Best film of 2012... In my opinion.

Rating: 10/10 (8 November 2012)

Every decade has their coming-of-age story. People of the sixties had The Last Picture Show, seventies had American Graffiti, eighties had Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles, and the only thing I can think of that the nineties had was She's All That. And now my generation of teenagers has Perks of Being a Wallflower. Based on the coming-of-age novel, which I haven't read, the movie follows Charlie, played by the guy from Percy Jackson, and his trials and tribulations of being a freshman in high school. He then meets Patrick, who I swear is a gay version of me, and his sister in law, Sam, played by Emma Watson (Harry Potter). This is an interesting blend of a lighter beat era film mixed with The Last Picture Show. It shows just how naive Charlie is going into high school. Like eating pot brownies, feeling awkward in different environments, and just being a wallflower a lot of the time. He find someone he loves and doesn't really know how to handle it because he's never loved before. He knows he loves her but doesn't know how to tell her and doesn't really know how to react when he dates somebody who he doesn't love. All three of the characters go through the usual mishaps in high school. Patrick is in love with the school's quarterback and they have a secret relationship because they are afraid that the people they love will resent them. It's a sad thing to have to live with being gay and I understand what he's going through. Then Sam is very promiscuous, always getting drunk and sleeping with men. When she finds love and then have it ripped away at the end, you feel heart broken for her because you love these characters by the end and you want to see them lead a good life in college. There's a line in the movie that perfectly sums up this movie, and life in high school. "Why do I, and everyone I love, pick people who treat us like we're nothing?" And the answer is, "We accept the love we think we deserve." That speaks volumes because I actually know people who feels like this. It's amazing just how right this movie is. I do understand gays being shunned in school, and feeling awkward around a group of people, and having people treat you like we are nothing. I've never seen a movie where I feel a little bit like all of the characters. The performances are strong, the music is awesome, and you walk out of the theater knowing that no matter how bad life may feel in high school, it'll all be better in 1460 days.