people lambast a movie with an adapted screenplay when it fails at capturing the essence of the original book from which it was based on. some are successful, especially if the screenplay is written by the same author of the book. what happens when the same author not only writes the screenplay but also directs the movie and does a damn good job at it? we get this.
i watched this movie this afternoon and i had to take a break just so i could process my emotions. perhaps the last time i felt this way was when i watched AMERICAN BEAUTY way back in 1999. incidentally, the novel from which this film was based on was published that same year. PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER is about misfits and wallflowers towards the end of an era in their lives dealing with issues of love, loss, sexuality and relationships. apart from chbosky’s genius, the biggest draw here are the strong performances of the three leads, logan lerman, emma watson, and ezra miller. i especially love lerman’s performance here, it’s rare to see someone so young with that gamut of emotions.
this story was just so beautifully written it hurts. there were moments though where i had to scream, “hipster,” but the movie goes on and these characters just became real to me. love the music too, reminds me of that era when i was in college and we fell in love with everything textured and vintage, except that this movie is set a decade before this. mixed tapes, typewriters, floral printed blouses and boots, the smiths, rocky horror picture show, slr cameras, and everything made hazy by the mist machine. it’s so gorgeous and heartbreaking and life affirming that i could only express myself by quoting ricky fitts from american beauty:
Sometimes there’s so much beauty in the world, I feel like I can’t take it, and my heart is just going to cave in.
and the only way to celebrate this is to listen to david bowie’s “heroes,” get on somebody’s truck, zip through the mandaluyong tunnel and scream, “im the king of the world.”
Right now we are alive and in this moment I swear we are infinite.
benjamin padero 
This movie sums about a lot of emotions and experiences people deal with going through high school. It is a scary point in people’s lives and this movies dives into things other movies don’t touch on. However, it also shows you not to be afraid to let go and break out of your shell, and all the wonderful people you’ll meet. This is one of my must see films from last year. Emma Watson was brilliant and definitely won my heart as an actress.
emma watson has grown up as an actress and because of this movie i no longer see her as hermione granger. so awesome! 😉
Loved this movie, one of my favorites.
this has quickly become one of my favorites also
To add to your quote from Ricky Fitts in American Beauty, here’s one of my own all-time favorite quotes, from Lester Burnham in the same movie;
“I guess I could be pretty pissed off about what happened to me… but it’s hard to stay mad, when there’s so much beauty in the world. Sometimes I feel like I’m seeing it all at once, and it’s too much, my heart fills up like a balloon that’s about to burst… And then I remember to relax, and stop trying to hold on to it, and then it flows through me like rain and I can’t feel anything but gratitude for every single moment of my stupid little life… You have no idea what I’m talking about, I’m sure. But don’t worry… you will someday.”
[cuzin ej, i removed the video for the sake of people who havent watched the film because SPOILER ito 😉 cheers!]