Review: "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" is a bittersweet teen love story

"The Perks of Being a Wallflower" PG-13
Stephen Chbosky's novel is turned into a film of the same name, by him, and somehow he got Emma Watson to star, along with several relative unknowns. This isn't a bad thing actually. The story is a coming of age narrative set in an age just prior to the cell phone and the internet, maybe 1995, such that references to songs from the early 1980s could be considered old. Charlie is a troubled 14-year-old boy who becomes the titular Gary Stu of the author, (make Mary Sue), and somehow this too works. He is interesting enough as the title wallflower that it isn't pretentious or boring, and certainly is not a 'boy version of Twilight', although it is the same production company. Seven years earlier, Charlie's favorite aunt died and he blames himself for it. Also a year or so before, his best friend committed suicide. One might think, this sounds pretty dark and depressing for a movie, and at times it can be, but actually it's like Amy Heckerling meets John Hughes most of the time, a nod to what would happen if they did a nod to the 'emo' kids. Posers everywhere may have their movie. The boy Charlie befriends a group of seniors self identified as misfits, who get stoned and hang out at parties, a bit like the classic teen comedies, but the characters make the story, not the partying. At one point one of them even quips that 'it's like living in an after school special', but it's far cooler than that. Charlie is far more complex than just your average wallflower, as he is genuinely demented, and yet his friends are in other ways, longing to be the lead in a Rocky Horror live cast, or to have clandestine lovers, or even finding the name of the perfect tunnel song. (It was Heroes by David Bowie. I knew immediately). This is the first great drama of 2012 and hopefully now that it's in wider release will get some Oscar attention. Emma deserves best actress, and has since Harry Potter 6, but now she really deserves it, and the movie should get best picture, if something else doesn't best it. It already has teen drama.