The movie Wonder, released on Nov. 17 2017, was an instant hit with all age groups. Wonder originally came out as a book by Raquel Jaramillo Palacio in Feb. 2012; it was featured on the New York Times bestseller list in 2012.
The movie is one hour and 53 minutes and follows the plot about little boy named Auggie Pullman who was born with a face deformity and has received 27 surgeries to try and make minor improvements.
It begins with Auggie, who has always been homeschooled but is starting fifth grade; his mother decides that it is time for him to attend public school and engage with other children.
The movie cast includes Jacob Tremblay as Auggie Pullman, Owen Wilson as Auggie’s father Nate, Izabela Vidovic as Auggie’s sister and Julia Roberts as Auggie’s mother.
Auggie’s family is extremely kind and supportive. Throughout the movie, they help him find his way through school and help him accept himself.
Wonder was extremely tear-jerking with ups and downs among Auggie’s family and friends. One overarching theme throughout the movie is bullying and how you can’t let other people make you feel small.
The movie is filmed so that you get to hear different sides to everyone’s story. It starts out with Auggie, showing how he pictures the world and feels about certain situations. Then it switches to his sister Via. She has also had a difficult time with friends and family and is dealing with losses of her own. It is hard to watch at times because she feels like Auggie needs all of the attention and that since she doesn’t have any disabilities she doesn’t deserve as much attention from her parents. She has spent half her life in hospital waiting rooms and the only other people she is close with are her grandmother and her best friend Miranda.
Auggie deals with many challenges when he first starts school because his classmates make fun of the way he looks. However throughout the movie kids step up and help Auggie maneuver through the tough waters of middle school by treating him like any other normal kid.
Although this movie is hard to watch at some points because it hits on the tough subject of bullying, it is still an extremely uplifting story that has inspired many people.
Critic reviews have proven this movie to be a great success. On Rotten Tomatoes it’s given an 85 percent approval rating, with 121 people who liked it and only 31 who did not. “I can understand where there is value in showing this film to younger children because the message, albeit sanitized, will resonate,” Reelviews critic James Berardinelli said.
I absolutely loved this movie. The director did a great job making sure the audience felt all sorts of different emotions. It was funny, sad and adorable all at the same time. Every scene had a purpose and made the movie just a little better in its own way. I wouldn’t have added or taken out anything. The main message that I took away from the movie is that you can’t judge people by the way that they look. It’s what’s on the inside that matters.
I highly recommend the movie Wonder to anyone who is looking for an uplifting story; be prepared to cry or at the very least get choked up at times. I give this movie 4.5/5 stars.
