When I first heard that a movie was being produced, I wasn't sure what to think of it. Stephen Chbosky's book was absolutely masterful. I thought to myself, how could it be possible that the words on this page could translate into an equally amazing film? And who would want to take on such a project? Lo and behold, it was Chbosky himself. And boy did he do his own work justice.
Of course there were discrepancies between the original prose and what was depicted on screen, but the bulk of it was still the same. Logan Lerman plays the main protagonist, Charlie who has had some demons in the past that have been holding him back. We see him writing letters to an unknown friend, similar to writing a diary. Entering into his freshman year of highschool, he has a difficult time making new friends due to his introverted personality style. Basically his only friend on the first day of school is his English teacher, Mr. Anderson (Paul Rudd), who mentors Charlie and gives him advice through advanced literature assignments.
Logan Lerman, Ezra Miller, and Emma Watson. Source: TIFF.net
Eventually, Charlie does make two friends who are seniors, Sam and Patrick (Emma Watson and Ezra Miller). Sam and Patrick are step siblings to take Charlie under their wings and show him how to live his life to the fullest. They guide him through his awkward first year of high school and give him a way to forget his past and try to move forward with his life.
Now what's a coming of age story without a little drug, sex (actually, it's not so much sex as it is awkward phone calls), and Rocky Horror. At one of the parties that he goes to, Charlie unknowingly ingests cannabis. It is then that he reveals to Sam that his best friend committed suicide. This honesty, even though he was "baked like a cake", is what caused Sam and Patrick to really start making Charlie a part of their group of friends. They even take him along for one of their "tunnel drives" where Charlie declares that oh-so-infamous quote: I feel infinite. That one's up to your own interpretation.
Stepping outside of his comfort zone, Charlie joins a production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show along side Patrick and Sam. It is then that he begins a relationship with Sam's best friend, Mary Elizabeth (Mae Whitman). Lacking the necessary social skills, he agrees to date Mary Elizabeth even though his true feelings are for Sam. Unfortunately for Mary Elizabeth, Charlie's true feelings are revealed at an annual Christmas party and he is ostracized by the group. He does earn their respect again when he beats up Patrick's ex-boyfriend for calling him derogatory names and his sheds his wallflower shell and begins a relationship with Sam.
This is all happening while he tries to understand why his sister (Nina Dobrev) stays in an abusive relationship, deal with his brother going away to college, and wraps his head around the death of his Aunt Helen, who was such a big part of his life in more ways than one.
Poor Charlie. His life was like an unpredictable roller coaster. As great as the high points were, the low points were arguably equally low. But what made these emotions so believable was the acting of Lerman. How is this the same guy who was in Percy Jackson and the Olympians? It's just unreal how good his acting was. When he cried, you wanted to cried. When he laughed, you wanted to laugh. You can see the stress due to these life events through his facial expressions and body language. Remarkable. There is something deep and dark about Charlie's past that isn't always fully understood, but that's the beauty of this role. The whole idea of a wallflower is that nobody really notices you, which is exactly how Charlie has spent most of his life as he is always living under the shadow of his siblings. In every scene, Lerman had a bit of Charlie's dark past mixed in with the joy currently surrounding him.
I don't know if I can say the same for Emma Watson. As great of a Hermione she is, I wasn't as convinced by her performance. Maybe it's just the fact that I could still hear a bit of her British accent, but for some reason, book Sam had so much more depth than movie Sam. In her defense, she did do a good job with what she was given, but I wish she brought more to the table.
And surprisingly, Ezra Miller stole the show for me. The best lines often came from him, and not just because they were intrinsically funnier, or more meaningful, but because of the way he delivered those lines. There have been times where society has made the lives of the LGBT community difficult, and you can see that come across in Miller's portrayal of Patrick. He puts on a brave face, but there are clearly things that have been haunting him.
As an adaptation, I believe that this one is top notch. Chbosky kept his original story line, but there were also a lot of edits made. New ideas were pieced in and a few from the book were taken out. It's amazing that a book written in 1999 can still be relevant today without seeming washed out. This project was obviously well thought out every step of the way. It's a film that I believe everyone should watch. There are a lot of serious issues that Chbosky addresses that can affect entire families and the film is a good way to start the conversation.
I love this book dearly, making it difficult to write about. But this film is refreshing, shedding light on issues that society has deemed inappropriate to talk about. As much as the story and plot line are important pillars to this film's success, it is the work of the young actors that brings this movie to life, giving it meaning, depth, and developing a connection with the viewing audience. And that massive standing ovation at TIFF 2012? Well deserved.
Rating: 8/10
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