Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks Of Being A Wallflower is a series of letters sent from a teenager under the alias name Charlie. He writes to the reader his journey of his freshman year, dealing with substantial issues that many teenagers can relate with.
As the reader, we get to see Charlie transform as he tries to move on after the death of his best friend, Michael. His only other friend, who was Michael’s former girlfriend, was no longer interested in being Charlie’s friend. We start off the book with a lonely teenage boy trying to cope with this situation by writing his letters to an anonymous recipient.
Imagine yourself on the receiving end of these letters – learning about the life of a young boy, his ups and downs, his feelings, and his inner thoughts. This kind of narrative make the readers feel obliged to keep Charlie’s secrets. We are simply here to know and are trusted with his story as an everyday wallflower trying to break out his shell.
That’s the great thing about this book. The unique narration captures my attention as I strive to learn more about Charlie. Right off the bat, there was some sort of force that wanted me to dig deeper into what he says because it intrigues me. Taking into account with the title, Charlie observes everything, but does not speak about, until he writes about them. He talks about his relationship with his English teacher, Bill, who sees the potential in Charlie and introduces him to classic novels, and encourages him to write essays based on them. Charlie also speaks of his new friends, Sam and Patrick, who are outsiders like him. They introduce him into a new social circle, new experiences like partying, drugs and alcohol, and help him get his first girlfriend. They try to get him to live and experience his life, rather than observe it. Read more…
ANDPOP and Summit Entertainment are teaming up to give two winners a copy of the novel and soundtrack for fan-favourite The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Written by Stephen Chobsky, the book is a funny and touching coming-of-age story about the dizzying highs and crushing lows of growing up. The movie, starring Logan Lerman, Emma Watson and Ezra Miller, also has a badass soundtrack that includes songs by The Smiths, David Bowie, New Order and Sonic Youth.
It’s easy to win!! Just fill out the form below and make sure to like our Facebook page.
This contest has ended.
Prizing provided by Summit Entertainment
Sarah Hyland
What she’s wearing: The Modern Family actress showed up to the 6th Annual Power of Youth Event in Los Angeles, California in a floral Zimmermann dress.
Why we love it: The draping on the bottom half takes this floral dress to the next level since it adds a contrasting texture to the look. The draping technique continues to the back of the dress making for a pleasant surprise when Hyland turns around — it goes from sweet floral dress to a total knockout stunner! She paired it with Brian Atwood shoes in a cobalt colour and a matching Kotur clutch that both bring out the blues in the dress.
Takeaway: Pick a floral dress with interesting design elements instead of just basing your choice on the print itself. If you took away the print from this dress and remade it into a solid fabric, the dress would still be hot.
Kate Middleton
What she’s wearing: The Duchess of Cambridge arrived in the Solomon Islands in a bright geometric Jonathan Saunders dress during her royal tour of Southeast Asia.
Why we love it: If only everybody looked like this while getting off a plane! Then again, there’s usually not a red carpet waiting for you on the tarmac when you get off. We’re suckers for bold geometric prints and this dress has that in spades! Plus it’s in a unique colour combination of aqua, forest-green, and white, which makes it stand out and makes it fun. She accents the look with cream accessories: the heels, the clutch and hat (the Brits sure do love a good hat!).
Takeaway: When wearing bold prints, accessorize with neutral items to minimize the in-your-face quality of the bold print. The neutral accessories will really let the print stand out.
Emma Watson Read more…
When I read The Perks of Being a Wallflower in Grade 9, I was a slightly awkward freshman just like Charlie, trying to make friends and get involved in school. Even though I didn’t deal with the same problems as the book’s protagonist, there were evidently times when I felt alone.
The book’s author, Stephen Chbosky, knows these feelings all to well. On hand to present Perks’ film adaptation at TIFF (which Chbosky also directed), he reminded everyone in the theatre they should never feel lonely. “I’m so proud to be sitting in a room with 1200 people. Whether you like this movie at the end of the day or you don’t, just know that no one in this room is alone.”
