Wonder 2017

Wonder is a 2017 movie  directed by Stephen Chbosky and based on the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio

It can be bought on Youtube, Amazon Prime, and Google Play as well as many other outlets.

Brief Summary:

       Wonder is a movie about a alittle boy named Auggie who has Mandibulofacial Dysostosis or Treacher Collins Syndrome. He has had a large about of surgeries and is deformed. Starting his 5th grade year, Auggie’s parents enroll him in a school which is a huge adjustment because he’s used to being homeschool. There, Auggie has to deals with being the odd one out, bullying, prejudice, socializing, and making that transition from homeschool to now being around his peers.

My Thoughts:

        I though Wonder was a very heartwarming movie. There were several instances where I cried. Auggie is like any regular boy and its hard to watch this movie and not want to protect him. This movie also provides some insights to bullying and how sometimes adults miss it or influence it. I also appreciate that many of the characters are complex, they aren’t portrayed in a way that is just static.

Pedagogical Response: Literary Criticism

It’s not too often that a movie is made with one of the central themes being disability and coping with what come with it from society so I appreciate the movie in that aspect. I however wondered if the directors avidly looked for a person with disabilities to play Auggies character before handing the role to an able bodied person. The fact that the actor playing Auggie (who does a great job) is wearing make and costume takes away from the authenticity and the impact this movie really could have made. Though the movie presents the societal prejudice that people with disabilities face, it also glosses over many issues with out necessarily confronting it or dismantling those biases. For example, a student, Julian, who bullies Auggie is being reprimanded for his actions but does not show remorse. When his wealthy parents threaten to pull him out of the school if he is suspended, the student shows remorse and apologizes, to the principal-not Auggie. This movie did a good job of showing hardships a child like Auggie would face in society, but does not do a good job of taking that further and challenging societal constructs of disabilities.