After reading and reviewing 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower', by Stephen Chbosky, I decided to watch the film to see if it would meet my high expectations. I often feel rather sceptical when books I enjoy are made into films as I feel they don't always provide the same experience as the novel does, but I decided to bite the bullet and watch the film anyway.
'Based on the novel written by Stephen Chbosky, this is about 15-year old Charlie (Logan Lerman), an endearing and naive outsider, coping with his first love (Emma Watson), the suicide of his best friend, and his own mental illness while struggling to find a group of people with whom he belongs. The introvert freshman is taken under the wings of two seniors, Sam and Patrick, who welcome him into the real world.'
'A funny and touching coming-of-age story based on the beloved best-selling novel by Stephen Chbosky, 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' is a modern classic that captures the dizzying highs and crushing lows of growing up. Starring Logan Lerman, Emma Watson and Ezra Miller, 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' is a moving tale of love, loss, fear and hope- and the unforgettable friends that help us through life.'
The Perks Of Being A Wallflower. Director: Stephen Chbosky. Certificate: 12A Time: 1hr 43 mins.
The Cast:
Logan Lerman as Charlie Ezra Miller as Patrick Emma Watson as Sam Nina Dobrev as Candace Paul Rudd as Bill |
Dylan McDermott as Charlie's father
Kate Walsh as Charlie's mother Melanie Lynskey as Aunt Helen Nicholas Braun as 'Ponytail' Derek Tom Savini as Mr. Callahan Joan Cusack as Dr. Burton |
I was rather apprehensive when I decided to watch the film 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower', as I often feel that movie adaptations never live up to the book. I always ensure that I read the book before I watch the film, mostly because of the editing that takes place, such as the addition of scenes which were never in the book and the absence of scenes which were included in the book. I understand that the writers have to translate the physical text of a novel into a living, breathing representation of the written character using film, but it really irritates me when they go off on a tangent and don't stick to the book.
Logan Lerman, plays the main character Charlie, combining his dysfunctional personality and social awkwardness perfectly every time he speaks. Emma Watson was not who I imagined Sam to be and I am still left rather unsure of her performance. Ezra Miller, I felt was the perfect choice for Patrick, he combines sarcastic humour with hilarious one liners and delivers them with the wit I imaged Patrick would. Mae Whitman plays the character of Mary Elizabeth and she is perfect for the part delivering pretentious lines one moment to obsessive honeymoon phase non-stop questions the next.Nina Dobrev as Candace is not who I imagined Candace to be and once again I felt that this may not be the right choice. I thought her performance after Derek hit her was commendable, but that was about it. Paul Rudd playing Bill was a bit too cliché, don't get me wrong he's a good actor, but I expected Bill to be slightly more quirky and with much more enthusiasm, not a man in a tweed jacket with a misspelling of the poet Emily Dickinson's name (spelt 'Emily Dickenson') on the back wall. However, he does deliver the line, 'We accept the love we think we deserve', rather convincingly.
Logan Lerman, plays the main character Charlie, combining his dysfunctional personality and social awkwardness perfectly every time he speaks. Emma Watson was not who I imagined Sam to be and I am still left rather unsure of her performance. Ezra Miller, I felt was the perfect choice for Patrick, he combines sarcastic humour with hilarious one liners and delivers them with the wit I imaged Patrick would. Mae Whitman plays the character of Mary Elizabeth and she is perfect for the part delivering pretentious lines one moment to obsessive honeymoon phase non-stop questions the next.Nina Dobrev as Candace is not who I imagined Candace to be and once again I felt that this may not be the right choice. I thought her performance after Derek hit her was commendable, but that was about it. Paul Rudd playing Bill was a bit too cliché, don't get me wrong he's a good actor, but I expected Bill to be slightly more quirky and with much more enthusiasm, not a man in a tweed jacket with a misspelling of the poet Emily Dickinson's name (spelt 'Emily Dickenson') on the back wall. However, he does deliver the line, 'We accept the love we think we deserve', rather convincingly.
A significant part in the book is the way in which Patrick gains the nickname 'nothing', and it is delivered rather well in the film. Patrick makes fun of his teacher by drawing on his face with pen creating an imitation of his beard, whilst mimicking his old-fashioned stories in front of the class. He catches Patrick impersonating him while Patrick delivers the line, 'you can call me Patrick or you can call me nothing', to which the teachers replies, 'okay nothing'.
One of the greatest scenes in the film are Patrick and Sam's, 'living room routine', which they both dance to when 'Come on Eileen', by Dexys Midnight Runners is played at the Homecoming dance, whilst Sam exclaims 'Oh my God! Their playing good music!'. Charlie stands at the back wall alone with a drink, until he begins to awkwardly shuffle and make his way towards the pair to join in with their dancing.
