Wonder (2017) – 8.5/10 – Powerful Tale of Acceptance Through Unwavering Compassion
WONDER is a family drama and coming-of-age film adapted from a bestselling book by R.J. Palacio. It follows a charming ten-year-old boy’s emotional journey going to school for the first time while living with physical deformities. I loved this remarkable movie so much that I will read the original novel. It is inspiring, heartwarming, emotional, and rich with wonder. Many scenes were incredibly touching and even brought me to tears, a rare occurrence. I found the experiences and multiple plot points extremely relatable for reasons I won’t delve into here. The filmmakers did an impressive job handling a difficult topic. Within that topic, they explore central themes such as bullying, perseverance over life’s struggles, family, friendship, compassion, love, and courage. Little in life triumphs over willpower, empathy, and kindness.
August Pullman (Jacob Tremblay), better known as Auggie, was born with facial deformities that required multiple surgeries after his birth. His parents, Isabel (Julia Roberts) and Nate (Owen Wilson), homeschooled him until fifth grade. Isabel decides it’s time for him to go to school and make friends his age. With endless support and love from his parents and older sister, Olivia (Izabela Vidovic), known as Via, Auggie agrees to the plan. However, once he attends elementary school, he realizes he can’t fit in and often becomes the target of cruel ridicule. Most of his peers see him as an outsider and ignore him. A few bully him for being different. Despite his extraordinary knowledge, diligence, friendliness, and quality of work, he is still invisible to them. The sense of not belonging is painful. But he never gives up hope and keeps fighting for acceptance by treating others with kindness.
I could gush endlessly about WONDER, but I will focus on several key things. The film has incredible acting, directing, and a brilliant script. Though the other child actors were marvelous, Jacob Tremblay stole the show. Tremblay’s character has Treacher-Collins Syndrome, which causes facial deformities. Prosthetic makeup on Tremblay took an hour and a half to apply daily. His silicone prosthetics covered him from his head to his shoulders and included cosmetics, artificial teeth, contact lenses, and a wig. Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, and Izabela Vidovic are fantastic in their roles as Auggie’s family. The filming style is something I liked too, as director Stephen Chbosky provides us with multiple points of view from various main characters. It offered insights and snapshots of the pain and battles each person faces. Until you place yourself in someone else’s shoes, you can’t truly know the daily struggles they go through each day. The school setting is captivating and fun to watch unfold. Two minor issues exist: the characters feel stereotypical, and the cliched ending. It makes the movie predictable and somewhat unrealistic, but it’s nitpicking an excellent film.
Would I recommend this? Yes, I highly recommend this for all ages. WONDER has so much to teach. This is a poignant, uplifting story that shows courage and optimism exist within each person if they are willing, even people you may not expect. But it exists. The world would be a happier place if everyone practiced empathy, open-mindedness, and love over greed, cynicism, and hatred. Auggie leaves us with a wonderful quote I will leave with, too: “Be kind, for everyone is fighting a hard battle. And if you really wanna see what people are, all you have to do is look.” My rating is 8.5/10.
*Any trivia facts were obtained from IMDB’s trivia page and plot/name information from Wiki
