The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

Patrick, Sam and Charlie try to survive high school.

 Adolescence is a terribly awkward time of life. We’re smart enough to know a few things, but so emotionally immature and insecure to do much about them. Visceral trumps cerebral, every time. The filmmakers behind “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” understand this well. They accurately portray this confusing stage, when impulsiveness and misunderstood neuroses can, at any given second, make the most-recent emotion feel like the most-powerful moment in our lives.

“Wallflower” (directed by Stephen Chbosky; based on his book) centers on Charlie (the particularly effective Logan Lerman), an earnest and likeable kid from the affluent Pittsburgh suburbs. Sweet and unassuming, Charlie’s soon to be a freshman in high school. Significant problems from his past are hinted at, but not initially explained. His older brother’s gone off to play football at Penn State. His only-slightly older sister is dating a guy who’s physically abusive, even though he sports traditional hippy signifiers (ponytail, dashiki sweaters, Birkenstocks), and is president of the school’s earth club.

With few friends, and fearful he’ll likely be the target of hazing, Charlie dreads the transition from middle- to high school. In fact, he regards his remaining four years of school like a sentence, going so far as counting the days til he’s free.

That is until his chance meeting with Patrick (Ezra Miller, particularly menacing as the title character, in “We Have to Talk About Kevin”), and Sam (“Harry Potter’s” Emma Watson) at a football game. Patrick recognizes Charlie from shop class, and invites him to a party. Charlie’s surprised, but accepts. Seemingly, this is the first time a classmate has ever reached out to befriend him.

Charlie is fascinated, and pleasantly surprised, to find fellow students who drink, use drugs, and are interested in literature, art, film, and music. They don’t pick on, or reject him. He revels in their acceptance.

More than all that, he’s enchanted by Sam, the beautiful-but-obviously-damaged older girl, who embodies hope and possibility. Believing she seems him as “just a friend,” he admires her from up close, but is afraid to act on his feelings. As the film states eloquently, we only pursue the love we feel we deserve.

The action of the movie is fairly predictable. We follow the clique as they grow closer, suffering through the inevitable growing pains of teenage years: Their romances, break-ups, drug and alcohol use, and individual self-discoveries impart life lessons. They endure high-school dances, have parties, hook up, and occasionally fight. But mostly they talk, and enjoy each other’s company. Over time, tucked safely within the nurturing embrace of this tight circle of close friends, Charlie begins to grow, and come into his own. He develops confidence, and starts to form his own voice.

But what to do about Sam?

I enjoyed “Wallflower,” though it isn’t without problems. While not out-of-place within the context of the film, it’s hard to imagine real-world kids possessing this level of self-awareness, insight, confidence and wisdom. For all their struggles, most of these kids seem fairly well-adjusted, most of the time. Also, by showing problems unique to adolescence, it sometimes veers into melodrama, as well. Which is OK, I suppose. Adolescents are the movie’s primary target-audience, and they’re often given to fits overly dramatic. This flaw isn’t fatal. Finally, the parents are barely around (believable enough, from my experience). However, when they are, they’re shown as mostly stuffy, and out-of-touch. (Paul Rudd’s sympathetic English teacher is the exception. He sees something in Charlie, and tries to nurture that spark).

There’s also a development late in the film (which I won’t divulge here), that I found unnecessary. It didn’t add to the story, or my understanding of its characters. It felt out of place, contrived, and needless.

Still, Lerner’s performance as the shy, insecure Charlie is convincing. His gentle expression and calm demeanor elicit sympathy and compassion, from us as well as his film friends. Smart, reflective, selfless, and kind, we root for him to overcome the personal demons of his experience.

“Wallflower” owes much to the early John Hughes films, such as “Sixteen Candles,” and “The Breakfast Club,” as well as “Dead Poet’s Society.” Like those films, it takes its teenagers seriously. It sees them as thoughtful, sensitive, 3-dimensional people, rather than caricatures. It also similarly uses music to create mood and tone. Finally, it covers much of the same “coming-of-age” ground, where a hurtful word can lead to a torturous crisis, and the perceived promise contained in the smile of a pretty girl can make your day.

I liked this film very much, but stopped just short of loving it. I did, however, love its music: David Bowie, the Smiths, New Order, Badly Drawn Boy. Mostly this is the music of my own youth, in the late 1980s (which made me wonder in what time period exactly the film was supposed to take place). “Wallflower,” and its melodic stroll down Memory Blvd, made me think about my own youth, smile and then hum.