Back in 2013 I wrote a review (in Romanian) for R. J. Palacio’s book called “Wonder”. I would have never thought it would become my all-time most viewed post on my blog. Even for the past week it has registered over 300 entries. I suppose it’s no wonder I wanted to watch the movie and decide whether it lived up to my expectations. And I assume it’s still no wonder why I absolutely loved it.
*This review contains spoilers*
“Wonder” features the bumpy life of August Pullman (Jacob Tremblay) throughout the course of a school year. Auggie is a fifth-grader with a rare facial deformity known as either mandibulofacial dysostosis or Treacher Collins Syndrome. As soon as the movie started, I recalled one of Auggie’s famous sentences from the book: “I won’t describe to you what I look like; whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.” I remember perfectly well how I would try to imagine the boy’s face in the most hideous ways possible. At some point I even told myself that a movie would come in handy, since I was curious how other people would view Auggie and his rare genetic disorder. I think we can all agree that the boy doesn’t look scary at all.
Sure, it does make you analyze it more than you should, but it’s no match for the truly frightening faces from movies such as “The Elephant Man” (1980) and “Mask” (1985) – two films brought under the spotlight once again and referenced to quite a lot since the release of “Wonder”. However, I have to admit that the makeup work is insanely great, revealing the numerous interventions on Auggie’s face and highlighting the sadness in his eyes.
Naturally, the young boy receives a lot of extra care from his parents, Isabel (Julia Roberts) and Nate (Owen Wilson). He has also been homeschooled by his mother, but now it’s time for him to step out of his shell and become part of the community. The parents are portrayed as two loving and highly sensitive people who want the best for their son. They are prepared to constantly protect Auggie, but they also encourage him to stand up for himself and most importantly, choose kindness, no matter what he’s going through.
The road to the boy’s new school, Beecher Prep, is nerve-racking and you end up asking yourself whether Auggie is on the right track. Isabel’s final prayer (“Please let them be nice to him!”) can only make your heart beat faster and then the boy’s actual journey begins.
From the moment Auggie takes off his beloved astronaut helmet, the audience starts to share the same experience as the boy. They feel intimated when the other kids stare at Auggie. They feel disheartened when the new bully, Julian Albans (Bryce Gheisar), calls the boy Barf Hideous (an uninspired reference to Auggie’s favorite Star Wars character, Darth Sidious). They also gain hope when they meet the enthusiastic teacher, Mr. Tom Browne (Daveed Diggs), who gives inventive assignments that happen to relate to the film’s themes. But the most difficult scenes to go through are the ones with Auggie’s short, but heart-rending breakdowns. I could barely swallow the lump in my throat and fight back the tears when the boy cried out loud, “Why do I have to be so ugly?” (as a response to the destructive power of bullying, isolation and persistent peer pressure). Luckily, both R. J. Palacio and Stephen Chbosky (the director of the movie) surround the boy with other so-called outsiders who eventually become his best friends: the spirited Jack Will (Noah Jupe)
and the optimistic Summer Dawson (Millie Davis).
Their friendship is candidly the best source of joy in the movie. It also unveils Auggie’s adorable sense of humor, childish love for Minecraft and Star Wars, and his huge interest in science and outer space. He often pictures himself as an astronaut, carefully shielded from the world. Whenever he is wearing a Halloween costume or just the astronaut helmet, Auggie is feeling safe, even appreciated by the other kids. He even points out that, as long as nobody recognizes him, he gets to be treated fairly. That’s just a subtle message that, at the end of the day, you can approach and talk to anyone, no matter how they look. An out-of-this-world personality and a few mutual interests will always (or should, at least) help you to surround yourself with genuine people.
Fun fact, the “protective astronaut” can also be found in the movie “Everything, Everything”. And I have a feeling that this particular concept will be used more in the future. Personally, I’m up for it and it’s not because I am generally curious about anything related to outer space and the life of an astronaut. I believe it’s sweet to occasionally tell yourself that you’re an astronaut: different than other people, a bit lonely sometimes, but definitely brave and willing to do amazing things. The suit can function as a shield while you slowly distance yourself from negativity and find the path that it’s meant for you. And when you feel ready, you can take the costume off and show the world what you’re truly made of. Some might point out that it has already become quite a cliché, but I don’t mind it. You can bring it up as much as you want to, because I’m sure I won’t be growing tired of it anytime soon.
Besides Auggie’s life, the story also focuses on other characters every now and then. The boy may be the Sun in the galaxy, but that doesn’t mean the surrounding planets (his family and friends) don’t have their own stories to share. As you would expect, we have Auggie’s older sister, Via (Izabel Vidovic), who doesn’t get the same amount of attention from her parents. At first it seems that she has already accepted the current situation in her family, but as soon as she is brought under the spotlight, she states the fact that she doesn’t always lead a happy life.
Just like any other child, she wants to spend more time with her parents and see them less worried about Auggie. Thankfully for her, she gets the opportunity to stand out from the crowd when she is offered the main part in a high school play. Just like Auggie, she finds the better version of herself and gains more self-confidence.
Auggie and Via’s best friends, Jack Will and Miranda (Danielle Rose Russell), also receive their “15 minutes of fame”. During the movie, the audience might question both Jack and Miranda’s rude attitudes and get the impression that they don’t deserve to be forgiven. However, as soon as they “speak up”, they divulge their background stories and the reasons why they acted in a certain way towards the Pullman siblings. Jack Will has a hard time fitting in at school (since he’s an outsider himself, a working-class student with a scholarship).
Miranda doesn’t feel as cool as Via and envies her for being surrounded by a loving family that she’s never had.
What we can learn about the characters is that they all have something harsh to deal with. Even Julian, Auggie's bully, could be placed in the same situation. Surprisingly, there are a lot of people who simply declare that he is nothing else but a mean rich kid.
That’s not necessarily true. First of all, Julian is nevertheless a child who perhaps doesn’t fully grasp the impact of his words and actions. Secondly, everyone knows that our overall attitude and decisions are mainly influenced by the environment we grow up in. For example, towards the end of the film, Mr. Tushman (Mandy Patinkin), the school’s principal, talks to Julian’s parents about their son’s hurtful notes for Auggie and his general outlook on the unfortunate boy. In just a matter of seconds we realize that Julian lives with a toxic family, two neglectful parents who only care about their personal image. Even Mrs. Albans unashamedly admits she was the one who photoshopped Auggie out of the class picture. While the Albans couple is seen expressing its outrage at Auggie’s simple existence, Julian finally shows remorse for his actions. His “15 minutes of fame” may be indeed shorter, but we still get to spot his other side, the boy who becomes conscious of everything he had done throughout the school year.
As much as I wanted Auggie to be accepted by everyone, I couldn’t help but feel a bit confused during the movie’s ending. Mr. Tushman offers Auggie the Henry Ward Beecher Medal for being kind and unique, and gives the most clichéd speech in the most clichéd place: a fully-packed auditorium.
Of course, you might ask whether the movie itself is actually a teary-eyed cliché. Not quite. It showcases realistic situations and makes you long for as many supportive people as possible. Only the final scene might give you the suspicion that it doesn’t actually unfold naturally. There’s too much (fake?) positivity in my opinion, but then again, I shouldn’t complain about it. After all, Auggie gets to be in the center of attention… but this time he’s not seen as a medical wonder. He is seen for the wonder he truly is.
For those who are predominantly mawkish: the movie will make you cry. For those who are painfully emotionless: the movie will make you cry. Unless you’re a robot, Auggie’s journey and gradually maturing courage will create enough empathy to at least make you shed a tear of either sadness or pure joy.
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