The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012).

Pen Rua

Well, there doesn't seem to be a thread to talk about this movie, so here it is.

Trailer:

Synopsis (IMDb): An introvert freshman is taken under the wings of two seniors who welcome him to the real world.

Synopsis (my version): The Perks is an adaptation of the popular book "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by director Stephen Chbosky (who also wrote the screenplay). It is set in Pittsburgh, in the early 1990s. It follows a young boy known only as Charlie (Lerman) as he begins high school as a shy, awkward introvert. He then meets two people who will change him; Patrick (Miller) and Sam (Watson).

Director: Stephen Chbosky.

Staring: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller

Release: USA: Sept 14. UK: Oct 5. Ireland: TBC.

I guess we can use this thread to discuss the film, how the book can transition to screen etc.

+

I am very, very excited for this movie. I love the book. It is such an amazing book. Any teenager can find one aspect to relate to, imo. I am anxious to see how it transfers to the screen. I am kind of... relaxed by the fact Stephen is pretty much doing it himself (director, screenplay). It'll be interesting. But, do read the book if you haven't yet!

AspiringWriter

Every bookshop I walk into never has this book in stock. Im dying to read it, have heard so many good things about it. The trailer looks fab also

Mickeroo

Heard good things about the book but the trailer makes the film look like your average clichéd coming of age movie. Was genuinely cringing in parts when I saw it in the cinema.

Thwip!

Doesn't look too shabby tbh

Pen Rua

Mickeroo wrote: »

Heard good things about the book but the trailer makes the film look like your average clichéd coming of age movie. Was genuinely cringing in parts when I saw it in the cinema.

Did that trailer, by any chance, have an Irish release date or "Coming Soon..."?

Mickeroo

Pen Rua wrote: »

Did that trailer, by any chance, have an Irish release date or "Coming Soon..."?

No neither unfortunately.

Pen Rua

Seems I can't edit my original post but; Irish release date is October 3rd! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1659337/releaseinfo

Fysh

Hmm. Not sure what to make of that trailer. On the one hand, the dialogue at certain points seems strong ("Call it Slut And The Falcon. Make us solve crimes!"). On the other hand, this seems predicated on a school experience that is unfamiliar to me (school just wasn't that traumatic for me, what can I say?) and has certain indications of being saccharine while taking itself seriously that would put me off.

Glendambo

Loved this book.

I am rather unconvinced by the casting of Emma Watson though. I'll reserve judgement until I see it but I am dubious as to her ability for this role.

mach1982

Here a new clip from "Perks"

Also Oden Has a release date of the 21st

http://www.odeoncinemas.ie/fanatic/film_info/m13754/The_Perks_Of_Being_A_Wallflower_35mm/

guinnessdrinker

I must say I never heard of the book but the trailer looks interesting, makes me want to see the film.

Pen Rua

Has anyone heard anything more about the release date? I emailed both the Eye and Omniplex cinemas in Galway, but neither have replied. My friends and I are dying to see this movie and the added wait to find out when we can see it is awful asdfghjkl;

don ramo

Pen Rua wrote: »

Has anyone heard anything more about the release date? I emailed both the Eye and Omniplex cinemas in Galway, but neither have replied. My friends and I are dying to see this movie and the added wait to find out when we can see it is awful asdfghjkl;

its out the 3rd October, looks good alright, haven't read that book,

Pen Rua

don ramo wrote: »

its out the 3rd October, looks good alright, haven't read that book,

Someone posted that Odeon have it for the 21st of this month... Could that just be previews or something?

Pen Rua

Update: I got a reply from cinemas in Galway. The film will be out on October 5th c:

InchicoreDude

This is such a wonderful beautifullly deep film. I had not read the book berfore seeing it but want to get my hands on a copy now. Highly recommended viewing.

Sleepy

Saw this in Movies@Swords with the better half Saturday afternoon. Absolutely loved it. Emma Watson won't be long shrugging off the "used to be Hermione in Harry Potter" tag... while Grint may become the better actor technically, I think she'll be the one to become a real star in her own right (poor Daniel Radcliff is on a hiding to nothing).

