Movie Review: Wonder
Wonder is a heartwarming movie. It will make you laugh and it will make you cry. The movie tells the story of a boy named Auggie Pullman (Jacob Tremblay) who has a deformed face. He is starting fifth grade at a public school after being homeschooled his entire life. The movie takes you through Auggie and his family’s story; showing you not only how he feels about starting school, but also how members of his family do as well. By doing so, Wonder reminds you that it’s what’s on the inside that counts.
The film Wonder is based on a best-selling novel of the same name. I think the movie stayed true to the source material successfully and spread the same message. In the book, chapters are devoted to individual characters, with each being told from that specific character’s point of view. I especially liked how they incorporated this into the movie, giving sections of the movie to different characters (as mentioned earlier). I think they did this well and it helps the viewer understand and identify with each character.
This is not just an entertaining movie; Wonder is also a movie that suggests a new outlook on life. It takes you on a journey that reveals the truth about the world. It shows you that in this world how you look is very important, sometimes too much so. Auggie is very smart, but he has been bullied because of how he looks. Some of the characters in Wonder cannot move passed his looks to see that Auggie is a good person. He had to fight everyday just to be treated like a human being. Some of his classmates even go so far as to say they would kill themselves if they looked like him. But, in the end, Auggie shows his classmates that life is about who you are not how you look.
Not only does Wonder deliver a powerful and emotional message, it also has a lot of humor. Many of the characters joke around throughout the film. But the character that adds the most comic relief is Nate, Auggie’s dad (Owen Wilson). This character helps the movie be less serious and create relatable moments for the audience. This movie talks about some serious topics, but the humor element draws you in and makes Wonder fun to watch.
Julia Roberts and Jacob Tremblay in “Wonder.”
My favorite character was easily Via Pullman (Izabela Vidovic), Auggie’s older sister. She’s particularly wonderful because she shows what it’s like to have a brother with a disability. Throughout the movie she struggles with the fact that her parents pay far more attention to Auggie than her. She feels like her brother always comes first. However, she loves her brother and always tries to help him. In the end, she realizes that her family also loves and supports her as well. Julia Roberts (who plays Auggie and Via’s mother, Isabel) does a great job showing how a mother wants her son to have a life but also wants to protect him at the same time.
Wonder spreads an amazing message of understanding and love. I think everyone should see this movie because it makes you view the world differently. It shows that people have bad days, but reminds you to stay strong. Auggie represents the part in all of us that is different; he reminds us that we need to embrace our differences and those of others as well. Wonder is an inspiring movie that will change your life. You should see it if you want to be reminded exactly why life is worth living.
Miranda Clarke
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