PLZ HELP ME


"Wonder" succeeds as a youth movie about a variety of struggles


Middle school can be hard for any kid. In "Wonder," it's extra hard for 10-year-old Auggie Pullman.

He couldn't see, breathe or hear until a doctor helped him. After that, Auggie doesn't look like other children. He's small. He has scars. His voice is high-pitched. He dresses like an astronaut when he leaves the house. For years he was home-schooled by his mother. But when the movie begins, he's joining a new school in New York.

Auggie's mom and dad watch him walk into school for the first time. His mom hopes the other kids are nice to him.

In Good Hands With This Director
"Wonder" could have turned out boring. It could have had old, unoriginal ideas. But it was directed by Stephen Chbosky. He's the writer of the popular book "The Perks of Being a Wallflower." The book is also about young people. He also directed the movie version, too.

Chbosky makes the movie great. "Wonder" shows what it really feels like to be a kid. It's funny and, of course, makes you want to cry, too.

Points Of View From Many Characters
The movie isn't just the Auggie show. It's told from different people's points of view. His sister Via tells her sad story of living in a house where she was mostly overlooked by a mother and father busy taking care of a sick child. "August is the sun," she says of her brother. She means that everything circles around him. She loves her brother, though. She isn't mad, she's just lonely.

Auggie's friend Jack gets his own story, too. It shows a sweet boy who is still unsure about getting close to the new kid who looks different.

Conflicts And Comedy
In school, Auggie gets good grades. Even so, he has a hard time making friends. One mean kid teases him whenever adults can't hear it. After some trouble, though, Auggie makes friends.

The movie has strange moments, too. Chewbacca from "Star Wars" shows up as one of Auggie's classmates. In another scene, Jack asks Auggie if he's ever thought about getting a doctor to change his looks. Auggie says, "Dude," I already did. "It takes a lot of work to look this good."

Attentive To What It's Like To Be A Kid
"Wonder" isn't always perfect. Some of the jokes are not very fresh. But mostly it succeeds at telling many important stories. It shows what it's like to be confused or lonely or scared. Simply put, it shows what it's like to be a kid.