The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

Directed by Stephen Chbosky

Cast: Logan Lerman (1), Emma Watson (2), Ezra Miller (3), Mae Whitman (4), Nina Dobrev (5), Johnny Simmons (6), Kate Walsh (7), Dylan McDermott (8), Melanie Lynskey (9), Paul Rudd (10), Joan Cusack (11), and Nicholas Braun (12)

(Watch the trailer) 

My favourite quotes - "I'd hate for her to judge me based on what I used to be like.", "We accept the love we think we deserve.", "If you fail me, you get me next semester.", "Well, all the great writers used to wear great suits. So your last present is on a towel rack in the bathroom. Delve into our facilities, emerge a star.", "Well you know mom did say you have good friends now, and maybe if it does get bad again, just talk to them yeah.", "Do you think if people knew how crazy you were people won't talk to you?", "We can't choose where we come from, but we can choose where we go from there. I know its not all the answers but it was enough to start putting these pieces together.", & "We are infinite."

Did You Know? - The Perks Of Being A Wallflower is based on a book of the same title. Also, the author, Stephen Chbosky, adapted the book himself and directed the film as well. The book is an epistolary novel which is a novel written as a series of documents like letters or newspaper clippings. Recently, electronic "documents" like recordings, blogs, and e-mails have also been used. 

Blink & Miss It - Melanie Lynskey has a blink and miss it part in The Perks Of Being A Wallflower. She played a minor role in Sweet Home Alabama as well. See if you can spot her. 


I hereby declare April to be the month of Emma, and maybe babies. You see, my baby cousin was just born, on the 9th of April actually. And I've been planning, in my head, a series of posts featuring actresses named Emma for the longest time. Well, ever since I knew my uncle was going to name her Emma at least. So I started with Emma Watson and the film highly recommended by my good friend and colleague - The Perks Of Being A Wallflower.

Mr Anderson: You should learn to participate. Why didn't you raise your hand? They call you the teacher's pet, freak, that kind of thing? I used to get 'spaz'. I mean come on. Spaz? You know I heard you had a tough time last year, but they say if you make one friend on your first day you'll be okie. 
Charlie: Thank you Sir, but if my English teacher is the only friend I make today, that would be sorta depressing.
Mr Anderson: Yeah, I can see that.

Charlie: Don't worry Mr Anderson, I'm okay. Thanks. 

Firstly, if I had a teacher like Mr Anderson, played by Paul Rudd, Secondary School might have been so much more bearable. I had favourite teachers of course. But none that I really connected with. But, I was well liked by teachers, and teacher's pet was often a term used to describe me by classmates in school. 

The urban dictionary describes a wallflower as someone who sees everything, knows everything, but does not say a word. They are not loners, they are introverted. They cannot handle having someone pay attention to them even though they crave it as much as the next person. I think the term wallflower could be loosely to describe me when I was in Secondary School. So at the start of the film, watching Charlie struggling on his first day of high school and feeling awkward and wishing it would fast forward to the day of graduation, all that I could relate to. 

Sam: Charlie just told me that his best friend shot himself. I don't think he has any friends.

Patrick: Hey everyone! Everybody! Everyone, raise your glasses to Charlie.

Charlie: What did I do?

Patrick: You didn't do anything. We just want to toast to our new friend. You see things, and you understand. You're a wallflower. What is it? What's wrong?

Charlie: I didn't think anyone noticed me.

Patrick: Well we didn't think there was anyone cool left to meet. So come on, everyone, to Charlie.

Everyone: To Charlie.

Sam: Welcome to the island of misfit toys. 

I've heard so much about how great a film The Perks Of Being A Wallflower is. But I didn't do much reading up on it besides finding out the cast of the film. So I didn't know what to expect. (I once picked up the book and read a few pages but walked out without buying it in the end.) So I was surprised to find that I really liked the film. I liked it so much I watched it twice, back to back. And both times, I still cried watching the film. (Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, I get emotional really easily.)

It's a film about growing up, falling in love, and getting through high school. And it also approaches very serious, very adult, and real issues in a manner than young adults can connect with and understand. But also, the casting director chose an excellent group of actors to play the main characters in the film. The three leads Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, and Ezra Miller each did a wonderful job of showing the strengths and weaknesses of each character and made me love them all for all their good and bad. 

