Monday, December 16, 2013

"I know these will all be stories someday...

...And our pictures will become old photographs. We'll all become somebody's mom or dad. But right now these moments are not stories. This is happening."



I don't really cry during movies. A good song can move me to tears, but movies? Not so much. There are moments when I might hyperbolically say something like "I burst into tears" or "I'm NOT crying, I have something in my eye!" But I'm really just referring to sad feelings, not actual tears.

But the first time I saw The Perks of Being a Wallflower, there were actual tears. A lot of them.

I had read the book a little over a decade ago, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. When I had first heard that there was going to be a movie based on it, I was actually a little weary. So much of my enjoyment of the book came from its well-crafted prose. But a lot of people were saying good things about the movie, so I knew I needed to see it. I had heard at least a few people say they cried, so I prepared myself for that. But no warnings could've prepared me enough for how hard it hit me.

Given the subject matter of the book, it's seems pretty obvious that there should be some sort of deep emotional response. Some of the topics covered include: suicide, abuse (both sexual and non), the loss of family members, homophobia, drug abuse, and mental illness. But interestingly enough, those things aren't what hit me the hardest. No, what hit me the hardest were the seemingly ordinary things. The way it feels when it's the first day of high school and you don't have any friends yet. Or when you're in love with someone who doesn't feel the same way about you. Or that feeling you get when you're sitting in car with your best friends and a great song comes on the radio and you feel infinite.

I've mentioned elsewhere that the book and movie compliment each other, and I really feel like that's the best way for me to describe it. While well-crafted prose is what made the book excel, the movie relies on strong, moving performances from its cast. But both achieve the same effect: they make the mundane seem extraordinary.

And while there are a lot of heavy issues and sad moments in The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the tears flowed the hardest during the happy moments. Because that's what this story teaches us. That no matter what life might throw at us, we've got the little things to hold onto. And how there's nothing quite like sitting in the middle seat of a pickup with two nice people when it starts to rain.

3 comments:

  1. This is a very clear and yet a very interesting post of a complicated movie which is based upon a book of the same name. The movie sounds like it is complicated because on one hand it is dealing with tough issues of society and on the other hand it has a seemingly happy ending or does it have an ending? because like you have stated "This is happening- - -"
    Thank you for the review because if it was not for this review a lot of people would shy away from the movie just because the title does not sound like it has a somewhat happy conclusion.. If the movie is teaching us to hold on to little things, in spite of hardships I would say it is a good movie to. see with young people and parents alike.

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  2. I realize the following is above any other superfluous objective mosta U.S. mortals can conceive; however, while I didn't descend into Hell for my sins, I ascended till I saw the Celestial City far away. Wanna heer bout it??

    Lemme fill-you-up withe efficacious epiphany, the avant-gardness and necessary wisdom to achieve Heaven, dear, if ya desire Heaven (many dont, preferring to stay 'laissez-faire' [i dont care] till death).

    If 'freedom lies in being bold' (Robert Frost), doesn't pushing-the-envelope also result in the Elysian Fields of Utopia? And if I'm the sower, we plant the Seed; if I'm an artist, we RITE the symphonies heard Upstairs ☆IF☆ we accept His lead withe orchestra...

    Wanna find-out the fax, Jak, in a wurld fulla the 'power of cowards'? Wanna wiseabove to help a poor 'Plethora Of Wurdz' [POW!] which are look'n for a new home in thy novelty?? Yay!

    Q: But [gulp] can anyone tell me the difference between K2/IQ? A: Nthn. In Heaven, we gitt'm both HA! Need a few more thots, ideers, wild wurdz (whoa, Nelly! easy, girl!) or ironclad iconoclasms?

    VERBUM SAT SAPIENTI (Latin: words to [the] wise): As an ex-writer of the sassy, savvy, schizophenia we all go thro in this lifelong demise, I wanna help U.S. git past the ping-pong, pop-cult-politixx, the whorizontal more!ass! we're in and wiseabove to 'in fin sine fin' (Latin: in [the] End without End -Saint Augustine).

