WORDS Catriona Beamish
The avid reader fears the adaptation. Films made under the guise of a popular novel ‘adaptation’ are, more often than not, a disappointment. They miss the theme or change the characters and simply follow vague plot lines. This is not one such adaptation. Written and directed by Stephen Chbosky, the author of the novel, this film retains the overall sense of its original medium beautifully. Yes, there will always be those disgruntled individuals who refuse to be pleased, but film remains a short medium that requires abridgement. Chbosky shows he understands the importance of atmosphere and character over exactness and drops many subplots and minor characters on the cutting room floor in order to allow his characters the space to grow.
The film is close to two hours long and packs in a lot of emotional punches. The year is 1991 and Charlie (Logan Lerman) is starting high school. He hasn’t had an easy time of it in the last year and he writes letters to a stranger to cope. He makes friends with Patrick (Ezra Miller) and Sam (Emma Watson), two unusual seniors with their own problems. He discovers the Smiths, drugs and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. To tell you more would ruin the film. Lerman, Miller and Watson form a wonderful triangle of frightened teenagers facing the world with gusto and fumbling their way through matters of love and sexuality. Paul Rudd takes the adult role for once as Charlie’s caring English teacher and hits the nail on the head.
The film has some dark moments, and each of the characters have their own lives and emotional dilemmas, even the quarterback. It beautifully expresses the understanding that you can never know what others are going through, and that sometimes helping is just being there. It might remind you of similar indie coming-of-age films like It’s Kind of a Funny Story and Up in the Air.
The film creates the sense of a different era as the teens trade mix tapes to create a superb soundtrack and take months to find that perfect song they heard on the radio. Above all, this film deals with one of the most sensitive subjects in our society with delicacy and kindness. No punches are pulled but there are also no sentimental, heart-wrenching depictions of social taboos to pull in viewers. It is always sympathetic to its characters and the difficulties in their lives. This film will touch you if you let it, and I highly recommend you do. Perhaps, like Charlie, you too can feel infinite.
