The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a touching story about the pressure and troubles associated with high school and growing up. While the story can be a little far-fetched at times, the heart of the movie is on point: getting older is hard. Some people handle it differently than others, especially those who tend to stick out or don’t have many friends. Sometimes trauma can influence how your life turns out and how you let it affect you. The book and later movie adaption explains this perfectly through Charlie’s life.

                Logan Lerman plays Charlie, the outcast boy with a troubled past, who just wants to make it through high school in one piece. Lerman, I feel, really captures the essence of the character and brings him to life on the screen. What I love most about Lerman’s characterization of Charlie is his fidgeting; it’s not something you necessarily get wind of within the actual book because of the letter-style format the book is written in. But in the movie Charlie is constantly fidgeting: while he’s standing, when he’s sitting, and especially when his friends make him the center of attention. There’s a nervous quality to him that hints to the problems he’s had in the past, and that really shines through Logan’s acting skills. It’s interesting to watch how he takes Charlie’s personality into consideration past the script. It doesn’t specifically state that he should talk faster because he’s scared no one will listen to him if he doesn’t spit the words out, but Lerman plays Charlie that way because it fits the plot of the story, and does the character justice, which I really enjoy.

                The entire story has a sense of truth to it that teenagers can’t ignore.  The plot deals with depression, social anxiety, stress, peer pressure, sexual orientation, and abuse, which a lot of young people deal with, even if in a small way. There is at least one scene in that movie that speaks to everyone, whether it be the happiness Charlie experiences with his friends or the sense of depression and low self-worth that Sam deals with throughout the film. Whatever you connect with in the story, it’s a must read-and-see for everybody out there. Trust me, you won’t regret it.