Movie Reviews

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

Movie 27: The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2013)

Cast:

Charlie- Logan Lerman

Patrick- Ezra Miller

Sam- Emma Watson

Mary-Elizabeth-

Craig-

Charlie’s sister- Nina Dobrev

Movie Information:

Running time- 103 minutes

Rating- 14A for mature themes and disturbing content

My Rating: 5 Stars

Movie Summary:

            Charlie a high school freshman has just begun school and is already counting down the days till his graduation. He is a shy nerdy type kind of guy who spent the whole summer talking only to his family. When he begins his first day he is already made fun of, and has no friends. He eats alone and walks alone. However on his first day in his shop class he sees Patrick, a senior taking freshman shop class. Charlie can tell he’s a nice guy who doesn’t bully freshmen. On that day Patrick earns the nickname Nothing from his teacher which the entire school body calls him, and he hates.

            A few days into school Charlie sits next to Patrick at a school football game, he meets Patrick’s step sister Sam. Patrick and Sam drive him home after the game and Charlie hopes to see them again, which he does.

            Next comes homecoming dance. Charlie brings up enough courage to go up to Patrick and Sam and dance with them. After the dance they invite him to a party. At the party Patrick introduces him to their friends. Mary- Elizabeth, a blond girl, and a druggie. Their drug friend offers Charlie brownies which he takes. Next thing he knows it he is stoned on the carpet making everyone laugh. Sam then makes him a milkshake, while she’s making it he confesses that his best friend shot himself last May. Sam is concerned about him and sorry. Charlie leaves Sam for a moment to use the bathroom but ends up opening a door on Patrick and a football star making out. Patrick asks Charlie to keep it a secret, which he does. Back down stairs he gets his milkshake and Sam tells Patrick about Charlie’s friend. They then all toast to Charlie.

            After the party they’re driving home when they hear this song they all love. They go through a tunnel where Sam stands at the back of the pick-up truck. Charlie begins to fall for her.

            At home Charlie rights to his fake friend about his life. We see flashbacks of Charlie’s aunt throughout the movie, Charlie mentions being hospitalized last year.

            Charlie continues to hang out with his new group of friends; he finds out that Patrick and the football star have been going out for a while secretly.

            Charlie is then invited to watch a local showing of ‘The Rocky Horror Show’. His group of friend are all playing in it. Patrick plays the transvestite, he gives Charlie a little ‘lap dance’ during the show. Charlie then finds out at the after party that Sam is kinda going out with Craig, who plays Rocky in the show.

            Christmas comes around and they exchange gifts. Patrick gets Charlie a suit, Charlie gets him a harmonica and some other nick knack’s, he gets the blond a gift, the druggie bubbles, and Sam a record of the beetles. Charlie has flashbacks of his aunt telling him about they’re secret. Which we still don’t know. The record he gave Sam was what his aunt had given him. Sam also gives Charlie a type writer. Sam also kisses Charlie. But she says she still likes Craig. During their party Charlie takes acid and ends up passes out in the snow. He wakes up in a hospital but is ok.

            At their next Rocky Horror Show Craig doesn’t show and so Charlie plays Rocky. He gets to sing ‘Touch Me’ with Sam. After the show Mary-Elizabeth asks Charlie to the Saddie Hawkins dance. After the dance the two kiss and start going out, but Charlie doesn’t like her very much.

            At a get together the group is playing truth or dare. Charlie says how bad his relationship is and that he wished one of them had un-curable cancer so he wouldn’t have to break up with her. They all think it’s a joke and then Charlie is dared to kiss the prettiest girl. Charlie kisses Sam. Mary-Elizabeth goes of crying and Sam chases after her. Patrick tells him to stay away for a bit.

            Two weeks away from them the druggie tells Charlie how Patrick and the football guy were caught by one of their fathers (I don’t know which one) And beat up the football guy. At school Charlie sees that the football group starts making fun of Patrick. His secret boyfriend gets up and calls him Nothing and a faggot. Furious Patrick begins a fight with his boyfriend. The other football guys grab Patrick and punch him. Sam tries to stop it but one of the guys throws her to the floor. Charlie comes up and punches out the guys hard. Everyone stares at him shocked as he helps Patrick to his feet.

            Outside Charlie asks if he can be friends again with Sam and she hugs him.

            That night the group is supposed to go to a party but Patrick and Charlie end up ditching it to hang out at a cliff. Patrick kisses Charlie, but then says sorry knowing Charlie likes his sister. Patrick hugs Charlie who hugs him back. He is just heartbroken from his relationship with the football star.

            At home Charlie admits to himself that he is getting worst. He keeps having flashbacks and can’t remember certain events.

            Charlie watches as his friends go off to prom. His sister had broken up with her abusive boyfriend and went to prom with her friends. Charlie finds out at prom that Craig told Sam he was cheating on her all this time.

            The last day of his friends staying in town he kisses Sam and has a flashback of his aunt who’s secret with him was that she uses to touch him inappropriately.

            The day his friends leave to their colleges he has a breakdown. He remembers everything and blames his aunt’s death on himself. He calls his sister to tell her this and she calls the cops and tells them to go to her house where Charlie is alone. Charlie remembers seeing cut marks on his aunt’s skin and then he reaches for a knife.

            Charlie then wakes up in a hospital and is treated for his mental health. His parents find out what his aunt did to him when he was younger. When he is finally released he does feel better and that night Sam and Patrick come to visit him. The go to the tunnel and find the song they heard last time. Charlie gets to stand up outside and kisses Sam. THE END!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Review:

            I enjoyed this movie very much I really actually felt sorry for Charlie, and wanted him to have a good school year. I also laughed at times, so this movie did have its humour which I liked.

            I liked the overall theme and ending to this movie. Charlie had his problems which he kept buried away but at the end finally admitted what was going on to him and got help. Charlie was a great character that I fell in love with, and all the other characters. They were all original and I enjoyed them all very much.

            I actually don’t have anything bad to say about this movie. I really didn’t like his aunt but it went with the movie and made the overall ending possible.

            I don’t have anything else to say about this movie, it’s amazing and takes you through the life of a troubled boy who just really wants friends. And at the end they all just really need good friends to lean on, like when Patrick fought with his boyfriend.  Although he kissed Charlie he really just needed a friend to understand his pain.

            I would definitely recommend this movie to teens mostly. I don’t think an adult would enjoy it as much. It’s a great movie if you have the time check it out for sure. Super sweet movie with a great lesson learned.