"I'm sorry I hadn't written for a while but I've been trying hard not to be a loser. For example I am trying to participate by listening to Sam's collection of big rock ballads and thinking about love. Sam says they're kitschy and brilliant. I completely agree. I'm also writing essays and studying extra books outside of class. As it turns out Mr Anderson is a writer. He even had a play put up in New York once, which I think is very impressive. He and his wife might go back there after this year. I know this is selfish but I really hope he doesn't. My favourite time though is lunch because I get to see Sam and Patrick. We spend the time working on Mary Elizabeth's fanzine about music and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It's called Punk Rocky. Mary Elizabeth is really interesting because she's a Buddhist and a punk. But somehow she always acts like my father at the end of a long day. Her best friend Alice loves vampires and wants to go to film school. She also steals jeans from the mall. I don't know why because her family's rich but I'm trying not to be judgmental, especially since I know that they were all there for Patrick last year. Patrick never likes to be serious so it took me awhile to get what happened. When he was a junior Patrick starting seeing Brad on the weekends in secret. I guess it was hard too because Brad had to get drunk every time they fooled around. Then Monday in school Brad would say 'Man I was so wasted I don't remember a thing.' This went on for 7 months. When they finally did it, Brad said he loved Patrick. Then he started to cry. No matter what Patrick did, Brad kept saying that his dad would kill him and saying that he was going to hell. Patrick was eventually able to help Brad get sober. I asked Patrick if he felt sad that he still had to keep it a secret. But he said no. Because now Brad doesn't have to get drunk to love him. I think I understand because I really like Sam. I asked my sister about her and she said that when Sam was a freshman the upper class men used to get her drunk at parties. I guess she had a reputation. But I don't care. I'd hate for her to judge me based on what I used to be like. So I've been making her a mix tape so she will know how I feel."

- Charlie Kelmeckis

But of course, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, and Ezra Miller had wonderful material to work with in the first place. The characters are well written and throughout the film, you understand each character just a little bit more. Be it through Charlie's letters or through the characters' interactions in various situations.

Something Charlie says in the above quote really stuck with me. 

"I'd hate for her to judge me based on what I used to be like." 

Everyone has a past. And I too believe that we should try to not be judgmental. It's human to err and everyone makes mistakes too. And I always think about this quote from the Bible "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her". Also, I think good friends will look past the flaws and be more tolerant. And true friends will sometimes scream and shout at you, and remind you of those flaws, especially if they are hurtful. 

"Her best friend Alice loves vampires and wants to go to film school. She also steals jeans from the mall. I don't know why because her family's rich but I'm trying not to be judgmental, especially since I know that they were all there for Patrick last year."

I also really like what he says here. Because he's like me. What I mean to say is that I am fiercely loyal to my close friends. I can tolerant it when someone bullies me or treats me badly. But if that same person bullies my friends, I will feel incensed and will want to stand up for them and kick the bully in the butt for them, only if it won't get them into more trouble of course. 

"Well you know mom did say you have good friends now, and maybe if it does get bad again, just talk to them yeah."
- Chris Kelmeckis 

"Do you think if people knew how crazy you were people won't talk to you?"
- Charlie Kelmeckis

If people knew how crazy I was, they would probably not talk to me. Well, not literally, but I'm hardly perfect. What I'm trying to say is that I am very grateful to my friends. They tolerate my craziness, they've seen me at my worst, and surprisingly, they're still my friends. They haven't run away from me yet! And for that, thank you. Thank you for listening to me rant and rave. Thank you for standing by me no matter how insane I was. And thank you for  being understanding.

"Let's go be psychos together."
- Sam 

Confessions Of A Shopaholic (2009)

Directed by P.J Hogan (1)

Cast: Isla Fisher (2), Hugh Dancy (3), Joan Cusack (4), John Goodman (5), and Krysten Ritter (6)

My favourite quotes - "They said I was a valued customer. Now they send me hate mail.", "When I shop, the world gets better, and the world is better, but then it's not, and I need to do it again." & "She's not my girlfriend. She's not you."

(Watch the trailer)

"10 dollars is a lot of money!" I remember my mum exclaiming when she found out I bought something that cost $10 - I don't even remember what I bought, shows how much I probably didn't need it. I never fully understood her distress until now.

Now that I am a working adult with a mediocre monthly pay, everything seems too expensive. Yes, even that full plate of rice with cooked dishes at my office canteen that set me back $4.30 today seems to be expensive.

Watching this film, I wouldn't say I am as bad of a shopaholic as Rebecca Bloomwood. But I have to admit that I have a problem managing my finances. Sometimes, with a "magic card" (credit card), you forget how much you actually spend a month. You see, when you use a credit card, the money is not immediately deducted from your bank account. So when you check your bank balance, you don't realise that you don't actually have that amount of money to spend. Are these "magic cards" evil then? The answer is no, but credit cards can be dangerous. As seen in this movie, which was adapted from the book series of the same name by Sophie Kinsella (books I have read and thoroughly enjoyed). So credit card holders, you have to be good at controlling yourself and managing your finances.

