Perks of Being a Wallflower: Meaningful return to high school

Written by Mark Schumann, Father of Three
Thursday, 07 March 2013 13:22

As we look back at Oscar season — and the best films of the year begin to appear on DVD — the Reel Dad checks out the nutritional value of some that were overlooked for nominations and awards. This week’s pick is The Perks of Being a Wallflower, now available on DVD.

Of the memories we carry through our lives, the transition into high school may be one we remember for years. How we recall our curiosity as we walked into the school for the first time, confronted our fear of rejection as we met people and, hopefully, felt relief when we made our first new friends.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower captures the expectations, disappointments and awareness this significant chapter can generate. Without exaggerating the humor or drama of its situations, overdoing the use of foul language or reducing the people to caricatures, the film creates a world in which carefully developed characters work through real issues that many experience at this age. 

Like the best of the John Hughes films, such as The Breakfast Club, this movie returns us to a unique time in our lives without creating a parody of such moments from the past.

In an unusual step for a film, Stephen Chbosky writes and directs the screen adaptation of his own best-selling young adult novel. Charlie, a high school freshman in the early 1990s, starts the year with the fears and expectations any of us can appreciate. He faces rejection when he tries to find a place to sit at lunch in the school cafeteria; he relishes the hope that comes from his first conversations of substance. While Charlie wants to fit in, he also realizes that, fundamentally, he is a loner who lives outside the traditions that others follow.

Charlie is lucky enough to discover, on that first day, a group of seniors who offer sympathy, guidance and connection when he most needs the welcome. We share how he experiences the joy of attending a midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the challenge of dealing with a friend’s suicide and confronting his own emotional highs and lows, his discovery that his academic abilities may match his interests, and the excitement of experiencing his first crush. And Charlie begins to realize that, perhaps, this challenging time in his life may actually yield some positive life lessons.

What makes the film work is how Chbosky respects the characters. Never do we feel he “dumbs down” the material to appeal to a popular audience; never do we fear a food fight or unnecessary profanity may pop up at any moment. Instead we enter a marvelous world where real people try to confront real challenges and benefit from real connections with others.

While Logan Lerman touches us as Charlie, and Emma Watson delights as his friend Sam, the star of the film is Ezra Miller as Patrick, a delightfully robust young man who teaches Charlie a great deal about potential and promise. This astounding actor, who was so convincing in We Need to Talk About Kevin, creates a beautifully rounded performance as a young gay man who willingly expresses himself and supports those he loves. He should have been recognized by the Academy with a Supporting Actor nomination.

Even though none of us may want to relive those early days of high school, The Perks of Being a Wallflower helps us see that the lessons we learn during these years can make a difference to how we view the challenges ahead.

Film Nutritional Value

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

* Content: High. The magic of Stephen Chobsky’s young adult novel beautifully transfer to the screen in the author’s own adaptation of his work.

* Entertainment: High. Without diluting the material for a wide audience, or unnecessarily exaggerating the characters, the film compels from its first moment.

* Message: High. No matter what challenges we face when we are in high school, our memories of those years follow us as we grow and age.

* Relevance: High. Any opportunity to talk with our older children about coping with the realities of school, relationships and choices can be meaningful.

* Opportunity for Dialogue: High. You and your older children can use the film as an opportunity to discuss how we approach significant transitions in our lives.

(The Perks of Being a Wallflower is rated PG-13 for mature thematic material, drug and alcohol use, sexual content including references, and a fight — all involving teenagers. The film runs 102 minutes.)

What’s on your family’s movie menu this week? Check the nutritious movies available on television, DVD and online. Go to This Week’s Movie Menu in the online edition of The Reel Dad.

4-1/2 Popcorn Buckets

This Week’s Movie Menu

What’s on your family’s movie menu this week? 

Choosing what films to offer is a lot like planning what meals to serve. And all the choices on television make it easy to savor something at the same time you nourish the mind and heart. This week, broadcast, cable and instant on-line video offer a range of nutritious movies. Here are a few choices.

As we hope that spring is just around the corner, bringing a new collection of movies to local theaters, let’s look at some nutritious Hollywood classics available on cable.

Sometimes, when eating in a restaurant, it’s fun to peek into the kitchen. The Social Network offers a juicy peek into what can happen when people with too many brains, and too little sense, get together to develop an idea with too much potential. While we may know and use Facebook, we may be curious about how the kids came up with the idea and why they get angry with each other. And while The Social Network doesn’t pretend to deliver an exhaustive study — since it’s based on documented legal testimony — the film tells us more about what may have happened than we have heard before. And it delivers solid entertainment along the way. 

What makes the film so nutritious is the way it carefully layers its insight and messages, as if creating a multi-phased experience. At first, we think we may experience a simple story of college students who think up a new idea. We quickly realize, however, that their story is more complicated that we originally thought. And, once we see how ambitious these young people actually are, we begin a journey into just how far people will go to protect their interests, disguise the truth and manipulate events for their own gain. We may, ultimately, not learn all that much about what made Facebook legendary, but we learn a great deal about how some people succeed or fail at handling success. The film reminds us what can happen when ambitious people do not stop and think about the lives they change. The Social Network airs on FX at 2:30 p.m., Sunday, March 10.

For those who love a movie romance, check out The Way We Were, showing at 2 p.m., Sunday, March 10, on Turner Classic Movies (TCM). This classic from 1973 features Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford as the ultimate star-crossed lovers who find it challenging to meet in the middle. While this mega hit may skim the surface of important social and political issues — such as the fear of Communism during the Hollywood blacklist of the 1950s — its focus on the central relationship is fresh, revealing and authentic. Streisand and Redford generate real chemistry in their iconic roles, especially as they balance personality and passion in their final exchange in front of the Plaza Hotel. You may shed a few tears.

Sandra Bullock scores a comic punch as a driven woman who avoids romance in the delightful The Proposal on FX at 5 p.m., Saturday, March 9. This lovely actress is at her most engaging in a tailor-made role that delivers everything we expect as well as a few surprises. While the resolution may be predictable, and the conflicts a bit exaggerated, the laughs are consistent and the moral touching. Look for the amazing Betty White as the wise grandmother who can still throw a curve ball.

Take a fresh look at another portrait of a driven woman in Erin Brockovich on the WE at 8 p.m., Friday, March 8. Julia Roberts delivers her Oscar-winning performance as a single mother who believes she has something to contribute to the greater good. And what this lady may lack in traditional skills, or conventional experience, she delivers in drive and persistence. While the movie may oversimplify its legal issues, and shy away from revealing the lead character’s weaknesses, Roberts’ winning performance makes us believe in her journey. And few actresses deliver a punch line with such confidence.

Serving nutritious movies can be as easy as turning on the television. And be sure, as you watch together, to share what you observe, question and consider. Watching movies together can prompt valuable family discussions.