Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Wonder Adoption Movie Review
(There are spoilers throughout this review)
August “Auggie” Pullman has been home schooled all his life,
but he surprises his parents by saying that he is ready to go to a charter
middle school. Auggie has Treacher Collins Syndrome; it has taken many
surgeries to help him breathe and hear, but some facial abnormalities suggest
the medical difficulties he has had in his life. His parents and his sister are
worried; will the kids at school see past his physical appearance and embrace
him? One fellow student, Jack Will, becomes a friend to Auggie, but when Auggie
overhears Jack speaking very unkindly, their relationship seems threatened.
Auggie’s older sister, Via, has not resented the fact that
her parents’ lives have revolved around her younger brother; she has joined
them in their care of him, and she loves him deeply, but as a high school
student, she feels neglected by them, and the effect of their relative
inattention to her is amplified when her longtime best friend Miranda stops
returning her calls.
Wonder takes turns following Auggie, Jack, Via and Miranda
as it explores the social and emotional experience of life for each of these
young people, who each struggle in their own way. It’s a compassionate and
heartwarming film which captures the kindness and cruelty of kids and adults.
The Adoption
Connection
There is not an adoption element to the story. Many kids can
relate to the other children in the film, whether it’s relating to Auggie as he
is bullied, Via as she feels neglected by her parents and abandoned by her best
friend, Miranda as she feels insecure and ashamed of her family circumstances, or
Jack as he feels torn between doing the right thing and caving to peer
pressure.
Strong Points
Jack shows kindness to Auggie, and realizes that over time,
he has come to like Auggie – he now wants to be his friend genuinely, rather
than just as a kindness.
The principal, Mr. Tushman, shows compassion and wisdom. He
does not overreact when kids misbehave, understands their motivation, and appears
to care for each of his students. With regard to Auggie, he challenges a
complaining parent, “We can’t change the way he looks; maybe we can change the
way we see.”
Auggie’s main bully, Julian, expresses genuine remorse when
he is expelled; Mr. Tushman acknowledges that Julian’s remorse is genuine.
Auggie’s parents love him, and struggle to find the balance
between protecting him from hardships and supporting him in the midst of them.
In a powerful scene, a distraught Auggie asks his mother, “Why
am I so ugly?” She says that he isn’t, and he says it doesn’t count because she
has to say it, because she is his mother. She replies, “Because I’m your
mother, it counts the most, because I know you the most.” She admits to him
that she doesn’t know if kids will start treating him better, but acknowledges
that “the face shows us where we’ve been, and it’s never ugly. Your heart shows
where you’re going.”
Via’s parents and friend eventually do find a way to connect
with her and help her feel supported. Via also had the memory of her
grandmother’s support – her grandmother confided in her that, “your brother has
lots of angels watching after him – but you’re my favorite.” It’s a memory that
Via has cherished when she feels overshadowed by Auggie’s needs.
I rejoiced in my heart when Jack and Auggie reconcile their friendship.
Auggie’s parents and sister always have loved him. We get to
rejoice along with him as he is triumphantly accepted by his teachers and
peers.
Challenges
Several characters bully or ostracize Auggie. One is
particularly cruel, and leaves a note telling Auggie to die. He has
photoshopped Julian out of a class photo, and written “no freaks allowed” on
it. Later, that child’s mother says that she photoshopped Auggie out of the
photo because she wanted her friends to notice her son rather than Auggie. The
bully was suspended, and his parents decided that he would not be returning to
the school – not as a punishment to their son, but in protest of the school
punishing their son at all. Auggie also
overhears his only friend say that, if he looked like Auggie, he would kill
himself. It takes a long time for their relationship to heal, but it does. It
could be hard for some kids to see Auggie bullied or in peril.
Via briefly says that she is an only child. She regrets
this, and later admits this. The friend to whom she lied is understanding of
her situation.
It is sad to see Via’s time with her mother cut short by
Auggie’s needs, but Via recovers from her pain and uses it as relational currency
to talk to Auggie about what he’s going through, and what she’s going through.
She tells him, “Right now, we’re each other’s best friends.”
The family dog dies, which could be sad for some viewers.
Miranda wishes for a loving family; her own family does not
pay much attention to her. She has gained a sense of belonging in the Pullman
family, but over the summer she told her new friends about her life – but pretended
that she had Via’s life. Now, she is ashamed and tries to avoid Via, but she
misses the Pullmans.
Recommendations
Wonder is a compassionate, thoughtful film that examines the
same days through several sets of eyes. It’s much easier to view others with compassion
when we understand their experiences, and Wonder accomplishes that several
times over, while capturing some of humanity’s worst moments, but also some of
the best. This one seems best suited to teens and their parents, although some older
grade schoolers and preteens might find it worthwhile as well, if the scenes of
bullying aren’t too hard.
Questions for
Discussion
What do you think Auggie was feeling when he walked to
school the first time?
Why did Miranda not talk to Via for a long time? Why did she
pretend to be Via?
Why do you think Jack said the mean thing about Auggie? How
do you think he felt when he said it?
How does Via feel about her brother?
Which kid do you think is most like you?
Have you ever been bullied – or are you being bullied?
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