The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Awesome movie!

I just finished watching this movie, and it was the best I've seen in a long time. The actors were perfect in their roles- Logan Lerman was stunning as Charlie, I don't think anyone could have portrayed him better. Ezra Miller also was perfect as Patrick, he played the part so well and put so much emotion into it. Logan Lerman made Charlie come alive. He really became Charlie for the movie, and showed his characters nerves, sadness, and other emotions so well. He made Charlie seem even more relatable in the film than he was in the book. Several parts of the film were different from the book. For example, Charlie seemed to have a better relationship with his sister, and his siblings had names, which they didn't in the book. The moments right before Charlie goes to the hospital were also different from the book, but I think they were done well. For me one of the saddest parts of the film was the way Patrick and Brad's relationship had to end. Their relationship in the movie stayed very true to the book, but it was difficult to see how sad their breakup made Patrick. Again, Ezra Miller was perfect in that role. I would give this movie more than five stars if I could! It really was that good. I will be watching it again soon. I hope that many people will watch or have already seen this film, because it is an excellent story with wonderful acting and teaches important lessons.

To say I loved this book would be an understatement. To say that this story opens your heart would not do it justice. Charlie's coming of age story of his life is a familiar one. You may not have been the super introverted teen but maybe you did possess some awkwardness. You may not have lost your best friend but perhaps you've been around death. You may not have been molested but you struggled with your emotions at some point. The point is, the story is so relevant that it can be tailored to any individual's life. I've experienced this novel three separate times across 3 stages of my life, having a different perspective each time. I've experienced this novel as an introverted high schooler, as a depressed adult in my early twenties, and then again right before I became a graduate student. I've since listened to the audiobook an additional three times and I've seen the movie more times than I can recall. The story can be heartwarming and yet concerning. At times you'll feel so empathetic for Charlie that your hear is tearing out of your chest. You can feel what he feels. And you want for him what you feel he's so deserving of. No matter what stage of your life you're in, whether you're 15 or 45, you can place yourself in a similar situation that will have its own consequences, it's own repercussions, or its own triumph. And you will become instilled which a greater self-confidence and apprecitation for what you're doing in your own life, or what you wish to achieve, or what you're trying to dig yourself out from. This story exudes a sense of clarity through you, and you recognize that as it slowly moves along.

This film adaption is very faithful. Perhaps not so surprising because the author wrote and directed it! This is tremendously rare. It's unusual enough for an author to write his own adaption (I'm doing it for Untimed, but I'll dance the Snoopy dance if I can even get it produced, and set off fireworks if I land any kind of production roll. Actually directing it? That's a serious wet dream.) As a stand alone film, this is an excellent contribution to the teen angst drama. It's also funny at times. Not so much as the amazing Adventureland, but more serious and just different. Way better than the putrescent likes of Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. The acting is excellent. It's been obvious since Prisoner of Azkaban that Emma Watson would end up a serious babe. She's got looks, spunk, smarts, and charisma all locked down. Ezra Miller is also a standout as Patrick. The two of them have so much life in them that they overshadow Charlie -- he is, after all, a wallflower. Nina Dobrev (also a favorite of mine, but not as good an actress as Emma) has a small role as Charlie's sister. The part has a different feel than in the novel, nicer for the most part. Paul Rudd is good (albeit the part is a bit forced) as the teacher. The film doesn't go out of its way to reveal the time and place. As I saw it cold, not knowing anything about the story, I had to come to the gradual conclusion (based on music, costumes, lack of computers, etc) that this was the late 80s or early 90s. It was the presence of certain Nirvana songs that cinched the early 90s vibe. The film strips out a lot of little details about Charlie's family. This is to be expected, as in adaption, even of a short novel like this, something has to go. These changes thin out the parents and sister to cut outs. Sad, but there really isn't much else Chbosky could have done. He also stripped out most of the sexuality. A producer generated change? Probably, but the I liked the sudden dashes of it in the novel. A few of those tidbits stuck with me. But most importantly, the de-sexualization washed out the "twist." It was so subtly handled in the film for fear of offending that I half-missed it, only fully realizing after the credits. There are also subtle character shifts. Charlie is a little more passive and trending toward schizophrenic in the novel. Sam a little more broken in the film. The sister is meaner in the book (although she comes around). It's hard to say how much of this is in the writing and how much is what the actors bring to bear. Some characters, like Patrick (who really is a great character), come through 110%. Overall, if you like teen films (and I do), see this one. It's several standard deviations above the mean. Andy Gavin, author of The Darkening Dream and Untimed

