'THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER'

'THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER' (PG-13) (3 1/2 STARS)

Written and Directed by Stephen Chbosky
Actors: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Paul Rudd, Dylan McDermott, Kate Walsh, Melanie Lynskey, Mae Whitman.

"We accept the love we think we deserve."

That line is delivered by two characters in the beautiful coming of age story "Perks of Being a Wallflower". It must be an important thought and I love that line so much. It fits perfectly with this funny, thoughtful, sometimes dark but finally uplifting story. It is not only a great movie about high school and fitting in there but it also one of the most beautiful movies about friendship I have ever seen.

I can identify totally with the lead character who is withdrawn, shy and awkward and that was me in high school. Our hero Charlie has to learn how to break out of his shell, find himself and find friends that will accept him for who he is. I had to discover that and this movie nails that process flawlessly. Charlie is a freshman who finds a new group of friends that include the smart, kind and beautiful Sam and the boisterous and openly gay Patrick. Charlie will grow out of his shell with these two high school seniors who will accept him as part of their group.

The movie is just beautifully written and realistic. It is set in the 90's before cell phones and facebook when teenagers had to communicate more to each other face to face. The movie will revisit the process of trying to go to college and dealing with classmates who think you are different and can't comprehend that you are different and that you are a human being and an individual. The movie was written and directed by Stephen Chbosky who wrote the book this movie is based on and you can tell he lived this story. Charlie is the focal point and we are always cheering for this young adult with a big heart. We will discover that Charlie has a painful past he is hiding and because we care about him it affects us deeply.

We not only care about Charlie but also care for and like Sam and Patrick. We are happy that they are Charlie's friends. Sam is a sweet and caring girl who had been rumored to be a little slutty years ago. We will see that high school is full of cruel rumors and that Sam is a young woman that just wants to be loved and accepted. Charlie will fall in love with Sam and we can see why. Of course Charlie is younger and Sam will wind up with a guy that will treat her cruelly. Charlie can never have Sam until he accepts his past and breaks out of his shyness. Patrick is the type of friend you would love to have. He is funny and supportive and in this story he is very brave.

I had a little problem getting used to Logan Lerman's performance as Charlie but once the story gets moving I found Lerman to be engaging and he grew on me. Emma Watson is very good here and establishes herself as an actress and not just Hermione Granger. I loved Ezra Miller's performance and here is an actor that nails a gay teenager just right. He makes Patrick a fully dimensional, realistic character with the help of the excellent screenplay. Ezra was haunting and scary in "We Need To Talk About Kevin" and here he is likable, sweet and funny. Here is an actor to watch out for.

"The Perks of Being a Wallflower" touched me deeply because I identified with Charlie a lot and Patrick and Sam would be friends I would love to hang out and grow up with. It is an honest movie with real emotions that are earned and it is a beautiful movie going experience. High School can be a cruel world and a good hearted and different teenager like Charlie can be eaten up in it. This movie nails that experience flawlessly and has a great heart just like Charlie, Sam and Patrick do. Yes we sometimes accept the love we think we deserve but we don't have to.