Site menu:

BookNerdBlog.com In The News

Site search

Recent Comments

October 2012
M T W T F S S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293031  

Tags

Categories

RSS NY Times Books Section


The Perks of Being a Wallflower movie

My Rating: 5 stars

I have been waiting for about two and a half years – ever since I first read the book. I was actually quite nervous about how everything would turn out. The Perks of Being a Wallflower holds a special place in my heart, and I don’t think I could handle it being screwed up for the big screen.
Thankfully, I discovered that Stephen Chbosky, the author of Perks, wrote the screenplay and directed the entire film. So, if he was okay with his final product, I’m sure that I would be, too.
First of all, the entire cast for the movie was flawless. Logan Lerman is a flawless Charlie. I was worried that he wouldn’t do the role justice, to be honest. I think he did rather perfectly. He captured Charlie’s awkwardness, shyness, and innocence without over-killing it. Emma Watson and Ezra Miller were both the perfect match as actors for Sam and Patrick. I was also worried that Emma Watson wouldn’t do well, because this is more or less one of her more important roles since Harry Potter. At first, it was a little strange watching her on screen speaking with an American accent. But she did really well. I love how eccentric Sam and Patrick were in the film, though, for some reason I really didn’t picture them that way in the book. I was also very pleased with the people casted as Sam and Patrick’s friends. I really think they all did very well. Other members of the cast included Nina Dobrev, from the Vampire Diaries, as Charlie’s sister, Candace, Paul Rudd as Mr. Anderson, and Dylan McDermott, from American Horror Story, as Charlie’s dad (which I was very, very surprised about).
As for the plotline, almost all the important points were there and most of my favorite quotes were said, which I am very thankful for. The plot was strange, though. All of the events were there, but in somewhat of a different order. Some things that weren’t in the book were included in the movie, which just made Charlie, Sam, and Patrick just appear more realistic than described in the book. Also, Charlie was given a last name in the film, which wasn’t included whatsoever in the novel. Although I understand the purpose of giving him a last name, I just thought it was weird. And I can’t remember exactly what it was or how it would even be spelled. Also, Charlie’s school was given a name, unlike in the novel. The only plot points that were left out, which I thought were significant, were Candace’s pregnancy ordeal, and when Charlie had dinner at his teacher’s house. I think if they were included the film would have been too drawn out and long, though. There are a lot of extra scenes added at the end of the film when Charlie is at the hospital, and I really enjoyed it. Once again, Logan Lerman did fantastic during these scenes. Also, the flashbacks throughout the movie, connecting the present to Charlie’s memories of his Aunt Helen were flawless.
I’m pretty sure I cried on and off throughout the whole movie. I am so glad that Perks is finally a movie, and that it’s so much better than I expected it to be. The actors were perfect. The script was perfect. Overall, it was such an amazing film, and I can’t wait until I can see it again.