The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Based on the novel of the same name, writer/director Stephen Chbosky has adapted his coming of age tale for screen to create this gem. An antisocial freshman, Charlie (Logan Lerman), finds his crowd to run with when seniors and step siblings, Patrick and Sam (Ezra Miller and Emma Watson), take him under their wing. However, gaining confidence aside, Charlie still has a dark passenger that rides in his psyche and it could be his downfall. Surviving his freshman year, finding his first love, gaining a pillar of support in his English teacher (Paul Rudd), and facing his darker side just begin to touch the film’s core. While fans of the novel will of course have criticisms of what’s been left behind, Chbosky has gone through over a year of painstaking edits to shape the tale we see, all in effort to maintain the integrity and flavour of his original piece. As a first time director/screenwriter the future looks bright. Admittedly, while some scenes carry a sense of stilted language and perhaps could have been given a bit more attention, the spirit of John Hughes appears to have graced the set and given a blessing. Furthermore, if you were a high school student in the early 90’s, prepare for flashbacks (good and bad, HA!). This is no doubt a magic journey, doesn’t overstay its welcome, and delivers the goods over and over. Worth it! The Perks of Being a Wallflower is rated PG-13.