Grab the tissues... 'Wonder' is in cinemas now
'Wonder' is the family dramedy adapted from the 2012 R.J. Palacio New York Times bestseller of the same name, telling the inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman, a boy with facial disfiguration who enters fifth grade at a mainstream school for the first time.
Prepare yourself - you will need tissues for this film. This heart shattering yet wholly empowering film follows young August "Auggie" Pullman's into the judgemental high school realm, where he discovers to live, love, and learn.
Jacob Tremblay (known for his amazing performance in the Oscar winning film 'Room') stars as Auggie, and proves to be one of the best child actors of his generation, especially considering the emotion required. Tremblay ultimately carries the film with this exceptional performance, going beyond the prosthetics to deliver. Auggie's sister Via (played by Izabela Vidovic) describes Auggie as the sun and the rest of the family as orbiting planets, which gives an indication as to the uniqueness of the film's characters.
In addition, the last thing pop culture fans would ever expect is a film starring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson that takes a serious tone, but it's one that works well and both A-list actors project absolute sincerity in each of their performances.
While there are some interesting yet loosely developed characters in Mandy Patinkin's Principal Tushman, Daveed Diggs' Mr Browne (though his presence is far too brief, Noah Jupe's Jack Will, Bryce Gheisar's Julian, and Elle McKinnon's Charlotte, they provide an overarching structure to 'Wonder' that help guide the audience through the narrative and on the diverse personalities of the film.
Much like what director Stephen Chbosky did with 'The Perks of Being A Wallflower', he explores the fragility of family and friendship with the importance of being an individual in our own right. While the film's finale may be very Hollywood, it's something that should be accepted despite its cheesiness for the family film that it is.
'Wonder' remains genuine and rings true.
'Wonder' is in cinemas now.
