The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a story woven through music, existential crises, and a rather less sugar-coated take on the teenage experience. The film, released in 2012, is an American coming of age drama written and directed by Stephen Chbosky, adapted and based on his own 1999 book with the same name. I can say quite confidently that it is one of the best coming of age movies I have had the pleasure of watching. It draws such a real picture of adolescence with all the awkwardness and raw emotion that comes with being young.
The film shines in its authenticity which many of the newer Netflix coming of age movies with their bubble gum pop aesthetic seem to miss. In its pursuit of realism, the film grapples with a host of grim experiences and truly deals with facing sadness, trauma, and tragedy at an age glorified as the best years of your life. However, it also highlights the beauty of existing and the joys of not just surviving but actually living, despite all the pain and suffering life inevitably deals us along the way.
The story revolves around 15-year-old Charlie, a precious bundle of teenage angst (with good reason as one sees later) navigating through his freshman year. At first glance, it may be a clichéd premise but is saved by the refreshing host of characters the film introduces along the way. Flamboyant Patrick, his stepsister Sam, Mary Elizabeth, and a few other nonconformists color in Charlie’s lonely existence with the heavily underrated joys of friendship. Watching Charlie struggle to and clumsily make friends is truthful to the universally daunting task that is for everyone. Charlie finding his own little tribe of “misfit toys” is heart-warming. Human connection, after all, is what makes life worth living.
Being a wallflower, or existing on the side-lines, almost like a side and forgettable character in a movie about someone else is something so many feel, including Charlie. Especially when larger than life experiences are glamorized to the point where they are almost accepted as the norm. Not everyone desires to walk the moon, many would prefer to just gaze at the stars. People often tend to miss the extraordinary about the ordinary, the bliss of everyday existence, which can be so beautiful as film shows.
One of the things that make the movie so relatable is the fact that the tale of sadness regardless of the template or the actual details is the same for everyone. We are all in the same hell, just facing different devils. The trauma of sexual abuse, the loss of a best friend because of suicide, blatant homophobia, and deteriorating mental health aren’t things faced by far off pitiable caricatures in newspapers. They are faced by real, ordinary people. People all around us. The quiet kid in class, the charming English teacher, the stoic father of three, the closeted gay football player, you and me. We all have layers and dimensions, dark sides not so palatable to a world that revels in a mirage of a perfect unfettered existence. This story though does not shy away from that and illustrates the impact such tribulations have in a very poignant way. At the end of the day, in an imperfect world, coming of age can hardly ever be perfect.
However, as one of the most popular quotes of The Perks of Being a Wallflower goes, this isn’t just a sad story. Far from it in fact. It’s about being happy and sad at the same time and the rollercoaster ride that comes with the transition into adulthood. The fear and the excitement of having your whole life ahead of you. A disconnect with reality is often something that grips our teenage years and a worry about the future drowns us from participating in actual moments of joy happening all around. The “moment,” truly has a great deal of value in the film. The climax actually revolves around that one moment, where you aren’t worrying about tomorrow or yesterday, your friends going away to college, or that youth inevitably fades away. That one instance where you feel alive is all life is about. Nothing more or less.
My thoughts though, will never suffice for the magic of Charlie’s words so, therefore, I recommend you watch the film and witness it for yourself.