His book gathered a cult following when it was released in 1999 and still resonates with many young people who deal with the universal challenges of growing up.
Plot:
The film stars Logan Lerman as Charlie, a bright yet awkward teen about to enter his freshman year of high school. Having spent time at the hospital to deal with the recent suicide of his best friend Michael, Charlie decides to cope with his loneliness by writing anonymous letters.
Hopeful for the upcoming school year, Charlie’s reserved and introverted nature initially makes it difficult for him to make friends. But once he meets the eccentric Patrick (Ezra Miller) and his beautiful stepsister Sam (Emma Watson), he’s soon introduced to a new world featuring mix-tapes, parties, sex, drugs and alcohol.
As things begin to look up for Charlie, curveballs continue to be thrown his way. He fights his growing feelings for Sam and struggles to push away unresolved memories of the past, all while realizing his friends have problems of their own too.
Things I loved:
The cast
The chemistry between actors is crucial in a coming of age story that focus a great deal on love and friendship, and the film couldn’t have chosen better leads. While Watson may forever be known as “that girl from Harry Potter,” it’s nice to see her tackle a more challenging role like Sam, a troubled girl who sleeps with boys for validation. Although she experiences a few challenges with her American accent, Watson flawlessly depicts Sam’s insecurities about getting into university while trying hard not to be Charlie’s dream girl.
However, it’s Lerman and Miller who shine in the movie. While Miller steals scenes as the cynical and sarcastic Patrick, Lerman hits all the right notes by providing a heart-wrenching performance that’ll make you tear up. Also appearing, are Paul Rudd and Nina Dobrev as Charlie’s English teacher Bill and his sister Candace.
The Soundtrack
Featuring songs such as The Smiths’ “Asleep” to 80s hits such as Midnight Runners’ “Come on Eileen” and New Order’s “Temptation ‘87”, the songs in this film will either take you back to another decade or make you want to create your own mix-tapes.
How it stays true to the novel (includes photos from the premiere below!) Read more…
By Sophall Duch
If you’re the major fashion fanatic we think you are, then you know this past week has been INSANE, what with New York Fashion Week, Fashion’s Night Out, the MTV Video Music Awards, the Toronto Film Festival and more. It’s fashion overload and we love it! If you want to check out some of the best looks from the MTV VMAs, take a look here. As for the rest, here we go!
Emma Watson
What she wore: The British actress showed up in this sleeveless black and blue-embroidered floral peplum Erdem dress at the TIFF premiere of The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Why we love it: This look proves florals aren’t just for spring and summer and can work into the fall season as well. The embroidered floral detail pop off this white mini is on trend with its hints of cobalt — a major colour for the fall season. The lace yoke (the part of the dress at the collarbone and shoulders) is also on trend for the fall, so expect to see lace yokes in a lot of upcoming looks.
Takeaway: Invest in cobalt pieces for your wardrobe. This hue has been popular for a while now but is making a huge splash in the fall runway season. If you’re not a fan of showing cleavage, then lace or sheer yokes are a good fashion technique to keep covered while not looking too demure.
Nina Dobrev
What she wore: The Canadian actress wore a stunning red Reem Acra cocktail dress to the LA premiere of The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Why we love it: The vibrant red-orange colour is a surefire way to stand out. Unlike her co-star Emma Watson’s dress at the TIFF premiere, this dress shows off Dobrev’s cleavage while still working in the embroidered lace detail in the sleeves. This dress manages to mix two trends, lace and cutouts, in a fun and stylish way.
Takeaway: If you’re not a fan of long-sleeve dresses (because let’s be honest sometimes long-sleeve dresses look older) using cutouts, lace, or other sheer fabrics keeps things youthful while getting to show some skin in a fun and strategic way.
