Wonder

Wonder, directed by Stephen Chbosky, is a film that tackles the social issue of bullying with a twist. In a typical bullying scenario, it’s David vs. Goliath, in Wonder the idea of friendship and its ability of overcome the bully is a surprisingly refreshing idea. The main character named August is played by esteemed child actor Jacob Tremblay. Tremblay does an impressive job stepping into the shoes of someone being bullied for something they cannot change. August suffers from facial disfigurement, making him a target for bullying. His transition from home to public school does not help either. While Austin is the focus of the film, there are side characters which contribute to the atmosphere caused by Austin and his situation. Austin’s sister Olivia, played by Izabela Vidovic, gets a chunk of the movie for her perspective. She feels bad for her brother, but at the same time feels that he has caused her parents to leave her behind. This situation is a very real one that provides a look into the selfish nature of humanity. While the audience feels for Austin, they also feel for her as she has had part of her childhood taken away from her by an outside force. It is situations like this in the movie that make it worth seeing. It lets the audience question what they are seeing and take in every piece of information with a grain of salt. In the film, the bully named Julian has a rough backstory as well. His dysfunctional family and his malleable child mind make him the perfect lab rat for this situation, putting him into a role that he does not necessarily fit into. We also see the central theme of this movie revolves around friendship. Austin starts to become friends with another classmate named Jack, played by Noah Jupe. The audience is taken into situations that are awkward yet true. During Halloween we see Jack trying to impress Julian and his group of friends by bashing his new, and truly genuine, friendship with Austin. It is situations like these that make the movie so accurate. It also provides an example of environment affecting the kids. When they are put into an environment with love and friendship the kids who once terrorized Austin start to protect him, relaying the message that nurture and can win over nature.