Story of movie The Perks Of Being A Wallflower Film :
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a 2012 American coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Stephen Chbosky, based on Chbosky’s 1999 novel of the same name. Logan Lerman stars as a teenager named Charlie who writes to an unnamed friend, and these epistles chronicle his trials, tribulations, and triumphs as he goes through his first year of high school. The film depicts his depression and anxiety as he goes through his journey in high school making new friends. The film's ensemble cast also features Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Mae Whitman, Kate Walsh, Dylan McDermott, Nina Dobrev, Johnny Simmons, Erin Wilhelmi, Melanie Lynskey, Paul Rudd and Joan Cusack.
| The Perks of Being a Wallflower | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Stephen Chbosky |
| Produced by |
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| Screenplay by | Stephen Chbosky |
| Based on | The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Michael Brook |
| Cinematography | Andrew Dunn |
| Edited by | Mary Jo Markey |
Production company | Mr. Mudd |
| Distributed by | Summit Entertainment |
Release date |
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Running time | 103 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $13 million |
| Box office | $33.4 million |
John Hughes originally read the novel and attempted to write a screenplay after he got the rights from Chbosky; however, he never finished writing the screenplay. Mr. Mudd Productions wanted Chbosky to adapt his own novel; after he finished writing the screenplay, production was approved. Filming began in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on May 2011 and lasted approximately fifty days. This is one of the three films from John Malkovich, Lianne Halfon and Russell Smith's Mr. Mudd Productions that feature struggling teenagers; the other two are Ghost World and Juno.
The film premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2012, followed by the United States' theatrical release on September 21, 2012, by Summit Entertainment. It received positive critical response and commercial success, earning $33.4 million to a budget of $13 million. It received several accolades, including the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature, two Critics' Choice Movie Awards nominations, including Best Adapted Screenplay for Chbosky, and the 2013 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film – Wide Release.
Screenplay
Set in 1992, the film is set against the background of a young student, Charlie (Logan Lerman), who has been suffering from clinical depression from childhood setbacks and has recently been discharged from a mental health care institution. Charlie is uneasy about beginning his freshman year of high school; he is shy and finds difficulty in making friends, but he connects with his English teacher, Mr. Anderson (Paul Rudd).
When he sits with two seniors, Sam (Emma Watson) and her stepbrother Patrick (Ezra Miller), at a football game, they invite him to join them to several social activities. At a party, Charlie unwittingly eats a cannabis brownie, gets high and discloses to Sam that the year before, his best friend committed suicide. He also walks in on Patrick and Brad (Johnny Simmons), a popular athlete, kissing. Sam realizes that Charlie has no other friends so she and Patrick make a special effort to bring Charlie into their group. Sam needs to improve her SAT scores to be accepted to Pennsylvania State University, so Charlie offers to tutor her.
At Christmas, Sam gives Charlie a vintage typewriter to help his aspirations of being a writer. The two discuss relationships, and Charlie reveals he has never been kissed. Sam, though already involved with someone else, tells Charlie she wants his first kiss to be from someone who loves him, and kisses him. Charlie, in love with Sam, begins to try to find ways to show her how he feels. On the way home the three hear a song with which they are unfamiliar, Sam instructs Patrick to drive through a tunnel so she can stand up in the back of the pickup while the music blasts.
At a regular Rocky Horror Picture Show performance, Charlie is asked to fill in for Sam's boyfriend Craig, who is unavailable. Their friend Mary Elizabeth (Mae Whitman) is impressed and asks Charlie to the Sadie Hawkins dance. The two enter into a unsatisfactory relationship. Finally, at a party, when Charlie is dared to kiss the most beautiful girl in the room, he chooses Sam, upsetting both her and Mary Elizabeth. Patrick recommends Charlie stay away from the group for a while, and the isolation causes him to sink back into depression. He experiences flashbacks of his Aunt Helen (Melanie Lynskey), who died in a car accident when he was seven years old.
When Brad shows up at school with a black eye having been caught by his father having sex with Patrick, he lies, saying that he was jumped and beaten up. Brad distances himself from Patrick, calling him a "faggot". Brad's friends begin beating Patrick, but Charlie forcefully intervenes, then blacks out. He recovers to find he has bruised knuckles and Brad's friends are on the floor, incapacitated. Sam and Patrick express their gratitude to Charlie, and the three become friends again.
Sam is accepted into Penn State, and breaks up with Craig on prom night after learning he has been cheating on her. The night before she departs, she brings Charlie to her room. They confide in each other and kiss, but when Sam touches Charlie's thigh, he experiences a momentary flashback of his Aunt Helen, which he passes off as nothing, and they continue to kiss. After she leaves for college, though, his emotional state deteriorates and his flashbacks worsen. He calls his sister blaming himself for Helen's death, and admits he may have wished it upon her. His sister realizes he is in trouble and calls the police. Charlie passes out as they burst through the door and wakes up in a hospital, where psychiatrist Dr. Burton (Joan Cusack) manages to bring out Charlie's repressed memories of his aunt sexually abusing him.