I agree with another reviewer, Stephen Chbosky's film should have won several Oscars, from screenplay to directing to acting. All three of the primary actors, Logan Lerman, Ezra Miller and Emma Watson were at their best in this film. Logan Lerman's Charlie is miraculous. For such a young actor to understand the power of minimalism is astonishing. I've watched the film several times, and I can't help noticing Lerman's actorly stillness. He knows that less is more, and because he seemingly does nothing, he inadvertently steals every scene he's in. It's a good stealing because Lerman is not out to steal, his attention exquisitely focused on the other actors. Their scenes are a fine example of ensemble acting. No one is out to hog a scene. Ezra Miller is an astounding actor who completely embodies the role of Patrick. He was born for this role. Emma Watson is so believable as an American senior in high school, her British accent left in England. And Logan Lerman, he too was born for the role of Charlie. His acting is all in the face, in the eyes, in the mouth. He actually listens to his friends, he looks at them, offering them himself in acts of exquisite attention, so it is no wonder that he knows exactly what to give them on Christmas. He knows his friends. Yes, the major theme to Chbosky's film is friendship, beautifully underscored in three powerful scenes, the Kissing scenes. The first scene involves Sam and Charlie. Sam has been sexually abused by men and boys. Her first kiss stolen by her father's boss when she was a mere girl. She wants something far more magical for her friend Charlie. She tells Charlie that she wants his first kiss to come from someone who loves him. She loves him, a love the Greeks would call Philia (friendly). When she kisses Charlie, she is not aware yet that Charlie's love for her is of another kind, what the Greeks would describe as Eros (romantic). Later in the film, Sam and Charlie kiss again on Sam's bed, but this time both experience romantic love, Eros (erotic). Then there is the kiss between Patrick and Charlie. In this scene, Patrick is dejected, for he has been rejected by his male lover Brad. He wonders if he will ever meet and love a good man, and just as he articulates this, he turns and there sitting next to him is a good person. And he impulsively kisses Charlie. He instantly realizes his mistake and says, "I'm sorry." But no problem. Charlie accepts Patrick's display of love. He has already been the recipient of love from both Patrick and his step-sister Sam. It was Patrick who invited Charlie to sit with him at the football game. It was Patrick and Sam who accepted Charlie on the dance floor, forming a circle while they danced. It was Patrick and Sam who brought Charlie to his first party. This brother and sister invited Charlie into life, urging him to "participate." Charlie, therefore, loves them unconditionally, a love the Greeks call Agape. Agapetic loves does not judge, it accepts another with no strings attached. Charlie loves Patrick, and his response to Patrick's apology is simply, "It's okay." The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a beautiful film, and it will survive. A Wonderful Life was not honored when it first came out, but it is now watched by millions every Christmas. And what are the perks of being a wallflower? To love and to be loved. Nothing can beat that!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you Mr. Chbosky!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My heading is a quote from the movie, it fits Charlie but does not define him. Charlie is quite, he is reserved, he tries to blend into the background and for the most part he succeeds. He has some emotional problems rooted in a deep dark secret from his past. He starts high school with no friends, but his way of blending into the background helps him avoid some (but not all) of the bulling other freshmen are subjected to. He eventually makes some friends which initially he does not seem to fit in with, but true friends are made on an emotional level, not on outward appearances or social standing. At one point these new friends are referred to as "misfit toys" and that could fit, but the toy idea brought "broken toys" to my mind. Charlie is not the only one with secrets, everybody has secrets. By the way, Charlie's secret is never actually spoken out loud, but by the end of the movie it is quite clear. The acting in this movie is superb which is vital since this movie relies heavily on emotions, especially the ending. This is also a movie with a message: You can overcome past tragedies and make a better future for yourself, and accompanying that is the idea of not judging others but accepting everyone for who they are. Unlike a couple of movies based on books I have watched recently, this movie stands on its own if you have not read the book. But if you have not read the book be sure to watch the deleted scenes after watching the movie. I have not read the book but from the deleted scenes and the commentary I can tell that the book has a couple of subplots which were not included in the movie. It would be great if the movie could have shown all this, but the movie would have been too long if these subplots were fleshed out. Since I am referring to the extras on the disc I should mention that I watched the Blu-ray, Amazon.com attaches these reviews to all formats of the movie. I will also state here that the dailies on the Blu-ray have a very funny scene where Patrick is making his clock, the scene did not make it into the movie which is a pity. I enjoyed the movie and will probably read the book at some point in the future because I would like to learn move about one of the omitted subplots.

I can't say how or what got me intrigued to remotely give this film a shot though I do know only a small portion of the cast. That doesn't necessarily change anything but regardless I do know that I wanted to give the film a shot and which I did. After the fact and after a few rewatches I find myself really liking the film. To appoint that I knew that if there was some extra opportunities I would indeed enjoy multiple viewings for this film so I felt right to getting this film. Plus a decent price tag and just having it on DVD just seems right rather than Blu-ray.

I'm sure people have written ballads about this movie already and I have only seen it 2 times so I'm not ready to pour my heart out but I love this movie. (odd amazon didn't want me to review it till I watched it ..again for the first time). This really isn't a movie for my age (I'm 70) but I love love, and romance and all the things I was too afraid of while in high school (like pretty girls) and then later 2 marriages where I loved as best I could without realizing neither actually loved me for when you've never been loved you don't realize how it feels but I never had any problem loving them or others. Love is all that matters in this world and since I still fall in love daily I guess I am as happy as I can be. I'd still like to know what it feels like to feel loved though. It's something I've never felt even growing up with actual parents and siblings or even now with those remaining siblings. I want to say it's hell growing up around people who are afraid of love.

