"Wonder" Film Review

WONDER

Inspiring. Heartwarming. A beautiful tale of overcoming the odds, reaffirming who you are, and finding that true beauty is on the inside. This is how I have heard “Wonder” described.

I do not agree.

August “Auggie” Pullman has gone through great difficulties in his ten years. He was born with multiple disadvantages that required extensive, surgical reconstruction. But Auggie’s unique facial structure seems to be the only original and creative aspect of this film.

The rest of the film is bogged down with such squishy, emotionally manipulative dialogue that it is absolutely dripping with hackery. “You can’t blend in when you were born to stand out.” “My mother had a great eye. I just wish she used it to see me.” Granted, both of these lines are from the first narration of Auggie’s sister, Via, but that was almost as far as I could make it in this over-budgeted Lifetime Original.

It’s a shame that “Wonder” couldn’t live up to its hype. Jacob Tremblay is frighteningly talented and brings great depth and emotional realism to Auggie. There are even some rather inspired moments that showcase Auggie’s imagination in how he deals with people trying to break down his sweet demeanor. Such as when his bully, Julian, refers to Auggie as Palpatine and we see the Star Wars Emperor standing next to Julian and acknowledging how cruel the statement was. It was played for laughs, which in this instance shows Auggie’s strength and creativity. But other instances played for laughs seem to lose sight of the film's message for the sake of comedy. Like when Auggie refers to a classmate as being ‘crazy’ for having stickers on their shoes. This classmate is one of the few who speak up and defend Auggie.

Despite this film being riddled with cliche and offering little more substance than the passing fascination of acceptable gawking, I do not believe that this will be a blemish on the promising young Mr. Tremblay, who doesn't need forced tropes and tired archetypes to inspire with his natural talent.

As for Auggie and “Wonder” itself, it would benefit more from open and honest criticism instead of being patted on the back with platitudes because he’s such a special guy.