Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Spoilers!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is an enjoyable movie. Emma Watson/Hermione Granger is in it. The story centers on Charlie who's a bit of mess. He's entering his freshman year in high school, something he's dreading because for a while  - a year or two? - he hasn't spoken with anyone outside of his family. See he has a case Splashbergers syndrome, a splash of Aspergers as Larry David put it. He is shy and doesn't speak very often and yet is fairly smart and perceptive.

So maybe partly why I enjoyed it is that I can relate since I had Splashbergers growing up and I've always had a fondness for Hermione (though not in a pervish way!) 

As the movie goes on we learn Charlie has had some past traumas. Most recently a best friend shot himself head, successfully committing suicide. Lucky for Charlie though he is writer which helps him cope. Also he enrolls in an advanced English course which is taught by an awesomely kind and understanding teacher played by Paul Rudd. (suck on that Arnie Duncan!) Though what really saves him is shop class, where he meets senior Patrick, a quipping, fun homosexual. Later Charlie runs into Patrick at a fooball game. Patrick introduces him to his step-sister Hermione, another senior nearing the end of her sentence, and they invite Charlie out with them afterwords to a party. Soon, the step-siblings soon consider Charlie a cool friend. Charlie considers them life-savers and can't believe his good fortune. 

The movie is packed with drama. As Partick says, they're living in an afterschool special. Patrick is seeing a closeted jock on the sly. The movie is set in the early 90s where being gay was a little more scandalous. Also the friends are into alternative music which is becoming more popular. Hermoine reveals to Charlie that once she listened to lame mainstream pop songs until she hear this one song that changed her.

Hermoine used to be "easy" when she was a freshman but is trying to change her ways. Turns out she was molested when she was younger. As was Charlie by his favorite aunt (!). Who died in a car crash(!) And there's recreational drug use, the passing of mixed tapes, cafeteria brawls, the Rocky Horror Picture Show sing-alongs, music zines, nervous breakdowns plus much more. All in all a fun time at the show.

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