by Jessica Keesee
I recently heard the book The Perks of Being a Wallflower described as this generation’s The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Normally, I would take offense to this statement, because Catcher is my favorite book. No one could write another Catcher and no character could be Holden Caulfield except Holden Caulfield. I’ll admit, I have yet to read Perks, but after seeing the movie, I think that it is a fair comparison. Charlie, the protagonist, played by Logan Lerman, is even given a copy of Catcher by his English teacher and this certainly is not a coincidence.
What is so great about both of these books, and now film, are that the stories and characters are extremely relatable. Whether you’re a freshman entering high school like Charlie, a junior in college or a 30 to 50-something, we can all relate to Charlie’s plight as a wallflower just trying to make it through high school, hoping to make some friends along the way. This film, set in the early 1990s, transcends both its time and the age of its characters.
“You see things, you understand. You’re a wallflower,” Patrick (Ezra Miller) said to Charlie. It was a movie that advocated being a misfit or rather let misfits know they are not alone. It is okay to listen to different music, to wear all black or dress like a writer, to be passionate about literature, to dance strangely in a crowd and, ultimately, to be yourself.
I found myself laughing and cheering for Charlie and, near the end, wiping tears away.
His freshman year, though vastly different than mine, was still relatable. It was that kind of inspiring yet gritty movie I don’t see enough of, with a touch of 90s nostalgia. I knew Charlie. I was Charlie. And I’m now proud to call myself a wallflower.
Jessica Keesee can be reached at jessica.keesee@theminaretonline.com.
by Paola Crespo
In one of the most iconic scenes in The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Emma Watson’s character Sam stands on the back of a pickup truck with arms outstretched and eyes closed as she rides through a tunnel while “Heroes” by David Bowie, later referred to as “the tunnel song,” blasts in the background. This memorable scene was the beginning of the protagonist Charlie’s journey through high school and the beginning of the audience’s musical adventure throughout the film.
I loved how music was an important element to the film. It was the thread that kept Charlie, played by Logan Lerman, Sam and her stepbrother, Patrick, played by Ezra Miller, together. Sam and Charlie constantly exchanged cassette mixtapes and introduced each other to new music. These mixtapes helped develop their relationship and were present in important moments of their lives.
The song and artist selections were amazing; from Nirvana to Pink Floyd to The Smashing Pumpkins to Alice Cooper and many more. “Come on Eileen” by Dexy’s Midnight Runners was played at Charlie’s first high school dance where he was finally able to break out of his shyness and let loose.
“Asleep” by The Smiths, on one of Charlie’s mixtapes, helped tie Charlie and Sam together as Smiths fans. He also gave Sam his valued seven-inch vinyl single of “Something” by The Beatles for Christmas. Musical numbers from The Rocky Horror Picture Show were played as Sam, Patrick and their group of friends acted out scenes from the cult classic.
These songs truly embodied the characters and represented the film’s theme of being an outsider.
The use of cassette tapes instead of CD’s spoke to its setting of the early 90s and brought back nostalgic memories of my childhood and added to the magic of the movie’s musical journey.
Paola Crespo can be reached at paola.crespo@theminaretonline.com.
by Natalie Hicks
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is not just another movie about teenage angst. Sure, it carries the typical themes such as: the coming of age, the importance of friendship and family and the trials and tribulations of sex. However, it delves into much more sensitive topics that make the film somewhat of a platform for these issues.
The main character, Charlie (Logan Lerman), witnesses his sister being physically abused by her boyfriend, which ignites multiple other physically and sexually abusive relationships to reveal themselves throughout the rest of the film.
Some of the scenes are enough to make one cringe, but it isn’t anything short of what goes on in reality. Physical and sexual abuse are no joke and are often what pains many high school students into loneliness, heartache and depression.
The film was originally released in select cities to see how well it would go over in mainstream theaters. Then, it was slowly released in more cities throughout the following weeks.
The producers (Mr. Mudd Productions) and the author of the novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky, really fought for Perks’ release because they strongly believed in its purpose. Emma Watson, who plays Sam, also strongly valued its production and release.
Perks presents bullying as a crucial matter as well. A girl in Charlie’s class constantly calls him names for no apparent reason, but she has no right to be so insulting when she isn’t the cutest girl on the block. Yet, this is how bullying often goes down. There is no rhyme or reason. Kids are just plain mean sometimes.
Charlie finds himself a lost cause with no social purpose. When he meets Patrick (Ezra Miller) and Sam, he finally feels accepted; although; they face battles of their own.
The way Perks deals with these hard-hitting issues is brilliant. Everyone has felt like a wallflower at some point in their life even if they were labeled as “popular.” Young adults cannot escape the awkwardness that is bound to to catch up with them eventually, but all we can do is accept the love we think we deserve.
Natalie Hicks can be reached at natalie.hicks@theminaretonline.com.
by Mia Glatter
I read The Perks of Being a Wallflower when I was in ninth grade and it had a really profound effect on me at the time. I read the book with one goal: to finally have something to talk about with the cute boy in my government class (I had seen him reading it).
But after I had read it, it felt like a truly real story that I, as a high school freshman, could really relate to and enjoy. It was like this book understood what I was going through at the time.
Five years later I thought I thought I had an idea of what the movie experience would be like since I boasted reading the book to the group of girls I was with. Although, it turns out the mind forgets a lot in five years.
As the opening credits flashed across the screen I was ecstatic to see that the author of the novel adapted the screenplay and directed the film. All my worries of the movie straying from the book left my mind.
When I had read the book, I had never pictured some of the characters looking like they did. My biggest surprise and in my opinion the best character in the movie was Ezra Miller’s portrayal of Patrick, the outcast high school senior, nicknamed “Nobody” by the rest of the student body.
Patrick is the gay step-brother of Sam. Both are Charlie’s best friends, and his mood and self-esteem bounces back and forth throughout the movie as the character has to deal with bullies and his sexuality.
Miller is flawless in portraying all of these emotional states and took over the screen when he was on it, never like I thought the character could.
Emma Watson is always flawless and played Sam’s modest beauty perfectly, but I felt that since I am so familiar with her English accent I was looking for those moments where her American accent would slip.
By the time I walked out of the theater, I was glad that I had forgotten the ending of the book. I got to gladly experience it all over again.
The movie made me feel the same way I did back in ninth grade when I finished the book. I traveled to my past in high school and didn’t want to leave. And for a moment, I felt infinite.
Mia Glatter can be reached at mia.glatter@theminaretonline.com.
For someone who read the book and saw the movie, you would think you would at least know Patrick’s nickname was nothing not nobody.