Review of Wonder (2017) by Paul F — 20 Nov 2017

It's truly a wonder that I went to go see Wonder, considering that I probably wouldn't watch a movie of its speed very often. However, thanks to my girlfriend Maria, I had the chance to see it during its opening weekend, and I'm happy that I did. Wonder tells the story of a young boy named Auggie who was born with numerous physical disabilities and a deformed face and is centered on his struggles as he tries to fit in at an ordinary school. While it's nothing groundbreaking for its genre, it serves up a hefty helping of emotions, both good and bad.

Wonder stars veteran actors Owen Wilson and Julia Roberts in the roles of the parents of Auggie, and they were my first favorite thing about the film. I don't really see Owen Wilson in movies anymore, and I don't know if that's because he hasn't been in any or because I haven't seen any of them. Regardless, I appreciated his presence in the film, and he does a great job portraying a funny, typical dad that we would all want to have around as our own parent. Julia Roberts also did a great job, and she especially shone in a couple of particularly emotional scenes. However, the real scene stealer her is Jacob Tremblay, the young actor that portrays Auggie. As an actor, and especially as a kid actor, he is solid in the role. I won't go as far as to say he is on the level of some of the outstanding child actors that I've seen in other films lately (like the great cast of It), but he is believable in the role and easy to get behind and support. He did a great job at showing emotions and making the audience care for him, and I think it's safe to say that Tremblay has a bright future in the film industry ahead of him. The supporting actors in the film are fine, although there were a couple of the kid actors portraying Auggie's classmates that were weak, especially when compared to Tremblay's performance.

For a movie of Wonder's type, the easiest way to judge its quality is by looking at the emotional reaction it draws from the audience, the lovability of its main characters, and the effectiveness with which it tells its story. Like I already mentioned, Auggie is easy to get behind. We all know, and some of us even were, the kid in school that got picked on because he or she were different. Obviously, Auggie's case in the film is on the extreme side, but that allows us as an audience to sympathize with his struggles. We root for him whenever he is down, we cheer for him whenever he is up. And while I never cried in the theater, there were plenty of moments when I felt genuinely happy or sad because of the way the film presented its main character's life. So, the film succeeds with the emotional reaction. I already touched on the second point, so I won't delve into detail, but I definitely loved all of the film's main characters, including Auggie, his family, and the people that eventually come to befriend him. The effectiveness of its storytelling is the one area where the film struggles. The one thing Wonder lacks is focus. While the scenes focusing on Auggie's life at school were all great, the film tries to dive into other storylines. Most of these storylines tie back into the primary story fairly smoothly, but others seemed unnecessary and distracting, serving only to extend the runtime. This doesn't fundamentally impact the overall quality of Wonder much, but it is still something to note.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Wonder and the story that it told. It reminded me that dramedies made to evoke an emotional response aren't always cheesy or poorly made. Some are truly well-assembled and worth my time, and it makes me happy when I can find them. Wonder gets 4 out of 5 stars.