The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Charlie (Logan Lerman) writes letters. He has a pen pal, well a pen audience rather. He never receives a reply, but that's not the point. Charlie has had a troubled life, and the letters act as a release. It is within these letters that we hear his story told.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

He's a freshman in high school, which I guess means the first year of secondary school, but he's 16 so it's a little different to the schools over here in the UK. He hasn't got any friends, and the friends he did have from before no longer interact with him. He is portrayed as alone and is picked on by the other kids.

Patrick (Ezra Miller) has been held back in shop class (design and technology?). He is a senior who Charlie approaches at a football game after seeing him act out in class. He introduces Charlie to his step-sister, Sam played by Emma Watson. They go on a drive and hear a song which Sam particularly takes a fondness to. In the film, this song is 'Heroes' by David Bowie, but in the novel it is 'Landslide' by Fleetwood Mac. It is in this scene where we see the start of a moving friendship, with Charlie proclaiming to feel "infinite".

These friends are the ones who dub him the "Wallflower". He's a quiet boy, but Charlie sees and understands what's going on around him, apart from when he blacks out from stress-related occasions.

The story unfolds around Charlie's first experiences: his first kiss, his first dance, his first telling someone that a friend of his had shot themselves in the head the previous summer. Some of the things that the majority of people would go through at some point in their life if not in high school.

He is also introduced to drugs, sex, music, parties and meets his first girlfriend, which amuses and causes you to cringe at the same time. You see, he takes a liking to Sam, but it never really works out between them throughout the majority of the film.

It's a really moving story and the parts where Charlie interacts with characters alone rather than in groups really immerses you in this life. He does essays in his spare time for his favourite teacher Mr. Anderson (Paul Rudd), makes mix-tapes for Sam, and helps other friends with issues they're dealing with, even though he has  big issues of his own.

Set in the 90s, it cuts out a lot of the things that make us less physically social nowadays. There is less about online and more about being in the moment and living life. Mix-tapes are an example of something that has seemingly died with the evolution of technology; no longer can you put a physical product together from a bunch of recordings off the radio. There's copyright issues and the fact nobody has a cassette player any more. I also doubt somebody will give you a mix USB stick.

This film struck a chord with me. I've seen some of the issues raised in the film as I'm sure a lot of people would have, but the nostalgic style in which it's told and the story that accompanies that style just gives it an edge above other films set in high school. It's a funny, emotional, positive ride through some of the best and worst years of life and that's a good enough reason for me to recommend seeing a wallflower's take on things.

:-)

Elky