read the book knows that Chbosky had his work cut out
for him - and Perks of Being a Wallflower will, no doubt, have many
moviegoers eagerly anticipating the director's next project.
Certain elements of The Perks of Being a Wallflower plot aren't
handled as adeptly as others but the film is full of exceptional
performances and enchanting character moments. The movie is
unrelenting in its exploration of troubled teenagers as well as counter-
cultural angst and it might be too much for some moviegoers to handle.
However, viewers who invest in Chbosky's film will be rewarded with a
"coming of age" story that, because of its commitment to the ugly side of
truth, is rife with honesty and captivating drama.

EVALUATIVE: Overall, Perks of Being a Wallflower is an excellent

movie. Especially, the last line at the ending of the movie by Charlie.
This is a positive message about receiving help from others around you
and showing that you can make it through whatever life throws at you.