Director Stephen Chbosky also wrote the original novel. The author’s touch gives the film the heart that movie adaptations usually lack. Instead of trying to preserve some evasive concept of “high school,” the film focuses on the universal experience of friendship. Perks doesn’t fall into the High School Musical trap. Chbosky understands that the hitting of arbitrary milestones doesn’t make memories; people do. The genuine interaction between characters was striking. Charlie’s crew even invoked nostalgia for my halcyon days of Year 13 (an impressive feat considering the complete absence of mullets and “Wagon Wheel” in the film). Perks taps into that unremarkable magic of having friends.
The quality of the cast is demonstrated by the fact that Joan Cusack only has five minutes of screen time. Lerman avoids being too patronising as the awkwardly shy Charlie. Emma Watson proves she can muster a passable American accent, but sadly her character never escapes the Devil’s Snare of the manic pixie dream girl cliché. Thankfully, Patrick breaks the boring boy-crushes-on-girl trope. This dude was hilarious and heartbreaking. Patrick’s snarky commentary was the highlight of the film. I wanted to squeeze Ezra Miller’s cheeks in appreciation.
The soundtrack is so important to the film that the “mix tape” is virtually another character. Chbosky force-feeds his superior musical taste to the audience. The careful selection of music makes The Perks of Being a Wallflower personal. Musical discovery is central to teenagerhood, and the film emphases this. Also, Rocky Horror. Yes please.
Avoid Perks if you don’t want to be “inspired” by the classic coming-of-age story. Jump straight in if you need a dose of nostalgia.
Rating: 4/5