THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

The Perks of Being A Wallflower (2012)
Grade: A
Starring: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Mae Whitman, Nina Dobrev, Dylan McDermott, Kate Walsh, Johnny Simmons, Paul Rudd and Melanie Lynskey
PREMISE: A lonely high school freshman falls in with a group of eccentric seniors who help him deal with personal problems in his life.

RATED PG-13 for language, strong sexual content (including partial nudity and suggestive references), intense emotional content, alcohol/drug use, and a fight

Wow. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a wonderful movie, and a very necessary one. Based on a coming-of-age 1999 novel written by Stephen Chbosky (who also wrote the screenplay and directed the movie), the film deals bravely and directly with a murderer's row of the most important issues of our teenage years--dead-end relationships, suicidal thoughts, prejudice against homosexuality, family tension, sexual tension, peer pressure related to drugs and sex, schoolroom fights, and even the question of what love isn't, and is. I was expecting a boldly offbeat sort of romantic comedy, not this. Not a film that plumbed such dark places in the human mind and heart. Not a film that dared to inspect the sort of things that even sensitive people try to cover up. And certainly not a film that dared suggest, in this day and age, that losing your virginity-even to someone you think you really love-can be a painful and regrettable experience.

Wow.

Plot
Having been sent into a mental/emotional tailspin by the unexpected, unexplained suicide of his best friend, lonely teenager Charlie (the soulful, solid Logan Lerman) is just starting to get a grip on life again. His parents and sister (Kate Walsh, Dylan McDermott, and Nina Dobrev, respectively) watch him cautiously and anxiously, he spills his thoughts into a journal because he has no one to really talk to, and he approaches his first day of high school as someone just trying not to get in anyone else's way. At first, he's just the only kid who participates in discussions in his English class, but, at a rowdy football game, he takes a chance and goes and sits next to excitable class clown Patrick (a wonderful Ezra Miller). Patrick almost immediately takes him in as a friend, and introduces him to his spunky stepsister, Sam (Emma Watson, warm and welcoming), and a group of other friends. Soon enough, he's no longer an outcast, but someone included in a "group of outcasts".

Basically, he gets a nice big handful of life. When he's not dancing, laughing, or exchanging gifts with his friends, he's doing extra reading on recommendations from his kindly English teacher (Paul Rudd, very likeable in a small, straight role), listening to new music and making mix tapes, and slowly regaining normalcy. He helps Sam study for her second go at the SAT so she can be eligible for Penn State. He's able to give up a precious childhood memento that reminds him too much of the untimely childhood death of his beloved aunt (Melanie Lynksey). He gets his first kiss. But with his friends' time in the area winding down (they're seniors, he's a freshman), anxiety, loneliness, and loss threaten to engulf him once more.

What Works?
The film has surprises-and shockers-around every corner, making that plot summary seem even more rudimentary than it is. But I wouldn't dare reveal more, considering what a rich, full movie this is. It can be a hard watch-I won't lie, it is a very bittersweet experience-but, again, it's a surprisingly tough and transparent look at high school/teenage life.

While Lerman can be a little bit bland (see last year's Three Musketeers), he's growing as an actor. Here he shows impressive depth and range, and it's clear he can emote. And it certainly helps to spend so much of your screen time surrounded by showy, life-affirming, delightful characters like those played by Miller, Watson, and Mae Whitman (another one of Charlie's friends). Miller, in particular, really impressed and touched me as someone who's exactly the kind of zealous friend you'd want to have if you were an introverted, not-so-well-connected teen, but whose loud and rambunctious personality is partially meant to cover up his own problems and insecurities. Veteran actors Rudd, McDermott, and Joan Cusack (as a psychiatrist who works with Charlie late in the film) give able contributions as well, but the "kids" are the stars here.

Really, Perks is a strong movie with a good message about going outside your comfort zone, taking chances, and being honest with your feelings. No matter what happens onscreen-and there is some tough stuff-it shows that honesty and good communication are vital, and that is a very important fact in today's fast-paced, electronic-communication-happy world. And several scenes contain outright wonderful moments, topped off by one intimate exchange-"I want your first kiss to be with someone who you know loves you"-that is about as beautiful as movie moments come.

What Doesn't Work?
The movie might pack one or two too many punches into a by turns tense and thrilling final hour, but you won't get many complaints out of me. A sickeningly bad decision is later saved by a powerful moment of redemption, people are there for each other, and the drama might just wring tears out of you (it certainly did to a pair of teenage girls who left the showing I attended positively bawling).

Content:
Perks can be intense for a PG-13, especially in what it reveals about the backstories and dark secrets of characters (like a girl who admits she was forced to have sexual relationships far too early in life and now can't buck the trend). There's language, drug and alcohol use, intimate moments of kissing and touching and even some raunchy performances at a burlesque theater. But most teens are new to none of this, and most parents need to see this to understand-or be reminded-what it's like to live in the world their teens are living in.

Bottom Line (I Promise): By turns funny and dramatic, sad and thrilling, hilarious and haunting, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a very full and meaningful movie that many, many people will be able to identify with. It's terrific.

The Perks of Being A Wallflower (2012)
Written for the Screen and Directed by Stephen Chbosky; based on his novel "The Perks of Being A Wallflower"
Rated PG-13
Length: 103 minutes