Ashley Benson Read more…
Imagine Dragon’s new single “It’s Time went viral after being used in the trailer for the coming of age film The Perks of Being a Wallflower, starring Emma Watson. Their EP Continued Silence was released on Valentine’s Day and they’re currently recording their debut album Night Visions with Alex Da Kid (Nicki Minaj, Rihanna).
In a phone interview with andPOP, lead vocalist Dan Reynold’s said that while things are moving flash-fast, they’re ready. “I think it’s important for a band to have time to prepare or else they go viral overnight and are forgotten,” he said. “We’ve been a band for three years and are building something from the ground up.”
Here are a few things you may not know about them:
Imagine Dragons are pranksters: The guys don’t have access to the Internet on the road so they usually watch shows like Dexter and Game of Thrones. “Suddenly it’s taken a turn for the worse and has become a prank van,” Reynolds laughs. Pranks range from them slipping their clinical insomniac guitarist a five-hour energy drink (he stayed up for a week straight) or sneakily putting stickers in hair (ouch) so the victim has to yank it out later. Reynold’s best prank was an act of revenge, after a crew member pretended to delete every file on his computer. Upon discovering the prankster has major arachnophobia, he hid a hairy tarantula in a donut box. “He reached in and grabbed a donut. When he realized there was a spider in there he freaked out,” Reynolds said. “So we’re even now.”
His sister’s book club read The Perks of Being a Wallflower: Read more…
The first trailer for the highly anticipated “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is set to premiere during the MTV Movie Awards pre-show tonight. If you can’t wait that long, new stills and a quick preview have made their way onto the internet to quench your thirst.
The movie stars Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson and the Olympians), Ezra Miller (the creepy Kevin of We Need to Talk about Kevin) and everyone’s favourite nerdy girl (both in the magical world and in real life) Emma Watson. Based on the critically acclaimed novel, the movie is about an introverted freshman (Lerman) who gets some guidance from two seniors (Watson and Miller).
This marks the first role Watson has done with an American accent. Will the former Hogwarts student convince us she’s more than just magic and books? Watson’s made a convincing case with her small role in My Week with Marilyn. Hopefully, she can enchant us again, but with an American accent this time.
Watch the quick preview below:
I’m so excited to hear that Bling Ring is finally going to be done correctly. First, Sophia Coppola is directing and producing the film so we can expect beautiful cinematography and a rocking soundtrack. Now we know it’s also going to star Emma Watson.
“I am excited about the young cast we’re assembling and I’m looking forward to shooting on location here in Los Angeles,” Coppola said in a statement.
If you don’t already know the story, around 2008/2009 a gang of teens broke into celebrity homes in Hollywood, stealing about $3 million worth of jewelry and clothing. Victims included Paris Hilton, Rachel Bilson, Orlando Bloom, Megan Fox and Lindsay Lohan among others.
The “Bling Ring” or the “Hollywood Hills Burglar Bunch” were eventually caught on surveillance videos and were booked for residential burglary.
It’s safe to say that Emma Watson is choosing some stellar teen roles, first with The Perks of Being a Wallflower and now this one.
The original Bling Ring:
Even if the Harry Potter films have come to an end, Emma Watson plans on continuing her acting career. As reported by comingsoon.net, the actress has signed on to appear in the film adaptation of the popular novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Summit Entertainment has acquired the rights to the film. The movie is written and will be directed by Stephen Chbosky who also penned the novel that was published in 1999. John Malkovitch will be executive producer of the project which is set to begin filming in the summer.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a coming of age story that revolves around 15-year-old Charlie (Played by Logan Lehman) , a high school misfit with a big heart who is forced to cope with first love (Watson), the suicide of his best friend, and his own mental dilemmas while trying to find a place where he belongs. The story is set in the early 1990s and explores the common adolescent themes of sexuality, drug abuse, and love.
The book was and continues to be extremely successful. The film will hopefully sustain the originality and quirkiness of the book. With Chbosky directing, Malkovitch producing, and Watson starring, the project could be a success.
