Movie review: Wonder

Reagan Phillips, staff writer

In schools around the globe, one to three students say they experience bullying during their school experience. Through the years, there have been many films produced that focus on the topic of bullying, as well as bringing the issue to the audience’s attention. The film, Wonder, was one movie that demonstrated what it was like for a child to experience bullying and how they overcame it.

Stephen Chbosky, the director of Wonder, included many different elements throughout the movie that made it stand out. Instead of just showing the audience how August Pullman (Jacob Tremblay) was brought down due to his facial differences, he showed how August found the good in looking different from everyone else. Chbosky shows how Pullman is entering a public school for the first time and is going to experience something that he has not been in the middle of before. Not only is this experience unique, but it is very emotional for the audience and even characters in the movie when they see what Pullman goes through.

Wonder also shows the audience how the movie connects from a family perspective. Isabel Pullman (Julia Roberts) and Nate Pullman (Owen Wilson) play the role of supportive parents and are interested in their son experiencing new things. Their son has Treacher Collins Syndrome and has had to undergo many surgeries. Isabel and Nate made many sacrifices to ensure that their child felt welcomed and confident in himself. Isabel put working on hold and decided to stay home to homeschool August. Nate and Isabel did not want to keep their child excluded from the world around him and felt that putting him in public school would be a good start to the process. Going to a public school was the first step in making sure August could have a normal life. As August began this new journey, he was opened up to many new things, including new friendships. One friendship that stood out was with Jack Will (Noah Jupe). Jack also has felt like an outsider while he has been in public school. The connection between the two took no time to start, and August felt that he had finally found a friend.

The movie has very high ratings and even received an 85 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Most of the reviews talk about how many people felt emotionally connected to the story. By showing a young boy surpass all of the negative things that were brought his way, many audiences find that inspiring and can see all the different emotions that August felt during the whole time period.

Wonder is a movie that stands out from the rest because of the emotional connection and many different elements. The story line is not like any other story that has been in the theaters before and opens up a new door for many audiences. Wonder showcases the true experience some children go through everyday.