    "This finite existence is only a test, son," God Almighty told me in my coma. "Far beyond thy earthly tempest you'll find tangible, corpulent eloquence". Lemme tella youse without d'New Joisey accent...

    I actually saw Seventh-Heaven when we died: you couldn't GET!! any moe curly, party-hardy-endorphins, low-hanging-fruit of the Celestial Paradise, extravagantly-surplus-lush Upstairs (awww! baby kitties, too!!) when my beautifull, brilliant, bombastic girly passed-away due to those wry, sardonic satires...

    "Those who are wise will shine as brightly as the expanse of the Heavens, and those who have instructed many in uprightousness as bright as stars for all eternity" -Daniel 12:3, NJB

    Here's also what the prolific, exquisite GODy sed: 'the more you shall honor Me, the more I shall bless you' -the Infant Jesus of Prague.

    Go gitt'm, girly. You're incredible. You're indelible. Cya soon. I won't be joining'm in the nasty Abyss where Isis prowls
    thesuperseedoftime.blogspot.com
    infowars.com
    JohnLeary.com
    -YOUTHwitheTRUTH
    -------------------------------
    God blessa youse
    (trustNjesus)
    -Fr. Sarducci, ol SNL
    ☆refuse2Bindifferent☆

    ReplyDelete
  3. I realize the following is above any other superfluous objective mosta U.S. mortals can conceive; however, while I didn't descend into Hell for my sins, I ascended till I saw the Celestial City far away. Wanna heer bout it??

    Lemme fill-you-up withe efficacious epiphany, the avant-gardness and necessary wisdom to achieve Heaven, dear, if ya desire Heaven (many dont, preferring to stay 'laissez-faire' [i dont care] till death).

    If 'freedom lies in being bold' (Robert Frost), doesn't pushing-the-envelope also result in the Elysian Fields of Utopia? And if I'm the sower, we plant the Seed; if I'm an artist, we RITE the symphonies heard Upstairs ☆IF☆ we accept His lead withe orchestra...

    Wanna find-out the fax, Jak, in a wurld fulla the 'power of cowards'? Wanna wiseabove to help a poor 'Plethora Of Wurdz' [POW!] which are look'n for a new home in thy novelty?? Yay!

    Q: But [gulp] can anyone tell me the difference between K2/IQ? A: Nthn. In Heaven, we gitt'm both HA! Need a few more thots, ideers, wild wurdz (whoa, Nelly! easy, girl!) or ironclad iconoclasms?

    VERBUM SAT SAPIENTI (Latin: words to [the] wise): As an ex-writer of the sassy, savvy, schizophenia we all go thro in this lifelong demise, I wanna help U.S. git past the ping-pong, pop-cult-politixx, the whorizontal more!ass! we're in and wiseabove to 'in fin sine fin' (Latin: in [the] End without End -Saint Augustine).

    "This finite existence is only a test, son," God Almighty told me in my coma. "Far beyond thy earthly tempest you'll find tangible, corpulent eloquence". Lemme tella youse without d'New Joisey accent...

    I actually saw Seventh-Heaven when we died: you couldn't GET!! any moe curly, party-hardy-endorphins, low-hanging-fruit of the Celestial Paradise, extravagantly-surplus-lush Upstairs (awww! baby kitties, too!!) when my beautifull, brilliant, bombastic girly passed-away due to those wry, sardonic satires...

    "Those who are wise will shine as brightly as the expanse of the Heavens, and those who have instructed many in uprightousness as bright as stars for all eternity" -Daniel 12:3, NJB

    Here's also what the prolific, exquisite GODy sed: 'the more you shall honor Me, the more I shall bless you' -the Infant Jesus of Prague.

    Go gitt'm, girly. You're incredible. You're indelible. Cya soon. I won't be joining'm in the nasty Abyss where Isis prowls
    thesuperseedoftime.blogspot.com
    infowars.com
    JohnLeary.com
    -YOUTHwitheTRUTH
    -------------------------------
    God blessa youse
    (trustNjesus)
    -Fr. Sarducci, ol SNL
    ☆refuse2Bindifferent☆

    ReplyDelete