Good but a bit scary to this old fashioned father.

Rating: 8/10 (23 January 2014)

"The Perks of Being a Wallflower" is a good movie. However, as a father of two girls in college, watching this film is a bit tough for me, as I WANT to assume that real young people don't do drugs, stand up in fast-moving cars, have sex, or, well...have sex. But I also know this naive and although I would hate for younger teens to see this movie (as it might give them a sense that they should grow up too fast), it IS a good film. Far from perfect,...but a good film.
The film is about a very insecure and withdrawn young man entering high school. He doesn't fit in and knows it. However, surprisingly, he does soon get taken into a small group of friends--friends who are seniors and mostly have a lot of hangups too. It takes place over this single year of high school and ends when the older friends go off to college.
The film has a very smart script. Sometime, perhaps a bit too smart because too often the kids come off as a bit hipster-ish and too glib. But it is very enjoyable throughout and quite poignant--and deals with some VERY tough and complex topics--some of which are rarely ever addressed. While I don't think the movie is as wonderful as most (since it's in the IMDb Top 250 List), it is quite good and excellent for an audience 16 and up...well, perhaps 17 and up.