“Wonder” is a lot more than a family film. I expected this film to be about a boy with a facial deformity but what I found was an amazing story of friendship, family, and growing up that will have you in tears by the end. This masterful display of storytelling goes beyond the obvious and examines the effects of Auggie’s condition on everyone else. The use of different perspectives of the same events wasn’t quite on par with Christopher Nolan but it went deeper than anything that I expect from a family film. It is proof that films can carry a PG-rating and deliver an amazing message in a stylized way. It is very well-acted, especially considering that the vast majority of the film was comprised of child actors. Jacob Tremblay doesn’t really get an emotional moment to show the acting chops that impressed me so much in “Room” but he carries most of the film on his back. His makeup is incredibly realistic and will give Gary Oldman’s Churchill makeup a run for its money during the Oscars! I was also quite impressed with Izabela Vidovic as Via and Noah Jupe as Jack Will. Outside of the kids, Mandy Patinkin is brilliant in the small role of Mr. Tushman and Owen Wilson adds comic relief without spoiling the moment. The acting is good but the real focus of this film is its poignant reminder of how hard it is to be a kid. Middle school can be brutal for a preteen and this story captures the frustration that we all experienced. The most striking scene is when Julian is getting in trouble for the school picture and director Stephen Chbosky makes a bold statement about how students are a product of their upbringing. Parents need to make an active effort to live a wholesome life because kids WILL follow their example. This moment (and many other sad moments) are contrasted by moments of family support, new friendships, and random appearances of Star Wars characters in Auggie’s imagination. "Wonder" received its Oscar nomination for the impressive physical transformation of Tremblay through make-up, but I think that it was more deserving of an Oscar nomination for the transformation of characters in its screenplay. Films like this restore my faith in humanity, that the next generation will clean up the mistakes of the past century. The idea of celebrating our differences has become cliché but “Wonder” makes a compelling argument of why we should put the idea into practice.
[Pictured: Tremblay is unrecognizable in this role, except for the exceptional display of acting that accompanies it]
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