Wonder set to tug at heartstrings
“WHEN given a choice between being right and being kind, choose kind,” says Auggie Pullman’s fifth-grade teacher at the beginning of the school year.
Taking my cue from the right-on pedagogue, who sets the tone for each term with a motivational quote, I’ll dial down my doubts about this warm-fuzzy adaptation of R.J. Palacio’s best-selling children’s novel.
Julia Roberts’ beatific performance makes that easy. If ever there was a representation of perfect motherhood, it’s Isabel Pullman.
Part sage, part saint, Isabel has put her own studies on hold to homeschool her young son who suffers from Treacher Collins syndrome, a genetic disorder characterised by deformities to the ears, eyes, cheekbones and chin.
Roberts lends the character enough earthiness to ground her in this rosy-coloured cinematic world.
Presumably, Owen Wilson has been cast as Auggie’s father, Nate, to lighten the tone of the piece.
It’s a good call. When the going gets tough, Wilson has a knack for disarming a situation, allowing both his screen family and his audience to catch their breath.
Director Stephen
Chbosky’s overarching agenda in Wonder is to create a safe domestic environment for his leading man – as well as the moviegoers who are rooting for him.
Jacob Tremblay (Room), unrecognisable behind a prosthetic mask, is hugely empathetic as the plucky youngster whom we meet on the eve of his transition to a conventional middle school.
Isabel thinks Auggie is “ready” for the real world. But no one underestimates the challenges he is to face.
Wonder does a good job of putting viewers in Auggie’s shoes as he runs the gauntlet of the school playground, clocking students’ reactions from his point of view.
His poignant voice-over narration also helps.
But the filmmakers fumble the ball with Auggie’s cute, best friend Jack Will (Suburbicon’s Noah Jupe). The butter-wouldn’t-melt characterisation neutralises Jack Will’s unforgivable act of betrayal. And there are two subplots that border on offensive.
The sense of isolation suffered by Auggie’s older sister Via (Izabela Vidovic) feels genuine – since her younger brother dominates their parents’ attention. But there’s a wrong-footed attempt to compare Via’s social challenges with those of her brother. The disabled brother invented by her best friend to gain popularity is an even bigger stretch.
Wonder’s bullying issues are too neatly resolved, but there’s a timely nod to the part parents play in supporting such behaviour. The climactic final sequence, while predictable, is not overplayed.