The Perks of Being a Wallflower: Extras (2012) is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Stephen Chbosky. The book at the time caused a lot of conflicting reactions from readers and critics. Some consider this story very emotional and sincere. Others think that there is a lot of immorality in it. The film appeared on the screens in 2012, but the story of the book takes place in 1991-1992.
Despite the fact that the film is about teenagers, the issues raised in the film are much more serious. This film is not just about the difficulties of adolescence. In addition to misunderstanding and bullying of peers, first feelings, dubious companies, there is alcohol, drugs, mental disorders, harassment, homosexuality. This movie is a must see for all parents of teenagers, possibly with their children.
Sometimes adults completely forget that they were once 16 too. Most teenagers feel the same and experience the same emotions as the characters in the film. The composition of the film is not about a narrative storyline, but about emotional reasoning that makes a lot of sense. It will prompt reflections, make you think about life, about other people’s problems.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower: Extras is the story of a young boy, Charlie Kelmekis, who moves into high school in Pittsburgh. A quiet, silent teenager who withdrew into himself. Charlie is very lonely and writes letters about his feelings and experiences to an unknown friend, with no return address. The boy was undergoing psychotherapy, and considers himself a psycho. In his life, he lost two close people: his best friend and his beloved aunt Helen. Aunt was a true friend and support for the boy. Charlie throughout the film is haunted by memories of her as the brightest person. But as it turned out after another therapy, it was Helen who in many ways became the cause of his mental disorders.
The boy has a loving family, older brother and sister are trying to support Charlie. However, he doesn’t have any friends at all. He struggles not to become an outcast among his peers.
The teenager reads a lot, he is good at writing. The teachers notice this, but he tries not to stand out among his classmates. And at football, he decides to talk to graduate Patrick and his half-sister Sam. They invite him to a party and introduce him to the company. Patrick turned out to be gay and is secretly dating Brad. Sam has a dubious reputation, she was drunk by high school students and used it, and now she is dating a very popular guy. The girl calls her company “the island of abandoned toys.” Mary Elizabeth is a punk and a Buddhist at the same time, and her best friend Alice, from a wealthy family, steals jeans from shops. And teenagers participate in a completely non-children’s show.
Each of them has their own life, their own problems. But the guys support each other. This is not an elite, and not a company with which everyone dreams of making friends, but Charlie has friends and a circle of friends. At a party, a teenager naively eats a cupcake of dubious content. He tries alcohol for the first time. He falls in love with Sam, but starts dating Mary Elizabeth.
Patrick says that Charlie: He sees everything and understands everything. The Perks of Being a Wallflower: Extras. And he really observes and analyzes a lot. Therefore, he quickly studied the tastes of his friends, prepared gifts for everyone for Christmas, which they liked. Charlie loves his friends and gives himself without reserve. Treasures them and does everything not to lose them. But everything goes to what he is so afraid of.
One day, Charlie cannot contain his feelings and kisses Sam in front of everyone. Friends do not accept the act of a young man. Condemnation and contempt pour out on the Boy. He decides to stop communicating with Sam and Patrick.
The boys reconcile when Charlie stands up for Patrick, who is being beaten up in the school cafeteria for having an affair with Brad. The trinity again walks around the city together and reflects on the future. Sam and Patrick go to College and leave. Charlie finally confesses his feelings to Sam just before leaving. The teenager becomes lonely again in his school. Against this background, the teenager begins depression again. He blames himself for his aunt’s death. Already in the hospital, the therapist tells Charlie’s parents what Helen did to him.
Two months later, friends are together again, having dinner, talking about a new life, making plans. It is this company that helps Charlie cope with problems, friends know about depression, help to distract, accept him like that, and offer to go crazy together.
The slogan of this film is “be a filter, not a sponge”. So the main character is constantly trying to filter everything that happens around. Once in the company, he begins to try a lot of new things for himself. But at the same time, it does not absorb him, but only makes him more liberated. The teenager made friends, but did not go downhill. At school, he does not try to be like the tough kids, he does not become like them. He continues to read books and write, still studying well.
The main idea of the film is to show what can be in the soul of every person. Few people notice the feelings of the quiet, and no one even suspects what is happening in their lives. But these people, on the contrary, notice a lot. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