Charlie then is later visited by Sam and Patrick. Sam explains what college life is like, and how she has found "The Tunnel Song" — "Heroes" by David Bowie. The three revisit the tunnel, where Charlie kisses Sam again and stands up in the back of the truck. Charlie acknowledges that he feels alive and in that moment—"We are infinite."
- Logan Lerman as Charlie Kelmeckis
- Emma Watson as Sam
- Ezra Miller as Patrick
- Mae Whitman as Mary Elizabeth
- Paul Rudd as Mr. Anderson, Charlie's English teacher
- Nina Dobrev as Candace Kelmeckis, Charlie's sister
- Johnny Simmons as Brad
- Erin Wilhelmi as Alice
- Adam Hagenbuch as Bob
- Kate Walsh as Mrs. Kelmeckis
- Dylan McDermott as Mr. Kelmeckis
- Melanie Lynskey as Aunt Helen
- Joan Cusack as Dr. Burton
- Zane Holtz as Chris Kelmeckis, Charlie's older brother
- Reece Thompson as Craig, Sam's college boyfriend
- Nicholas Braun as Ponytail Derek, Candace's boyfriend
- Landon Pigg as Peter
- Tom Savini as Mr. Callahan
- Julia Garner as Susan
John Hughes read the novel and attempted to write a screenplay after he got the rights from Chbosky; however, he never finished this screenplay. Hughes was going to use the project as a directorial comeback with more of a black comedy style. He had in mind particular actors while writing the screenplay, namely, Shia LaBeouf as Charlie, Kirsten Dunst as Sam and Patrick Fugit as Patrick.
Other filmmakers who were interested in the project were Ron Howard, Richard Linklater, Josh Schwartz, McG, Joel Schumacher, Ryan Murphy and British filmmaker Danny Boyle.
Mr. Mudd Productions (producers of Juno) became interested in the project and wanted Chbosky to adapt the film. The producers—John Malkovich, Lianne Halfon, and Russell Smith—hired Chbosky to write a screenplay adaptation (instead of Hughes) and to direct the film. Chbosky found value in half of Hughes' screenplay, so he negotiated for the rights from Hughes' heirs and added his own touches. In January 2011, Summit acquired distribution rights. The following month, Summit sought a buyer for the project at the European Film Market held simultaneously with the Berlin International Film Festival.
In May 2010, actors Logan Lerman and Emma Watson were reported as in talks for the project and confirmed the following year. In April 2011, Mae Whitman signed on as Mary Elizabeth and Nina Dobrev was cast as Candace. Paul Rudd was cast as Mr Anderson later that month. On May 9, 2011, Kate Walsh announced that she was cast in the film as Charlie's mother and had begun filming.
Filming
The film was shot in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area from May 9 to June 29, 2011. Initial filming began in Pittsburgh's South Hills, including South Park, Upper St. Clair, and Peters Township High School.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show scenes were filmed at The Hollywood Theater in Dormont after Chbosky learned that the theater was re-opening; he had seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show there when younger.
The film also has scenes within Pittsburgh city limits inside the Fort Pitt Tunnel, Fort Pitt Bridge on Interstate 376 and on Mount Washington.
Soundtrack
| The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Various Artists | |
| Released | August 1, 2012 |
| Genre | Alternative rock, dream pop, new wave, jangle pop, pop rock, folk rock |
| Length | 51:58 |
| Label | Atlantic Records |
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Soundtrack) is the official music for the book turned film, The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012). The soundtrack was selected by music supervisor, Alexandra Patsavas and the score was composed Michael Brook. The film itself follows the main characters Charlie, and step brother and sister combo Patrick and Sam, as they grow throughout high school.
Screenwriter and director Stephen Chbosky writes in the album’s liner notes. “I’ve shared them with friends. And they have shared their favourites with me. Some of the songs are popular. Some of them are not known by a whole lot of people. But they are all great in their own way. And since these songs have meant a lot to me, I just wanted you to have them as a soundtrack for whatever you need them to be for your life.”
Soundtrack Song List
| Song Title | Artist | Song Length | When it appears in the film |
|---|---|---|---|
| Could it Be Another | The Samples | 3:28 | Opening Credits |
| Come on Eileen | Dexys Midnight Runners | 4:47 | Sam, Patrick and Charlie dance at homecoming |
| Tugboat | Galaxie 500 | 3:54 | Sam makes a milkshake for Charlie |
| Temptation | New Order | 5:24 | Charlie goes to a party after seeing the Rocky Horror Picture Show |
| Evensong | The Innocence Mission | 3:40 | Sam and Charlie talk at the Sadie Hawkins dance |
| Asleep | The Smiths | 4:10 | The first song that plays when Charlie listens to ponytail Derek's mixtape. |
| Low | Cracker | 4:36 | Charlie unknowingly eats a magic brownie |
| Teen Age Riot | Sonic Youth | 6:58 | Patrick and Sam drop Charlie off at home |
| Dear God | XTC | 3:37 | Charlie talks about the relationship between Brad and Patrick |
| Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops' | Cocteau Twins | 4:11 | Montage of the last day of school and graduation |
| Charlie's Last Letter | Micheal Brook | 1:48 | Charlie, Sam and Patrick drive through a tunnel |
| "Heroes" | David Bowie | 6:10 | Sam stands up in the back of the pick-up truck, into ending credits |
