Based on R.J. Palacio’s award- winning novel, the movie Wonder takes viewers on an emotional rollercoaster as it consists not only of humor for all ages, but expresses valuable lessons of kindness, friendship, and acceptance of others. I’m not one to usually cry during movies, but this movie left me sobbing.
The plot revolves around a young boy named Auggie who was born with a genetic abnormality that caused his face to become severely deformed. After 27 operations, Auggie is left looking extremely different from others. Luckily, he still is able to talk, hear, and see like all the other kids.
The movie begins as he is about to start fifth grade at a private middle school. He had previously been homeschooled, but decided to finally accept the nerve-racking challenge of facing the real world with children his age at school. This transition isn’t easy, Auggie is bullied and called names by the majority of his grade. Even when he finally thinks he has made a true friend, Auggie hears the friend talking poorly about him to other classmates. Nonetheless, with his good hearted, clever and optimistic attitude, Auggie persistently fights through the struggle of middle school.
Viewers get to see a perspective on not only Auggie’s life struggles, but his sisters as well. His older sister, Via, was ditched by her best and only friend. Feeling lonely and hopeless, Via decides to join theatre in order to branch out and make new friends. She struggles at home as well, as she feels rejected by her parents since they only focus on Auggie.
Wonder is a movie that everyone can relate to. Whether you have witnessed bullying, been bullied, or bullied someone else (hopefully not), the movie expresses the message through a victim’s standpoint that bullying must be stopped and we should be more accepting of one another. Viewers begin to love the characters who are nice to Auggie, and despise the characters who bully him. The movie attempts to teach viewers to be just like the kids who are nice to Auggie. This lesson of kindness and acceptance is expressed well. “Watching this movie through Auggie’s perspective truly opened my eyes about how terrible bullying is. It must come to an end,” senior Zack Lechner said.
Via is someone who viewers can relate to as well; the average high school student dealing with stress in and out of school. Everyone has experienced a loss of a friend and knows how difficult it is to have someone you told everything to become someone you only glance at in the hallway. Wonder emphasizes the importance and value of friendship, and although losing a friend may seem like the end of the world, it teaches that there are always opportunities to meet new people. “After watching this movie I began to appreciate my friends much more,” sophomore Danielle Klein said
If you want to see a movie that will make you laugh, cry, and teach you inspirational life lessons all in one, I recommend seeing Wonder as soon as possible.
Jordyn Taylor
Senior Features Editor