Anyway, brilliant soundtrack, solid performances all round, quite subtle film-making for a teen coming of age movie and a little dark without being an attempt to shock parents like Kidulthood, thirteen etc.

WatchWolf

Sleepy wrote: »

.. while Grint may become the better actor technically, I think she'll be the one to become a real star in her own right (poor Daniel Radcliff is on a hiding to nothing).

Radcliffe has just starred in a relatively successful horror film and had the lead role in a very successful Broadway musical. He also has several promising projects lined up.

Grint is going to be starring the Postman Pat movie.

Huh.

WoollyRedHat

WatchWolf wrote: »

Radcliffe has just starred in a relatively successful horror film and had the lead role in a very successful Broadway musical. He also has several promising projects lined up.

Grint is going to be starring the Postman Pat movie.

Huh.

As Postman Pat or his black and white cat?

Sleepy

WatchWolf wrote: »

Radcliffe has just starred in a relatively successful horror film and had the lead role in a very successful Broadway musical. He also has several promising projects lined up.

Grint is going to be starring the Postman Pat movie.

Huh.

Yes, but Radcliffe was awful in that horror film which arguably owed a lot of it's success to people being curious to seeing him in another role. He seems like a nice kid and is certainly keen to develop himself as an actor but tbh, I just don't think he has the talent to match his ambitions.

Grint is a natural actor but, let's be realistic, he just doesn't have the looks to be a conventional leading man. Doesn't mean he won't have a successful career but I'd be surprised if he can ever break out of the "best friend" roles in major pictures. He's doing some good indy work though.

Watson has the ability, the looks and the screen presence to be a star. I'd say Grint will prove to be the better actor but she just has the star quality he doesn't.

Crooked Jack

What an unbelievably pompous, cliched and cringeworthy load of shite.
I squirmed in my seat for much of it and at one stage, completely involuntarily, audibly said "oh, **** off" during yet another narcissistic teen speech, drawing looks that would strip barnacles of a ship from the two sobbing gob****es just a few seats away from me.
Why, oh why, is there this drive among film makers to make mental health issues appear sexy and cool?
There were admittedly occasional moments of genuine drama or humour but these dizzying heights of average storytelling only made the inevitable plummet back into gaudy teen melodrama all the more nauseating.
Just a really, really bad film.
It also brought with it the shocking revelation that Emma Watson is at best a thoroughly average actress. Doesn't help that she looks like a schoolboy either.

InchicoreDude

Why, oh why, is there this drive among film makers to make mental health issues appear sexy and cool?

It didnt make it look cool at all. Why did you think it was made look cool? I cant think of one incident or moment in the film where mental illness was depicted as cool?

Crooked Jack

InchicoreDude wrote: »

It didnt make it look cool at all. Why did you think it was made look cool? I cant think of one incident or moment in the film where mental illness was depicted as cool?

Oh please the whole tone of the film was about how sexy and mysterious and cool and deep it was. It was one bathroom self-harm scene away from being nothing short of all out emo porn.
Terrible, narcissistic drivel.

Sir Gallagher

Well the trailer makes me want to vomit so i think i'll give it a miss.

Pen Rua

Crooked Jack wrote: »

Why, oh why, is there this drive among film makers to make mental health issues appear sexy and cool?

I don't really see how it make it look cool or sexy...

Crooked Jack

Pen Rua wrote: »

I don't really see how it make it look cool or sexy...

Have you seen the film? If so, check a few posts up

Pen Rua

Crooked Jack wrote: »

Have you seen the film? If so, check a few posts up

I have, and I loved it. Charlie was depressed, then he found friends who helped him get out of it. Sexy? Cool?

Crooked Jack

Pen Rua wrote: »

Crooked Jack wrote: »

Have you seen the film? If so, check a few posts up

I have, and I loved it. Charlie was depressed, then he found friends who helped him get out of it. Sexy? Cool?

I refer you to my earlier posts

Kooli

I absolutely loved this movie. I've never heard of the book, so came to this fresh, not knowing much about it.

I'm a big fan of coming-of-age books and films, if done well, and I found this one fantastic. Surprisingly dark (again because I knew nothing in advance) and I thought it's portrayal of mental illness was authentic and heartbreaking, without being dehumanising or dismissive. Absolutely bizarre that someone would see that as sexy or cool TBH...