Everyone has a weakness when it comes to shopping. What is yours? I have a long list of weaknesses - DVDs & Blu Rays taking the top spot in mine, then Threadless T-Shirts, then books, then accessories (like Pandora). Thankfully, I am not into make-up, branded goods, and shoes.

However, the film is not just about shopping or shopaholics. It's about material goods versus what truly matters like friends and family. It's about what you want, or what you think you want, and the price (and I don't just mean money) you have to pay to get it. In the film, when we first meet the male lead in the film, played by the very dashing Hugh Dancy, he said this "You want your scarf, I want my hot dog, cost and worth are very different things."

The film spoke to me because of the value it was promoting. That family and friends are worth more than any material goods you own. Sell everything you own and you are still not a pauper. Because you have your family and friends who will love you no matter how you disappoint them or hurt them (emotionally). Well, at least I hope that's true in your life. So if you need help, don't hesitate to reach out to your family and close friends.

I have to confess that the main reason why I connected with the film is because the feeling and reaction Rebecca has when she gets her credit card bills is the exact same one I have these days. (Cue big bulging eyes, gaping mouth, a look of horror, and heart palpitations)

Isla Fisher did a fantastic job as Rebecca Bloomwood, as did actors Joan Cusack and John Goodman as her parents. Isla Fisher made Rebecca the everyday girl, 'The Girl in the Green Scarf', who could very well be you. In fact, after I watched this film for the first time, I started to pay attention to the films with Isla Fisher in it.

A big shout out as well for Krysten Ritter's turn as Rebecca's best friend Suze who is the right mix of quirky and sensibility. Hugh Dancy's acting was subtle and passable in the film. I say this because after watching him in the film Adam, where he plays a man who has Asperger's, I think his acting here was at best sufficiently believable. Although, perhaps it is because the role doesn't give him the chance to flex his acting muscles as much, so I guess it's a little unfair to judge him so harshly. The focus after all is on Isla Fisher's Rebecca Bloomwood.

Although I try to stay clear of the technical bits of a film, I have to say I love the way the mannequins came to life and started talking to Rebecca. Because sometimes, it does feel like items I want to purchase come alive and start convincing me to buy them. That said, perhaps it is just the voices in my head talking to me. Whatever the case, in the film, the director has helped manifest this inner voice visually and in such an interesting way. Nicely done, P. J. Hogan.

Name: Monica Goh

Occupation: Writer

Jacket: Threadless Hoodie at a discount (read USD$29)

Dress: I don't do dresses. Well, I don't do dresses often enough.

Belt: Practically non-existent

Bag: 15 pounds in cash and worth every penny

(1) P.J Hogan has directed films like Muriel's Wedding (1994) My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), and Peter Pan (2003)

(2) Isla Fisher has acted in films like Scooby-Doo (2002), I ♥ Huckabees (2004), Wedding Crashers (2005), Wedding Daze (2006), and Definitely, Maybe (2008)

(3) Hugh Dancy has acted in films like Black Hawk Down (2001), King Arthur (2004), Ella Enchanted (2004), The Jane Austen Book Club (2007), Evening (2007), Adam (2009), and Hysteria (2011).  He also plays the role of Will Graham in the television series Hannibal (2013).

(4) Joan Cusack has acted in films like Sixteen Candles (1984),Working Girl (1988), Say Anything... (1989), Addams Family Values (1993), Nine Months (1995), Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), Runaway Bride (1999), Where The Heart Is (2000), School Of Rock (2003), Raising Helen (2004), Ice Princess (2005), Friends With Money (2006), My Sister's Keeper (2009), and The Perks Of Being A Wallflower (2012). She voiced the character of Jessie in the animation Toy Story 2 (1999) and Toy Story 3 (2010), the character of Verushka the Witch in the animation Hoodwinked Too! Hood VS. Evil (2011), and the mission control elf in the animation Arthur Christmas (2011). 

(5) John Goodman has acted in films like Raising Arizona (1987), Arachnophobia (1990), Born Yesterday (1993), The Flintstones (1994), The Big Lebowski (1998), Coyote Ugly (2000), Evan Almighty (2007), Speed Racer (2008), The Artist (2011), and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011)

(6) Krysten Ritter has acted in films like 27 Dressses (2008), What Happens In Vegas (2008), and She's Out of My League (2010)

The Eclectic Reviewer thinks… Confessions Of A Shopaholic will remind you that material goods should not be the center of your life. Surround yourself with family and friends who care for you and are priceless instead of things that aren't worth much but cost plenty. (3 of 5)

* Movie Poster from Wikipedia

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