Rating: 4.5/5
Anti-Criterion Challenge 2024 | 21/52 | Directed by a director with three or less feature films
— You see things and you understand — you're a wallflower… What is it? What's wrong? — I didn't think anyone noticed me.
Charlie (Logan Lerman) writes in his notebook about starting high school. He has no friends, and his sister Candace (Nina Dobrev) won’t let Charlie sit with her and her boyfriend, Derek (Nicholas Braun).
In shop class, a senior named Patrick (Ezra Miller) makes fun of the teacher, Mr. Callahan (Tom Savini), by drawing a grease pencil goatee and making Vietnam jokes. When Mr. Callahan enters, he effortlessly puts Patrick in his place, stirring Charlie’s sympathy.
At home, Charlie can’t talk to his parents (Kate Walsh, Dylan McDermott) because he’s afraid that any negative talk will make them think he’s having bad thoughts again. His Aunt Helen (Melanie Lynskey) would have understood how he could be happy and sad, but she isn’t around.
Later, at the football game, Charlie gets the courage to talk to Patrick, who invites Charlie to sit with him. Sam (Emma Watson), Patrick’s step-sister, joins them and they invite him out to Kings’ afterward. They talk about The Smiths and how everything sounds better on vinyl. They drop Charlie off with “Teen Age Riot” blaring on the radio.
When “Come On Eileen” plays at the homecoming dance, they all dance together. From there, we follow the three of them as they learn each other’s secrets, pains, and joys.
— We accept the love we think we deserve. — Can we make them know that they deserve more? — We can try.
The movie’s soundtrack is so manipulative! All the needle drops are so good. David Bowie’s “Heroes” is also my tunnel song. The score also has some beautiful moments — it’s pretty perfect.
The film captures the most essential feeling I recall from high school — the desire to be seen and loved. Also, the feeling that everything is so important and friendship is always one social faux pax away from being over.
— Why can't you save anybody? — I don't know.
The color grading in this movie is so warm and cozy!
Cast talk:
- Logan Lerman is perfect as “too shy for his own good” / “traumatized many times over.” He is entirely too relatable.
- Emma Watson hits iconic levels of “manic pixie dream girl”-isms.
- Mae Whitman shows up as Mary Elizabeth. She would’ve horrified me / I would have had a big crush on her in high school.
- Woah, I like Ezra Miller in this! They embody that self-assuredness I wish I had in high school. And they’re so sweet to Charlie that it warms my heart.
This movie has so much love baked into it — it’s cheesy, earnest, and it hits.