Previously, I don’t think I will write a review about western movie. Because I mean, there will be a lot of reviews for them.. My review will be just a speck of dust in the galaxy. Insignificant. However, there’s always an exception, right? This movie. I really really really really really want to make a review about it. Why? For those who haven’t seen them yet, I hope my review will make you want to see it. For those who already seen it, well.. I want you to give your comments and reviews too! Because I really like to discuss about movies or series. Enough for forewords, I think.
This beautiful movie is directed by Stephen Chbosky, who also a director for the movie The Perks of Being Wallflower, which happens to be one of my favorite. For movies, if I really like it. I always wanna know who the director is. Not only directed Wonder in 2017, he also write for Beauty and The Beast live action! I guess 2017 is his year, right? This movie is based on a novel with same title which written by Raquel Jaramillo (R. J. Palacio). Surprisingly, the novel actually inspired by the actual event when she and her son were waiting in line to buy ice cream and they saw a girl with facial birth defect on her face and the son was starting to cry. Ring a bell? Yes! It is from one of the scene in the movie which involved one of the characters, Jack Will. (A really sweet boy!)
Well, let’s start from the characters because I think the characters are this movies’ strength. This is a story about August “Auggie” Pullman who has a multiple surgeries on causing him to be homeschooled by his mother, Isabel Pullman. The surgeries not only makes him homeschooled but also makes a couple of scars on his face. You can imagine how hard it must be for a kid right? However, Auggie is very very very lucky to be born on that family. His mother Isabel is … I am speechless. Julia Roberts play really nice in here. A mother who gives almost anything for her family. For his son. She has her own dream but she postponed her dream to take care Auggie. And his Daddy, Nate Pullman, is very kind and funny. He is the type who can handle almost any situation and keep calm. I think what makes the parent is really cool because both Nate and Isabel are very mature and kind and super positive as a person. Auggie has an older sister name Via (Olivia Pullman). In the movie, it is said that Via is the most understanding girl, and I guess this is very true. I mean, I could imagine how to be Via. I think I will sometimes doing the bad things just because. But not Via. Even though Via has her own problems and need someone to really see her, she still think and do something in her control. The family that Auggie is born into, is a super family. They love each other and support each other.
Let’s move to Auggie’s friends in school. The story begins when Auggie who was previously homeschooled is started to enrolled in the real school because it is what he should face anyway, facing the real world. Isabel can’t be forever teach Auggie, and Auggie needs to socialize. He met Jack Will, a super sweet boy who accidentally hurt his feelings by telling something behind his back. Maybe because Jack Will is still a kid, he doesn’t really know what he has to do. But what I really glad is he finally found his true color and he brave enough to tell the world about it. Beside Jack Will, there’s Summer. She’s a really nice girl too. In her very young age, I think she thinks deeply and she already know something that essentials not always “normal” in the eyes.
Via has a best friend, named Miranda. From the early plot I hate Miranda. I mean Miranda is a typical girl who suddenly doesn’t talk to her best friend since kindergarten because of we don’t know why. We will know the reason later on, and this is what makes this movie beautiful because the story has been told by many perspectives. I’m starting to like Miranda too later on. And I have to say, that I almost like every character in this movie. The principal, the teacher, oh but not Julian’s parents! Julian is one of Auggie’s friend in school, but Julian is a bully. We know later on that Julian actually could be good but his parents are the reason why this type of kid are still exist in this world. A kid is pure actually. A kid can be a nice kid if taught well.
I guess almost everyone agree that the important message of this movie is what the principal said to Julian and his parents : Auggie can’t change how he look but maybe we can change how we see him. It is to stop judging everyone and set aside our assumption to anything and start to see with heart. Also, this story doesn’t only about Auggie. He’s not the center of this, Auggie inspire people to do good, but who makes Auggie strong is his family. The family who protect and care about Auggie. The various perspectives also taught me that in every kind of situation, when we can choose, choose to be kind. It is like the precepts that taught in Mr Browne class “When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind.”
All in all, I guess many good thing we could learn from this movie. I think I wanna read the novel too. Hopefully I will find the great movie like this in 2018. Simple movie but meaningful and played by the really great casts are the best!!
inspiraww 