I don't think Emma Watson was brilliant, but she was fine. The two lads were fantastic though.

gmisk

Kooli wrote: »

I absolutely loved this movie. I've never heard of the book, so came to this fresh, not knowing much about it.

I'm a big fan of coming-of-age books and films, if done well, and I found this one fantastic. Surprisingly dark (again because I knew nothing in advance) and I thought it's portrayal of mental illness was authentic and heartbreaking, without being dehumanising or dismissive. Absolutely bizarre that someone would see that as sexy or cool TBH...

I don't think Emma Watson was brilliant, but she was fine. The two lads were fantastic though.

I pretty much agree with this!

How realistic was it though that

no one had heard of david bowies - heroes....the tunnel song......

Da Shins Kelly

Sleepy wrote: »

Watson has the ability, the looks and the screen presence to be a star. I'd say Grint will prove to be the better actor but she just has the star quality he doesn't.

I think she is an utterly horrible actress. I've never seen anyone act so much with their eyebrows in all my life.

Sleepy

gmisk wrote: »

I pretty much agree with this!

How realistic was it though that

no one had heard of david bowies - heroes....the tunnel song......

I was born in 1980 and I think I was in my 20's before I noticed the song so, tbh, not that unbelievable.

The film is set in a time when you discovered music through friends or DJ's, the internet has massively, massively changed our experience of music. The prevalence of "mix-tapes" in the movie was one of the things I liked about it tbh, they captured that side of the era very, very well imo.

bigpoppa

watched this last night and loved it, amazing how many people bring up the Bowie thing (until u realise it is something Mark Kermode raised in his review and they just regurgitate it:)

hadnt read the book but really enjoyed the movie, some serious shmaltz in places but again loved it

Seedy Arling

Lovely little film. Really enjoyed it. Not a teen movie as such. Very serious themes and an excellent soundtrack.

Jacks Smirking Revenge

I got 15 minutes into this and had to turn it off, its not good when a film makes you resent every character in the first 15 minutes....

Theta

Jacks Smirking Revenge wrote: »

I got 15 minutes into this and had to turn it off, its not good when a film makes you resent every character in the first 15 minutes....

This was my most unexpected movie of 2012, I thought it was going to be rubbish but I was really surprised how much I enjoyed it after watching it.

Mickeroo

I enjoyed this too, didn't expect much from the trailer and I can see how the characters might seem annoying at first but it actually turned out to be quite an honest and moving film in the end.

The only problem I had with it was it underplayed the main character's mental problems a bit too much in my eyes only to pile it all on in the last 20 minutes. It didn't feel like it was much of an issue in the rest of the movie and then it all of a sudden becomes the main focus towards the end which didn't really work for me. Despite that though I still thought the film was great and it's hard to resist the sense of nostalgia I got from it.

NegativeCreep

Any film with the song Pearly Dew Drops Drops in it is a winner in my book

Mickeroo

NegativeCreep wrote: »

Any film with the song Pearly Dew Drops Drops in it is a winner in my book

Soundtrack was top notch in fairness.

Overheal

Movie made me not resent the fact that i am not yet an immortal, heartless robot. totally forgettable though a couple months later. 4/5

Jackobyte

Mickeroo wrote: »

I enjoyed this too, didn't expect much from the trailer and I can see how the characters might seem annoying at first but it actually turned out to be quite an honest and moving film in the end.

The only problem I had with it was it underplayed the main character's mental problems a bit too much in my eyes only to pile it all on in the last 20 minutes. It didn't feel like it was much of an issue in the rest of the movie and then it all of a sudden becomes the main focus towards the end which didn't really work for me. Despite that though I still thought the film was great and it's hard to resist the sense of nostalgia I got from it.

The mental aspect is rushed in the book as well. It is an underlying aspect throughout, but generally underplayed until the very end.

