Wonder (2017) [Blu-ray]
Drama | Family

Tagline: Get ready to meet Auggie Pullman

Based on the New York Times bestseller, WONDER tells the incredibly inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman, a boy with facial differences who enters fifth grade, attending a mainstream elementary school for the first time.

Storyline: Based on the New York Times bestseller, WONDER tells the incredibly inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman. Born with facial differences that, up until now, have prevented him from going to a mainstream school, Auggie becomes the most unlikely of heroes when he enters the local fifth grade. As his family, his new classmates, and the larger community all struggle to discover their compassion and acceptance, Auggie's extraordinary journey will unite them all and prove you can't blend in when you were born to stand out. Written by Lionsgate

Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman, February 9, 2018 Wonder joins a small but interesting group of films like The Elephant Man and Mask that deal at least in part with characters with either facial or cranial disfigurements, and how the appearance of these characters (obviously) affected how they were treated by "normal" people out in the big, wide world. Both The Elephant Man and Mask were based on real life stories, with the cause of The Elephant Man's Joseph Carey Merrick's symptoms still not officially diagnosed (though it's presumed he suffered from something called Proteus Syndrome), and with Mask's Rocky Dennis' problems caused by something called craniodiaphyseal dysplasia. Unlike those two other films, Wonder is a work of fiction, though it deals with a real life disease known as Treacher Collins Syndrome, a genetic mutation that causes abnormalities in the face and skull that can range from moderate to severe. Wonder is in some ways at least kind of like Mask: The Younger Years in that it documents the travails of a little boy named August "Auggie" Pullman (Jacob Tremblay), a sweet kid whose potentially scary appearance and need for recurrent surgeries has led to him being home schooled by his mother Isabel (Julia Roberts). At least somewhat like Mask's Rusty Dennis (played by Cher), Isabel wants her son to be able to matriculate into a normal school environment, which leads to Auggie being subjected to the perhaps predictable bullying by other kids. Also like Rocky in Mask, Auggie is seen as mentally deficient by some, while it's perfectly clear to anyone who takes the time to actually interact with the little boy that he is in fact enormously intelligent and kind of inherently (and, due to his "issues", probably unavoidably) plucky. Wonder doesn't really break any new ground as it attempts, and frankly succeeds, in tugging rather vigorously at the heartstrings.

Wonder goes for "major lump in throat" territory literally from the get go, with voiceover by Auggie that documents this preternaturally sweet little boy's desire to do what virtually every kid everywhere wants to — fit in. Auggie is no dummy, however, and realizes his appearance presents an immediate and daunting obstacle, which may be at least one reason why he prefers to tool around in a giant NASA helmet (his love of outer space doesn't hurt, either). One of the thing that Wonder makes abundantly clear, and which some jaded viewers may find treacly or maudlin, is that Auggie and his family are all good people — as in reaaaallllly good people.

Despite having home schooled Auggie for years, Isabel is no over protective helicopter parent, and in fact it's Dad Nate (Owen Wilson) who voices the most vivid objections to the thought of Auggie matriculating to a "regular" (albeit private and very tony) school (where Mandy Patinkin plays the kind of headmaster who is kind, nurturing and all knowing). Everyone, including older sister Via (Izabela Vidovic) and Auggie himself, have no rose colored glasses on as to what waits in store for this weird looking kids in the wild and wooly world of middle school, but these are good people, and in the world of Wonder, good always triumphs (another aspect to the film which may chafe on the sensibilities of "realists").

Auggie encounters the expected difficulties at school, chiefly from trust fun kid Julian (Bryce Gheishar). But interestingly probably the film's most devastating emotional moments come from a supposed betrayal by Auggie's ultimate best friend in school, Jack Will (Noah Jupe). But, again, Wonder repeatedly delivers the perhaps unbelievable message that deep, deep down everyone is basically good, despite occasional missteps. Jack makes a mistake that he's sorry for, and he repents. Via's best friend Miranda (Danielle Rose Russell) makes a mistake of her own (a really weird mistake, it might be added) that she's sorry for, and she repents. Even bratty Julian goes too far, and even though his brainless parents (who evidently also lack empathy genes) are boorish, he is sorry and repents. Where is the villain in this piece? (That's said with tongue planted firmly in cheek, in case it's not clear.)

Aside from all this overwhelming goodness, Wonder has a few other hurdles that some viewers may have occasional issues with. Structurally, the film is a bit on the odd side, segueing from narrator to narrator and supposedly from point of view to point of view (along with a few of what I'd cheekily call "Rashomon lite" moments where certain incidents are revisited from different perspectives), something that gives the film a kind of hodgepodge quality at times. There is at least one glaring (to me, anyway) logical lapse with regard to Miranda's subterfuge (her sudden popularity is based on a lie that seemingly all of her friends in common with Via would already know about). But all of this falls by the wayside in the immense gravitational pull of this film's heart. With eyes as expressive as Julia Roberts' are, and with so many scenes where Isabel supports her son basically with little more than a loving gaze and a fierce hug, this is a film that is all about feeling and where little elements like logic or narrative consistency tend not to matter all that much.

Wonder is the sweet kind of uplifting film that cynics claim "they don't make anymore". The unbreakable bonds of the Pullman family in this film may strike some as patently unrealistic, but the film actually charts a rather "real" feeling emotional course, and while it may err a bit too much on "happily ever after" for virtually everyone involved, my hunch is even the hardest heart may be pierced by the film's message of inclusion and the inherent goodness of people. Technical merits are first rate, and Wonder comes Recommended.

[CSW] -3.8- This reviewer said it better than I could:
Via Pullman: "If they stare let them stare. You can't blend in when you were born to stand out." Wonder is an absolutely wonderful film...heartwarming, informative and inspirational. It's a great film for kids to watch; but don't just take your kids to the movie and drop them off...watch it with them; you will enjoy it as much as they do. It's a great story adapted from a bestselling novel of the same name, and smartly written. The casting is perfect with Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson playing the parents; Isabela Vidovic as Via, the sister; and Jacob Tremblay (you may remember him from Room) as August "Augie" Pullman. Augie has a genetic condition called Treacher Collins syndrome, which results in facial disfigurement and other physical deformities. You will be totally absorbed in watching how Augie deals with his problem. This is a wonderful film. A movie made with heart, subtle and without clichés. It is a feel good movie and a bit of a tear jerker but in a good way. This is one of the best movies of its type I've seen in years.

[V4.5-A4.5] MPEG-4 AVC - No D-Box


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