An adaptation of the book of the same name by R.J. Palacio, “Wonder” tells the story of August (Auggie) Pullman, a ten-year-old boy born with a facial deformity that he calls “mandibulofacial dysostosis.” In simpler terms, it’s recognized as Treacher Collins syndrome and a cleft palate. His story starts with the news of his parents enrolling him into a real, public school after being homeschooled for the first few years of his life. There, Auggie has to face the rest of his peers, who all can’t help but just stare at them, and, given their age, can perhaps be rather mean.
When I first found the book and got to read it, I was definitely fascinated. Never had I ever been able to find a book that hit so close to home for me. There are some differences, of course; I don’t have Treacher Collins, and I’ve never had to feel like I had to wear a mask to hide my face. But I have shared the same pain Auggie faced with kids staring constantly and not really doing much to approach him or be friends with him. It wasn’t fun.
When I first heard of the crew behind the making of the film, the name of the director immediately stuck out. Stephen Chbosky. Otherwise known as the man behind the famous The Perks of Being a Wallflower, writing the book and directing and making the screenplay for the film adaptation on top of it. If you got the chance to delve into either one of those or both, you can expect what kind of emotional story you can get from “Wonder.” Along with him, the cast is made up of a few familiar and big names, including Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson (playing the loving parents of the protagonist) and Daveed Diggs from Hamilton fame. Stepping into the shoes as the lead is Jacob Tremblay who, with the help of a lot of makeup to clinch the true look, is able to pull off an impressive performance, as if it were real.
Like the book, the movie plot is spread out, giving a few of the supporting roles their own chance to tell their story and their point of view in Auggie’s life. Isabel Vidovic plays Olivia “Via,” Auggie’s older sister. Overlooked and brushed off to the side by her parents to help take care of her brother, Via is struggling to balance between playing the role of a supportive big sister and a daughter who just wants her parents’ attention. Older siblings have all been known to experience this kind of treatment in favor once their newer, younger sibling is born, but for Via, it’s much worse since her brother needs so much medical care. On top of that, her best friend dumps her with no clear reason why and undergoes a change with new hair and new friends. Most of Via’s story include her trying to distract herself from her hurt and gets involved in her school’s production of “Our Town” where she meets Justin, who quickly connects with her and she later develops a relationship with.
Some of Auggie’s classmates include Jack Will, who he is able to easily find a friend in, Summer Dawson, who willingly sits with him at his lunch table, despite his warnings of catching a disease, and Julian, the class bully. Of course, in a story like this, there is expected to be someone that gives the main character a hard time, and here, that’s Julian. It’s the childhood two-faced bully everyone can’t stand.
As a person who enjoys going out to see a movie every now and then, this one didn’t fail. As far as book-to-movie adaptations go, some measure up, some can be pretty awful. This one had some surprises; nice ones (Hat’s off to Millie Davis (Summer) and Nadji Jeter (Justin) for representing and canceling out a pretty all-white cast) and ones that threw me off a bit because it wasn’t like that in the book. Even so, it pulled the whole story together perfectly and still made sense. As a fellow patient with a medical problem, the strength Auggie managed to develop by the end of the film was inspiring and emotionally moving. He felt like he was falling a few times, but through it all, he was able to stand back up and stand tall. I’m glad this movie and the book had been brought out so more people could empathize and see just how much someone’s life can be affected if they’re born differently.
The message behind “Wonder” is to treat everyone with kindness. No matter who they are or how they look or where they come from, that shouldn’t stop them from trying to lend a hand and be a friend. Whenever possible, it is not wrong to choose kind over cool.
Even if it doesn’t make box office records or it isn’t grossed as much, you should definitely consider giving this film a shot. It’s a story that’s not often expressed or seen as much out there, so it’s an opportunity for everyone, whether they live in Auggie’s shoes or not, to understand and take in.
Score: 9.5
