Touching drama - worth watching

Rating: 9/10 (12 October 2012)

There is a touching teen drama with romance, some humor and good acting. I'm not familiar with the novel but as a movie I think it is quite a good story. The different themes are quite varied for one movie: first love, drug use, homosexuality, sexual abuse and friendship. They are not new to movies about teens but the way it's put together is fresh, realistic and entertaining while avoiding clichés or melodrama. Logan Lerman is well cast as the wallflower Charlie who starts high school with some emotional baggage, makes new friends and falls in love. He is likable enough to be the central character and his crush is quite sweet to watch. Emma Watson acts as the object of his affection Sam. She brought attention to the movie but I think she is a bit too androgynous and lacking romantic appeal. Also her diction was too well articulated which made her sound like a fine British actress rather than a troubled Pennsylvania girl. Mae Whitman was suitably repulsive as Mary Elizabeth the unattractive friend. Nina Dobrev as the sister Candace didn't get enough screen time - maybe because she is prettier than the lead Emma Watson. Ezra Miller as the gay friend is quirky enough while not acting too flamboyant. The adults have supporting roles from Dylan Mcdermott as Charlie's father and Paul Rudd as a sympathetic English teacher.
Overall this is a surprisingly moving and well worth a watch.