Wonder will make your body feel warm and make you appreciate what you have.
Wonder is a feel good movie that does everything right. Wonder stars Owen Wilson, Julia Roberts, and Jacob Tremblay and is about a kid with birth deformations that is trying to fit in at his new middle school. Everything about this movie was done right, from the pacing to the character dialogue this movie runs for a 1 hr and 53 min but it seems so much faster than that.
The story is loosely separated into individual character chapters that focuses on the viewpoint of not only the titular character of Auggie (Jacob Tremblay) but also of minor characters as well. This was a very interesting way to set up the movie and the connections between the characters viewpoints stays relevant throughout the movie. Each character’s viewpoint felt that it contributed to the storyline as a whole. The character progression is also done very well. Each kid realizes what life is truly about through small, subtle interactions. These subtle interactions make the progression believable. Nothing ever major happens in this movie, it’s just small stepping stones that leads to the main point of acceptance.
The dialogue in this movie was superb. When watching Auggie interact with his parents, friends, peers, and teachers you felt like an outsider looking into a situation that felt incredibly real. Every dilemma or happy moment didn’t feel diluted or exaggerated. It showed the true nature of how uncomfortable people can become around something they do not understand. Nothing was ever so artificially dramatic that it put you off on enjoying the movie, it was raw but real.
The pacing in this movie was another positive key point in Wonder. At one moment you would feel sadness and then the next happy. I think the pacing fit the setting of middle school well. In middle school, everything is a big deal. Highs and lows happen so frequently it’s hard to keep track on how you’re supposed to feel and this movie exhibits that.
Wonder is a great family film that makes you appreciate the loved ones you have in life. The characters are all love-able and have heartwarming dialogue. The storyline is written beautifully and really makes you appreciate how good human nature can be. Overall this is a type of movie where you walk out with a smile on your face and a fresh outlook on life.
