Perks of Rewatching a Favorite

The movie “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” written and directed by Stephen Chbosky is a story from the viewpoint of a young boy named Charlie. Charlie suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and has spent his summer in a mental institution. Now, he starts his first year of highschool.

Charlie meets two friends, Patrick and Sam, and learns to engage with other people rather than simply observing. His english teacher pushes him to write and notices he is extremely intelligent. The movie expertly tackles mental illness and the struggles of childhood trauma. Narrated in the form of a letter to a stranger, Charlie tells his story. 

This movie, while recommended for more mature audiences, is a must watch for those who have had similar struggles. Watching his journey through his struggles and eventually the beginning of his healing is cathartic. I have watched this movie multiple times, and it is one of the only movie adaptations I have seen that hold up to the standard of the book.

The amazing soundtrack, morally ambiguous characters, and poetic storytelling in this movie pull it together wonderfully. One quote that I will always remember, from Charlie’s english teacher, was his explanation that “we accept the love we think we deserve.” It’s a well written story of healing and learning to love yourself.