The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

An introvert freshman is taken under the wings of two seniors who welcome him to the real world.

Director:

Stephen Chbosky

Writers:

Stephen Chbosky (screenplay), Stephen Chbosky (book)

Stars:

Logan Lerman, Ezra Miller, Paul Rudd

Top 250 #245 | 14 wins & 19 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Logan Lerman	...	Charlie
Dylan McDermott	...	Father
Kate Walsh	...	Mother
Patrick de Ledebur	...	Senior Bully
Johnny Simmons	...	Brad
Brian Balzerini	...	Linebacker
Tom Kruszewski	...	Nose Tackle
Nina Dobrev	...	Candace
Nicholas Braun	...	Ponytail Derek
Julia Garner	...	Susan
Ezra Miller	...	Patrick
Tom Savini	...	Mr. Callahan
Emily Marie Callaway	...	Mean Freshman Girl (as Emily Callaway)
Paul Rudd	...	Mr. Anderson
Chelsea T. Zhang	...	Shakespeare Girl (as Chelsea Zhang)

Storyline

Based on the novel written by Stephen Chbosky, this is about 15-year-old Charlie (Logan Lerman), an endearing and naive outsider, coping with first love (Emma Watson), the suicide of his best friend, and his own mental illness while struggling to find a group of people with whom he belongs. The introvert freshman is taken under the wings of two seniors, Sam and Patrick, who welcome him to the real world.

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Plot Keywords:

friend | freshman | suicide | teacher | high school | 

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Taglines:

We accept the love we think we deserve.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 on appeal for mature thematic material, drug and alcohol use, sexual content including references, and a fight - all involving teens

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Facebook (German)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 October 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

Las ventajas de ser invisible

Filming Locations:

Fort Pitt Tunnel, Pittsburgh, PA

Box Office

Budget:

$13,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$228,359 (USA) (21 September 2012)

Gross:

$17,738,570 (USA) (1 February 2013)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Summit Entertainment, Mr. Mudd

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Patrick holds up his report card, the name at the top says "Patrick Nothing", a reference to his nickname in the book and the film.

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Goofs

On the back wall during Charlie's first English class, Emily Dickinson is misspelled as "Emily Dickenson".

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Quotes

Patrick: I dare you to kiss the prettiest girl in the room on the lips. And notice I charitably said girl and not person because let's face it, I'd smoke all you bitches.

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Connections

Referenced in 2012 MTV Video Music Awards (2012)

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Soundtracks

"Could It Be Another Change"
Written by Sean Kelly
Performed by The Samples
Courtesy of W.A.R.? - What Are Records? Ltd.

User Reviews

Being Infinite

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is another story about a simple guy living in a cruel life of high school. The difference is he's not ought to save the day, wants to lose his virginity, seeking to be popular, or revenge on his bullies. The story is about a shy kid who wants to get along with people and can't wait to leave high school. Behind it is the genuine pain and emotion of the characters which makes it more than just another story about teenagers. Stephen Chbosky tells his own story on screen pretty well and the performances are quite excellent. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is often heartbreaking, charming, and wonderful.

Charlie is palpably just another teenage protagonist, but he is not one of those who tries to prove everyone who mistreated him wrong. His goal is to get away from being anti-social and be like anyone else in high school. We may have heard a story like this before, but what makes this one extraordinary is when it mostly depicts the darkest aspects of their lives. Expressing the most heartbreaking truths about these teenagers. Knowing their problems easily makes it reasonable for us to care about them. The romance is rather credibly lovely than a mainstream claptrap. In the joyous moments, it's pretty delightful and plays a quite nostalgic soundtrack.

The film gives the actors some nuance. This is probably a good thing for Logan Lerman. He usually plays the simple charming guy in movies. Since he's good at those, he adds some credibility to Charlie. Emma Watson is likable enough as Sam. The best among the three is Ezra Miller. One might hams it up for Patrick, but Miller gave the character a genuinely wonderful personality.

The director and author, Stephen Chbosky, didn't try anything else than to bring his book to life. He tells it straightforward on screen with plenty of strong, effective emotions. The cinematography is bright and beautiful enough. The tunnel scene has the best shots. While the soundtrack is too conspicuous, the music score is noticeably melancholic.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is best if you can actually relate to the lead character or have experienced the struggles of being an adolescent. When it's not depressing, the film goes to those blissful moments that make us remember the good times in high school. Overall, it's a great film. It's a film adaptation that replaces the cliché mainstream swagger with some painful realities and simply let the audience understand the whole point of it. In the end, it's quite a remarkable film.