Enjoyed the movie as well. Had enjoyed the book beforehand anyway, and the movie stayed largely to the book, so that was to be expected.

delbertgrady

Apparently, the so-called Tunnel Song in the book is different, and is a much more obscure track. I'm assuming it was changed for the film because "Heroes" was considered potentially more cinematic. I've not seen Mark Kermode's review, so I'm certainly not picking up on the fact from his assessment of the film. However, I don't think it's pedantic to criticise its appearance.
It is hugely problematic, since the song (and the identification of it) is an essential element to a key narrative arc. I find it impossible to believe that, even in a pre-internet era, people who are familiar with the far more obscure Nick Drake and The Shaggs, and who are massive Smiths fans, and who have a circle of friends they can consult, do not know "Heroes".

InchicoreDude

Jacks Smirking Revenge wrote: »

I got 15 minutes into this and had to turn it off, its not good when a film makes you resent every character in the first 15 minutes....

Wow, you really turn off a film after 15 minutes because you dislike the characters?

I'm just thinking of how many amazing films I would have missed out on if I followed that logic!

Jackobyte

delbertgrady wrote: »

Apparently, the so-called Tunnel Song in the book is different, and is a much more obscure track. I'm assuming it was changed for the film because "Heroes" was considered potentially more cinematic. I've not seen Mark Kermode's review, so I'm certainly not picking up on the fact from his assessment of the film. However, I don't think it's pedantic to criticise its appearance.
It is hugely problematic, since the song (and the identification of it) is an essential element to a key narrative arc. I find it impossible to believe that, even in a pre-internet era, people who are familiar with the far more obscure Nick Drake and The Shaggs, and who are massive Smiths fans, and who have a circle of friends they can consult, do not know "Heroes".

Yeah, in the book it was some Fleetwood Mac song. Can't remember the name but listened to it at the time of reading. Completely different to Heroes, and way more melancholic and depressive. Heroes put a completely different swing on the scene. The song's relative obscurity would also better explain the inability to find out its name originally.

Jijsaw

I can't have been the only person that was disappointed when Sam didn't play "Something" by The Beatles when Charlie gave her the original single.
The original song that was playing in the tunnel was "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac

delbertgrady

Jijsaw wrote: »

I can't have been the only person that was disappointed when Sam didn't play "Something" by The Beatles when Charlie gave her the original single.

I suspect that's mainly because it's very difficult to get the rights to Beatles songs for use in films. Judging by her bedroom decor, I'm surprised she didn't just stick it on the wall with the other jukebox 7"s.

Jacks Smirking Revenge

InchicoreDude wrote: »

Wow, you really turn off a film after 15 minutes because you dislike the characters?

I'm just thinking of how many amazing films I would have missed out on if I followed that logic!

This wasn't dislike, I hated the characters and honestly I wasn't in the mood to see 2 hours of them, I can get through a film if I simply "Dislike" some of the characters.

D'Agger

Watched this last night - very enjoyable with some very good performances, particularly Lerman. Well pieced together too!

I think Emma Watson is overrated a tad but she's quite good in this.

Sad Professor

Chbosky's justification for the use of "Heroes" was that he didn't know that song in the early '90s. In other words, he is obviously no Cameron Crowe when it comes to music.

As for Charlie's problems being rushed, I agree. The whole

abuse

thing came out of nowhere and seemed to undermine what that had being established about the character up until then. I haven't read the book, but in the film he didn't strike me as being having those kinds problems. It seemed like the film was trying to explain why he was quiet and introverted and had social anxiety issues, i.e why he was a wallflower. He's a bloody teenager, why does there need to be a reason?

Having said that, I did really like how the sensitivity and complexity in which the

abuse

was handled. The flashback sequence as he remembers was very well edited. And I liked that

Lynskey's character isn't portrayed as some monster but rather as someone with big problems of her own who he had strong feelings for, hence why he was so messed up about it.

Vito Corleone

Watched it tonight and really enjoyed it. Acting was quite good I thought, particularly Ezra Miller. Did find it strange that they didn't know the song "Heroes", but all in all a great film. Soundtrack was brilliant as well.

123 LC

Jijsaw wrote: »

I can't have been the only person that was disappointed when Sam didn't play "Something" by The Beatles when Charlie gave her the original single.
The original song that was playing in the tunnel was "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac

to be fair landslides probably even better know than heroes