When I sat down on Sunday morning to The Perks of Being a Wallflower, I was not fully prepared for what I was about to watch. I soon realized I knew a lot less about the movie than I thought I did. I knew it was a coming-of-age drama, I knew it was mostly well-received.
And I knew it starred Emma Watson.
But what I didn’t know was how intense it was going to be. Perks tackles lots of heavy issues, but does so without feeling bloated. That’s a fine line to walk, with one side being disaster, and one side (thankfully) being Perks.
Let’s just run through some of the topics Perks tackles:
- Teen drinking/drug use
- Suicide
- Depression
- Domestic violence
- Molestation
- Homophobia
That’s a huge load for any movie to take on. But what might be most surprising is how none of these issues feels short-changed. Obviously some get more time than others, but nothing is brought up fleetingly only to be immediately completely forgotten. Very impressively, writer-director Stephen Chbosky strikes a perfect balance of all these issues, while still giving each character their own complete identity, and even adding in plenty of heart and cheer for good measure.
Relatable story
At its core, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is about a young kid, Charlie (Logan Lerman), trying to find his way through his freshman year of high school. It’s a tale everyone can relate to. For some, that transition from middle school to high school was tough. For others, it might have been moving from high school to college. Whatever the exact situation, everyone has some memory of when they didn’t quite fit in, and how hard it can be working through that.
Of course, Charlie’s story in Perks is (hopefully, at least) more extreme than most people’s will be. But the baseline story is relatable, and that’s what’s going to draw the viewer in. Then it has to take it to a new level; that’s part of what movies are for. We want to see ourselves in these characters, but in a heightened environment. We want the familiarity, but also the safety of the disconnect.
Touching and intense
Perks does a masterful job of weaving between these two. Viewers can see there’s something eating away at Charlie. And just as it takes him the duration of the movie to fully understand what’s happening, we go on the journey with him. We learn new pieces along with him. It’s a great way to tell the story, rather than showing us everything up front, only to have to watch Charlie find it all out over the course of the movie.
But lest you believe it’s all doom and gloom, there are countless touching moments to balance out the intense emotional trauma. Seeing Charlie slowly break out of his shell is beyond heartwarming, as he tries to learn who he is as he begins this new phase of his life. And his new friends are right there with him, encouraging him every step of the way. They are a unique group and are unapologetically themselves, all the time. Of course they would allow the same for Charlie. And that’s exactly what he needed. He has a safe space to explore who he is, and the importance of that cannot be understated.
Best scene
My pick here is Patrick’s toast to Charlie at the party. It’s so indicative of what Perks is about. After Charlie tells Sam about his best friend’s suicide, she relays that information to Patrick. She also mentions her (correct) assumption that Charlie doesn’t have any friends. Without hesitation, Patrick knows the perfect thing to do.
I love how Patrick and Sam and their group were so quick to accept Charlie. And it all felt so natural. They brought him in simply because they are good people. Not once did they think about their “social standing” or if Charlie was normally someone they would hang out with. They saw a timid, vulnerable freshman and wrapped him up in their friendship. In a movie full of heartfelt moments, this one takes the cake for me.