The movies that are remembered and considered good, are the ones that bring people to tears, keep people up with the threat of nightmares, the ones that make you feel empowered or powerful and the ones that leave you thinking about them days and weeks and years after you’ve watched them. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, does just this. Throughout the movie I laughed hysterically, bawled my eyes out and to this day I think about some of the more serious topics addressed in the movie. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, is centered around Charlie, a freshman in high school who struggles with mental illness and prior abuse. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is about Charlie 's freshman year of high school; early that year he meets Sam, Mary Elizabeth
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Although the setting seems stereotypical (small, most caucasian suburban town, one high school, everyone knows everyone) you have characters whose backstories are more relatable and likely than many other young adults movies. Charlie is first is freshman in high school with an older brother and sister who seem “normal.” In reality what seems to be a normal, nervous sheltered freshman in high school was in reality a freshman not only trying to discover himself and the new world around him, but a 14 year old boy who was dealing with the trauma of abuse and loss. With all that’s “wrong” with him, Charlie, is still one of the most compassionate characters throughout the …show more content…
Sam deals with slutshaming and sexism,Patrick deals with bullying and his struggle with being gay, and Charlie deal with depression and abuse. These topics are maybe touched upon in some movies but in The Perks of Being a WallFlower these topics are a big part of what makes the characters. The plot lines focus on how they overcame and worked on their mental illnesses and problems and not just about parties and girls and sex. Although these things are present you see them in a the light of the characters and not just as a fun getaway or rebellious action. You see parties, drugs and sex as an escape or past time or coping method, not just a wild night of fun just to have fun. The writer represent these “common” teenage pastimes in an uncommon way, for what they usually are and not just what viewers want them to
Although the setting seems stereotypical (small, most caucasian suburban town, one high school, everyone knows everyone) you have characters whose backstories are more relatable and likely than many other young adults movies. Charlie is first is freshman in high school with an older brother and sister who seem “normal.” In reality what seems to be a normal, nervous sheltered freshman in high school was in reality a freshman not only trying to discover himself and the new world around him, but a 14 year old boy who was dealing with the trauma of abuse and loss. With all that’s “wrong” with him, Charlie, is still one of the most compassionate characters throughout the …show more content…
Sam deals with slutshaming and sexism,Patrick deals with bullying and his struggle with being gay, and Charlie deal with depression and abuse. These topics are maybe touched upon in some movies but in The Perks of Being a WallFlower these topics are a big part of what makes the characters. The plot lines focus on how they overcame and worked on their mental illnesses and problems and not just about parties and girls and sex. Although these things are present you see them in a the light of the characters and not just as a fun getaway or rebellious action. You see parties, drugs and sex as an escape or past time or coping method, not just a wild night of fun just to have fun. The writer represent these “common” teenage pastimes in an uncommon way, for what they usually are and not just what viewers want them to