Besser hätten die Darsteller gar nicht gewählt werden können. Jeder einzelne Darsteller passt perfekt zu den Figuren im Buch. Jeder spielt überzeugend und reißt einen mit. Die Geschichte selbst fängt an wie eine klassische Teenie-Komödie, doch das ist sie mitnichten. Der Text auf der Rückseite der DVD wird dem Film meiner Meinung nach nicht gerecht. Denn es geht hier um sehr viel mehr. Ein Film über Freundschaft. Liebe. Einsamkeit. Trauer. Verlust. Homosexualität. Drogen. Missbrauch. Familie. Angst. Depressionen. Selbstmord. Außenseiter. Alleinsein. Anderssein. Die Maske, hinter der man sich versteckt, um sein wahres Ich zu verstecken. Musik. Lebensfreude. Vielleicht lieber morgen ist nicht einfach eine Komödie und wer eine solche erwartet, wird sicherlich enttäuscht werden. Denn dieser Film hat Tiefgang. Er hinterlässt einen mit einem lachenden und einem weinenden Auge. Die Wendung am Ende des Films kommt unerwartet und ist auch nicht gleich offensichtlich. Ich habe mit verschiedenen Freunden den Film angeschaut und manche haben so wie ich sofort verstanden, was passiert ist, andere waren nach dem Film ratlos und fragten mich: "Was war denn das jetzt? Hab ich nicht verstanden..." Es ist kein einfacher Film. Ein Film, über den man nachdenken kann und muss. Der einen beschäftigt. Und der einen trotzdem nicht deprimiert, denn trotz des entsetzlichen Vorfalls entlässt uns Charlie mit positiven und mutmachenden Worten. Erwähnenswert finde ich auch den unglaublichen Soundtrack. Die Musik spielt in dem Film eine aktive Rolle, sie ist nicht nur als Beiwerk da, sondern ist ein richtiger Teil des Films. Und zwar ein sehr gelungener. Auch wenn es hauptsächlich "Oldies" sind, so passen sie perfekt und man möchte einfach nur laut mitsingen. Auch hier lohnt sich die Originalfassung in Englisch, auch wenn die deutsche Fassung durchaus gelungen ist. Lesenswert ist das Buch "Das also ist mein Leben" von Stephen Chbosky. Das Buch wurde im Film wirklich gut umgesetzt! Darsteller Logan Lerman: Spielt den schüchternen Charlie. Und ist schlichtweg perfekt darin. Er lässt einen mitfühlen, reißt einen mit in seine Gedanken- und Gefühlswelt und lässt einen nicht mehr los. Emma Watson: Spielt Sam. Aufgedreht. Verrückt. Und augenscheinlich voller Lebensfreude. Doch tief unter dieser Fassade steckt ein völlig anderer Mensch. Auch Emma Watson macht ihre Sache mal wieder sehr gut, man fühlt die innere Zerrissenheit, der Wunsch nach Liebe, die Traurigkeit regelrecht. Ezra Miller: Einfach nur perfekt für den aufgedrehten Patrick! Der schwule Stiefbruder von Sam ist äußerlich unverwundbar - der klassische Klassenclown. Doch innerlich schlummert ein sensibler Mensch, dem eben nicht alles egal ist. Und das spielt Ezra einfach perfekt. Fazit Einer meiner Lieblingsfilme, den ich immer wieder gerne auf deutsch oder auch auf englisch anschaue. Unbedingt sehenswert! Solange man keine gehaltlose Teenie-Komödie erwartet...

Un très beau film d’une grande sensibilité sur le monde de l’adolescence qui nous bouleverse et nous fait frémir d’émotions. Le personnage principal est très touchant. A l’heure de la rentrée au lycée, Charlie est introverti, petit pour son âge, intelligent et trop vite classé comme un potentiel boloss. Il se trouve rejeté par ses anciennes connaissances qui même sollicités ne veulent pas s’afficher avec lui. Il fera la connaissance d’un garçon et d’une fille de terminale qui l’accueilleront dans leur groupe, lui ouvriront les portes de leur monde et lui permettront de grandir. Ce film pour tout public est un petit bijou, un remède à la déprime que je vais sans doute voir et revoir et que je recommande vivement.

I absolutely LOVE this movie! I read the book first, and this was by far one of the best book-to-movie adaptations that I have ever seen! The cast, the story, the filmmaking...absolutely everything was perfect! I loved the book, so unsurprisingly, I loved the story that the movie shared just the same. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a touching story that draws you in and makes you feel! I couldn't help but relate to Charlie and feel for everything that he went through. His story was hard to get through at times, and it leaves you feeling for him, but I just loved Charlie so much. He's one of those characters that you just want to give a big hug to, and I loved seeing him get out there and make friends. And the friends he made were fantastic! I just loved this story, and the adaptation is perfection! I highly recommend it! :D

Gekocht op amazon.nl dan verwacht je op z'n minst de mogelijkheid voor nedelandse ondertitels.

La película es buena, hay, como siempre que se adapta un libro cosas que se cambian o no aparecen, el soundtrack es genial, muy recomendable, la entrega fue muy rápida y llegó en perfecto estado