The well-received 1999 novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky has become a staple in many people’s lives especially among the young adult age bracket.
The story follows several moments in the life of a freshman in high school, a student under the alias of “Charlie.”
Charlie, the narrator of the story, is a very shy and somewhat troubled teen who suffers a great deal from the loss of his best friend and his Aunt Helen. These moments greatly impacted the character and are referred to frequently throughout the course of the written work.
The book, which is printed in the form of letters to an anonymous person, has been transformed into a new medium, becoming a full length feature film distributed by Summit Entertainment.
The film, which was adapted by Mr. Mudd Film Production Company, was released in most theaters on Sept. 21, 2012.
Chbosky was hired by the producers of the film to write the adapted screenplay and to direct the film. His original vision remains intact through most of the dialogue and the general progression of the story.
The film stars Emma Watson and Ezra Millers as Charlie’s good friends Sam and Patrick, and Logan Lerman as the protagonist Charlie.
Watson is best known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film series from 2001 to 2011. She is currently working on a few other projects including The Bling Ring and Noah which will be released in 2013 and 2014. Miller has stared in films such as City Island (2009) and Another Happy Day (2011).
Lerman has appeared in films including Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lighting Thief (2010), The Butterfly Effect (2004), and Hoot (2006).
Paul Rudd, a well-known actor who has appeared in films such as Clueless, Role Models, and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, also acts in film and portrays the very important role of Charlie’s English teach Mr. Anderson.
Many aspects of the book transcribed beautifully into a visual medium and allowed for the film to truly be. Additionally, the film kept many of the important elements of the book.
The cinematography of the film is very fitting for the kind of movie it is and is beautifully executed. The film used a great number of crane and dolly shots and is shot primarily in low lighting settings.
Cinematographer Andrew Dunn additionally uses techniques such as slow motion and flashback to make the story more told through the mind and memory of the main character.
As in the book, the musical score is an essential aspect of the film. The film remains faithful to much of the selected music pieces and uses music as a form of characterization; the music was done by Michael Brook.
The movie also was able to maintain the point of view as depicted in the book by being inside Charlie’s head as he wrote the letters and as he remembered aspects of his past.
The film maintains the point of view of the novel and portrayed this by using inner dialogue to tell the story through Charlie, his thoughts, opinions, and memories.
The film has received good reviews, rating 86 percent on Rotten Tomatoes by critics and 95 percent by audience review. As of Oct. 28the movie has grossed thus far over 11million dollars according to IMDb.
While the film differs from the written work in some aspect the film does an amazing job of staying true to the essence of the story and is just as emotionally impactful as the book itself.
For information on the film The Perks of Being a Wallflower or the actors who perform in the movie, please visit IMDb.com.