"Wonder" had me in tears from beginning till the end. Keep reading...
As a black kid in 1985 watching Eric Stoltz play Rocky in "Mask" I cried cuz I felt bad for him. I cried cuz people were mean to him. And I cried for Cher when her son died. Even though I knew I liked boys back then I was cute and couldn't relate as a 9 year old to anything Rocky went through...yet.
Now in 2017 having been out as a black transwoman for 2 years I see "Wonder" played MAGNIFICENTLY by Jacob Tremblay and I can relate. The story of a 10 year old born with facial deformities and having had corrective surgeries but still not looking like everyone else hit me soooooo deep. The first five minutes he has that helmet on in the poster and when he took it off I was bawling. I got it. I understood.
August "Auggie" Pullman is entering middle school at the counsel of his mom who's been homeschooling him for 5 years because she feels with ALL new kids entering the grade at the same time he'll have less of a chance to be picked on. I mean I don't need to tell you how things play out. But these kids ARE kids. The things they say and do logically make no sense to us as adults, but in the world of kids they are portrayed as such. Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson as his overly supportive and loving parents are PERFECTLY cast...(I mainly wanted to see it cuz Julia Roberts is my fave actress of all-time), but who knew they'd have chemistry. But they do. Buckets of chemistry. And Izabela Vidovic is the breakout star for me. Her quiet portrayal of neglected sister Olivia "Via" did me in. I didn't stand a chance of not bawling my eyes out. But I cannot forget to mention Noah Jupe as Jack Will. I wanted to be this lil boy's parent lol he's such a great actor and SO expressive. Noah Jupe and Jacob Tremblay WILL win Oscars within their lifetimes...guaranteed.
Easily 5 out of 5 stars for me. EASILY! And I have everyone in this movie gets awarded for this is a movie every kid in America should see, and parents PLEASE talk to them after you see it because Via has this line in the movie "It takes two parents to have the gene to make his facial deformities. Auggie won the genetic lottery. Somehow I was spared, but that could've been me."...