“Wonder,” released November 17, 2017, is a film about a boy with a facial difference who is just about to enter a mainstream middle school for the first time. August, ‘Auggie,’ Pullman, is the main character, who is a fifth grader. The movie is about his journey through the year, and how he handles bullies, friendship, and even his own family. It is mainly from the point of view from Auggie, although there are parts of the movie that are from the point of view of other main characters.

The film was an adaption of the 2012 book of the same title. The novel was written by R. J. Palacio after she had witnessed a scene with her 3 year old. “Wonder” was on the New York Times bestseller list upon it’s release and went on to win the 2014 Maine Student Book Award, Vermont’s Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award, the 2015 Mark Twain Award and Hawaii’s 2015 Nene Award. It was directed by Stephen Chbosky, and produced mainly by Todd Lieberman and David Hoberman. Todd Lieberman and David Hoberman have also produced various hits including Beauty and the Beast, the Fighter, etc. The movie was praised by critic Owen Gleiberman, from the Variety, as he said, “ [It is] a drama of disarmingly level-headed empathy that glides along with wit, assurance, and grace, and has something touching and resonant to say about the current climate of American bullying.”  It was rated 8.1/10 on IMDb and was given 85% on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie also won the Humanitarian Award upon its release. Jacob Tremblay, who previously had various roles in movies including Room (2015) and Smurfs 2 (2012) played the character of Auggie. Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson were also cast to play the parts of Auggie Pullman’s parents. Their performance was praised by critics such as Glenn Kelly, from the NY Times, who said, “The movie has a cast that’s wonderful from top to bottom.”

“Wonder” was a heartwarming film that has many lessons about the current status of bullying, kindness, and friendship. Its plot was original and portrayed perfectly, accurately capturing the feelings of all the characters perfectly while staying true to the book.