Finally, the movie I have been waiting to see for over a year when I first heard there was a movie being made from one of my favorite books.

This is Charlie’s (Logan Lerman) freshman year of high school. He has no friends. His only friend, Michael, shot himself last May. Needless to say, Charlie did not take the news well. As his high school career begins, he keeps to himself and begins to count down until the day he graduates.

Then he meets Patrick (Era Miller) and Sam (Emma Watson): two seniors who are too focused on being themselves and having fun to care what other people think about them. The three quickly become great friends, and Charlie’s bad days seem to grow fewer and far between. Until the mistake that changes everything. The night Charlie kisses Sam instead of his girlfriend when dared to kiss the prettiest girl in the room. Isolated from the group, Charlie is beginning to find it harder and harder to turn off the bad feelings that have come flooding back in.

One of the greatest coming of age books, the movie adaptation is not disappointing. I was a little afraid that there would be a lot of creative freedom taken with it, but the author, Steven Chbosky, actually wrote the script and directed, which is probably why it was so close to the book. I think one of my favorite aspects about the movie was that the song “Asleep” by The Smiths was in it. The Perks of Being a Wallflower was the book that turned me on to The Smiths and “Asleep” was a big part of the book. If you listen closely to the lyrics you can probably figure out why.

I also must applaud Emma Watson on her performance. I was a little afraid when I first heard she was cast as Sam because… well… she’s Hermione Granger. Not Sam. But after re-reading the book and watching the movie trailer several hundred times, Emma began to grow on me. Her American accent was very well done and she portrayed Sam well, doing justice to the character that I loved in the book.

If you plan on seeing this movie I suggest bringing some tissues even if you don’t think you’ll cry. The topics of dealing with death, love, suicide, and molestation are tough to sit through without tearing up just a little (or so I think).

Grade: A+