“Wonder” Amazes Audiences
“Wonder,” the touching story of 10-year-old Auggie whose extreme facial deformities make it challenging to attend public school for the first time, pulled in a surprising $27 million during its opening weekend. At the core of its success is the heartwarming message of embracing one’s uniqueness and overcoming prejudice.
Watch the Trailer for "Wonder"
Stephen Chbosky, the writer and director of the coming-of-age novel and film “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” and co-writer of the live-action adaptation of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” is the director behind this inspiring story of the most unlikely of heroes. With touching performances by cinema darlings Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson as Auggie’s parents, this film has been called everything from a “tasteful heart tugger” by Variety to “earnest and sweet, with great messages about kindness, friendship, and acceptance” by Common Sense Media.
“Wonder is a touching tale of love and friendship, buoyed by strong performances from Jacob Tremblay and the rest of the cast.” Chris Agar, Screen Rant
Incorporating a tagline that’s extremely relevant to today’s society, the film’s core philosophy “Choose kind” originally came from Auggie’s favorite teacher. However, it actually inspired a powerful real-life anti-bullying campaign of the same name that has been gaining steam since the book’s release in 2012. Launched in partnership with Random House Children’s Books, the Choose Kind campaign encourages students, educators, families and friends to combat the rise in bullying with every day acts of kindness according to this press release. Today, more than 67,000 people have signed the pledge to “choose kind every day.”
“Celebrating those who have made the choice to be kind—not always an easy thing to do when you’re a kid!—is the best way to raise awareness to this very simple fact: kindness is a virtue whose ripple effects can literally change the world,” says Palacio, author of the New York Times bestselling novel of the same name. “One child at a time, one person at a time, there’s no greater antidote to bullying than the steadfast refusal of children, teachers, and parents to accept a culture where bullying is tolerated.”
Want to show this movie? "Wonder" will be available in early 2018!