Review of Wonder (2017) by Amg S — 16 Dec 2017

As a teacher who has taught this book three times, suffice it to say that I think it has a fabulous story with a point of connection to everyone. It speaks to the bullied, the bullies, the neglected, the overwatched, the rich, the poor, the misunderstood. Its message of kindness and acceptance resonates beautifully simply through showing the world through the eyes of diverse characters.

Now, did the movie perfectly encapsulate the book's wonder? Not quite. They made a handful of changes to characterization that were slight enough to maintain the story's integrity but noticeable enough to the reader to be bizarre. Backgrounds were at times changed, motivations and personalities tweaked, and the only reason I can see for them altering the text in such a way is to make a story less complicated to tell in two hours. Who has time to fully flesh out the stories of a baker's dozen middle and high school students in a feature film? I get it, at least somewhat, although I do have to say that dropping Justin's facial tics and neglectful parents made me sad as an uberfan. Those elements have substance and purpose.

Even with these minor changes, Wonder does a pretty solid conveying the ideas of the book with poise and grace. In a sold out theater, whimpering could be heard as Auggie Pullman endures and strikes back. For those who haven't read the book, I would recommend you do pick it up, as it has an appeal all its own.