You can’t blend in when you were born to stand out.

Wonder (2017)

8.1/10 on IMDb
85% on Rotten Tomatoes

Chloe's thoughts: A must see

Watch it if you: Want an endearing, sweet film with a good message;
Want to watch a movie that's great for kids, teens, and adults;
Want a nice, heartfelt, family movie;
Want to cry a lot (but still feel great at the end)
Due to a rare genetic disorder, August "Auggie" Pullman is a young boy born with facial deformities. As his parents decide it is time for him to stop being home-schooled and instead start middle school (i.e. 5th grade), Auggie and his family must navigate the challenges that come with such a drastic life change.

I had seen the trailer for this a few times and didn't really think much of the movie, I thought it was the type of movie that I'd be okay with renting but not really watching in cinemas, but the reviews were amazing so I went and saw it and I basically cried throughout the entire movie! I don't think I've ever cried this much. Just ten minutes in I was already shedding tears, and me and the lady next to my mum had to keep blowing our noses throughout the entire movie. It was definitely... an experience.

What I loved about this movie is how all-rounded it was. It didn't just show Auggie's struggles, but it showed his parents' struggles, his sister's and how other characters were affected by Auggie's experiences too. And it showed that not everything was black and white, and that sometimes the reasons behind people doing or acting certain ways was complicated, because people are complex creatures even without the struggle of growing up and trying to fit in.

I also loved the acting in this. The kids were fantastic... there's Jacob Tremblay from Room (2015) and Noah Jupe who I loved in Suburbicon (2017) this year. I'm so glad to see these kids acting in more stuff! They actually did a really good job.

Owen Wilson was also very good as the father, but Julia Roberts steals the show here. It's no doubt that she's amazing, but I just love how subtle her acting is in this. In the first ten minutes, just seeing her eyes alone was enough to start the waterworks. She doesn't need to say a word, you just follow her eyes, look at her facial expressions, how her lips quiver ever so slightly, and her body language, and you can tell exactly what her character is thinking.

And as I said, I was crying throughout the whole movie. Ultimately I think it was such a great, endearing, and heartwrenching story. It's got a great message for kids and I think kids really need to see this because of the life lesson and moral it teaches us. And yet it's also fantastic for teens, who are also struggling so hard to fit in, as well as adults, who will just feel so much for these characters and what they're going through.