Mary Elizabeth offers a rebellious attitude combined with a pretentious tone and a slight obsession with Charlie. One of my favourite lines in the film, is when Charlie is at his first ever party and asks Mary Elizabeth why Brad is there; 'But he's a popular kid', to which Mary Elizabeth replies, 'Then what are we?', whilst she rolls her eyes and turns around giving Charlie a disapproving look; It's hilarious.
A darker element of the party is shown when Sam is making Charlie a milkshake and she asks, 'Where is Michael tonight?',Charlie replies, 'He shot himself last May'. His brutal honesty shocks Sam and she doesn't really know what to say back, it's also rather awkward to watch.
'The Rocky Horror Picture Show', was also exactly how I imagined it would be, well, in fact even better. Miller's performance was amazing and he pulled off the Tim Curry look perfectly whilst lip syncing to 'Don't dream it- be it!'. I think it really helped me piece together which songs the characters would be singing whilst Charlie's description of the event is taking place, for example, Sam plays the role of Janet and lip-syncs 'Touch-a Touch-a Touch-a Touch Me', whilst Charlie is playing Rocky. This was the scene in the book where he states it was his favourite part in the play; 'The best part was the scene with Janet where we had to touch each other. I did get an erection, though, but not until later', however, this was not portrayed in the film version.
There are elements which were not included in the book but they were in the film. Rudd, who plays Charlie's English teacher Bill, asks the class,'Who made the first paperback book', instead of doing a pop quiz, no body in the class knows the answer apart from Charlie who writes it down on his notepad. Bill sees this and realises that he is brighter than the other students.
It also portrays visually Charlie's continuous bullying at school, in one scene a girl in his English class asks him if he has written his paper on 'To Kill a Mockingbird', and then a group of her friends corner him and shove him into the bathroom. Another example of this is when one of the guys from the football team takes his 'To Kill a Mockingbird', book and rips the front cover, leading Charlie to sellotape it back together. These acts of bullying really do put into perspective what Charlie's daily life would've been like at high school; One part I particularly thought showed his intense loneliness and alienation was the scene in his high school cafeteria where he sits alone at lunch, whilst 'Asleep', by The Smiths play in the background adding to the melancholy tone of the scene.
I realise that this will sound really picky, but there is a line which is one of my favourites in the book, 'Sam has brown hair and very very pretty green eyes. The kind of green that doesn't make a big deal out of itself', in the book Sam's eyes are described as being green, but in the film Charlie says, 'Sam, you've got such pretty brown eyes. The kind of pretty that deserves to make a big deal out of itself'.
It also portrays visually Charlie's continuous bullying at school, in one scene a girl in his English class asks him if he has written his paper on 'To Kill a Mockingbird', and then a group of her friends corner him and shove him into the bathroom. Another example of this is when one of the guys from the football team takes his 'To Kill a Mockingbird', book and rips the front cover, leading Charlie to sellotape it back together. These acts of bullying really do put into perspective what Charlie's daily life would've been like at high school; One part I particularly thought showed his intense loneliness and alienation was the scene in his high school cafeteria where he sits alone at lunch, whilst 'Asleep', by The Smiths play in the background adding to the melancholy tone of the scene.
I realise that this will sound really picky, but there is a line which is one of my favourites in the book, 'Sam has brown hair and very very pretty green eyes. The kind of green that doesn't make a big deal out of itself', in the book Sam's eyes are described as being green, but in the film Charlie says, 'Sam, you've got such pretty brown eyes. The kind of pretty that deserves to make a big deal out of itself'.
My favourite scene in the whole film is the final one, in which Charlie climbs into the back of the truck whilst Patrick drives with Sam to his right. Charlie stands up and reaches out his arms to the sky reflecting on his journey, 'I am here and I am looking at her and she is so beautiful. I can see it. This one moment when you know you're not a sad story. You are alive. And you stand up and see the lights on the buildings and everything that makes you wonder. And you're listening to that song, and that drive with the people you love most in this world. And in this moment I swear, we are infinite'.
I had goosebumps watching this scene at the end of the film, it tied together Charlie's journey perfectly and just like the book it ended on a positive note, filled with hope, love and friendship.
I had goosebumps watching this scene at the end of the film, it tied together Charlie's journey perfectly and just like the book it ended on a positive note, filled with hope, love and friendship.
Images Courtesy of :
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http://thebackroom.me/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower-party-scene.jpg
http://www.flicksandbits.com/2012/09/09/emma-watson-interview-for-the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower/31140/emma-watson-the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower/
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