I went to see this film yesterday at the Leeds/Bradford Odeon.
IMDB says: Based on the New York Times bestseller, WONDER tells the incredibly inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman, a boy with facial differences who enters 5th grade, attending a mainstream elementary school for the first time.
In this Stephen Chbosky directed (Beauty and the Beast, The Perks of Being a Wallflower) film, written by Choboky, Steve Conrad (Patriot, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty), Jack Thorne (National Treasure, The Fades) and R.J. Palacio (novelist), Jacob Tremlay (Room, The Smurfs 2) stars as August 'Auggie' Pullman.
When his Mum Isabel (Julia Roberts: Pretty Woman, Notting Hill) thinks he needs more than home-schooling, she and his Dad Nate (Owen Wilson: No Escape, Zoolander 2) decide to send him to mainstream elementary. On a tour of the school organised by Headteacher Mr Tushman (Mandy Patinkin: The Princess Bride, TVs Homeland), Auggie meets three new children, Justin (Bryce Gheisar: A Dog's Purpose, TVs Walk the Prank) a spoiled bully, Charlotte (Elle McKinnon: Travelers, Once Upon a Time) who only likes to talk about herself and scholarship student Jack Will (Noah Jupe: Suburbicon, TVs The Night Manager).
On his first day, his sister Via (Izabela Vidovic: Homefront, TVs Supergirl) advises him to let the other children stare because 'You can't try and blend in, when you were born to stand out,' but with Justin and his gang (Amos - Ty Consiglio: Woody Woodpecker, Thirty-Seventeen, Miles - Kyle Breitkopf: Parental Guidance, TVs The Whispers and Henry - James A. Hughes: TVs Hit the Road) determined to bully him, he struggles to make friends. His sister Via, meanwhile, has just lost the only one she had, Miranda (Danielle Rose Russell: A Walk Amongst the Tombstones, Aloha) who has returned from Summer Camp no longer wanting to know her. Will drama geek Justin (Nadji Jeter: Grown Ups & 2, The 5th Wave) persuade her to join in auditions for the school play?
Auggie's teacher Mr Browne (Daveed Diggs: Zootropolis, Ferdinand) tries his best to help, but it takes Auggie's prowess at science to gain him a new friend in Jack, but will it last?
This was a beautiful feel-good movie. Yes it was sad as I expected, and yes you will need to take a large pack of tissues but it also had some wonderful strong messages about kindness, true friendship, love and appreciating someone for who they really are - there are some adults out there that could learn from this, let alone children. There were laughs too but tears will be plentiful as many people in the audience were coming out crying, so I don't think I was the only person touched by the emotion in this endearing film.
It stays mostly true to the book which is always a plus point for me and all the adults and child actors were superb, as well as those mentioned above, the character of Summer (Millie Davis: The Best Man Holiday, TVs Orphan Black) was spot on. The Pullman family journey felt real, as did those of each of the other characters.
A story of friendship, perseverance and most of all, kindness. Always choose kindness.
Trivia: Auggie's facial disease is called mandibulofacial dystosis, also known as "Treacher Collins syndrome" and Jacob Tremblay and his family went to the Children's Craniofacial Association retreat, where he got to meet and befriend children with Treacher Collins syndrome. R.J. Palacio got the inspiration to write the book after taking her son out for ice cream, where they saw a child with Treacher Collins Syndrome. Her son cried at the sight of this boy. This story is used in a scene from the film, where Jack Will's mother is reminding him why it's important to make Auggie feel welcome. Siblings Jacob Tremblay and Emma Tremblay are both featured in this movie together. Their father, Jason Tremblay, is also in the movie.
Tagline: Choose kind. 8.5
#Wonder #kind #film #movie #review #kindness #JuliaRoberts #OwenWilson #JasonTremblay #IzabelaVidovic
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