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Film Study – Wonder
For this term, we moved our focus of english to film study. To catch some of you up, film study is basically where we unpack anything and everything from a film. The most important thing we had to unpack our film study was,
- The Genre
- Body language / Emotions
- Film angles and shots
- Music
- Setting and colour.
The film we watched for this was ‘Wonder’. A story about a boy with facial deformities who overcomes bullying and makes friends along the way. After the film we wrote a film review using our own opinions and things we liked and or disliked/would change. The next thing after that was an essay, unpacking all the things listed above and talked about why. I had fun writing the essay, but it was difficult because I’ve only watched the film once. We all know, to write an informative and well structured essay that you need information. This information was a little vague because not only have I seen it once, but I have a horrible memory. Some of the stuff you’ve maybe heard about in my recent english posts.
Film Review
WONDER
FILM REVIEW
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By Miles Flight 🙂
INTRODUCTION
This is what is known as a thesis statement. This is what will draw your readers into your article or your essay. Since this is a review, emotive language is encouraged and uses some quotes from the movie that can draw the reader’s attention.
Emotive Language
The negative aspects of the film, or you could say the parts where there were a lot of negative emotions were right at the beginning. Auggie was almost isolated, it’s almost like he’s lonely but not alone. The only people he would talk to at the start of the film, excluding family members, was Miranda (Via’s friend).
As well as the mounds of negativity that Auggie (August) received. Looks, stares, comments and people running away shouting “It’s the plague!” Auggie only said he liked school because it was to make his mom feel better about him being put in the first place. You can tell because when he said he liked school, he didn’t make eye contact and just stared at his dinner plate. Of course, since he was physically different, it made him stick out.
Did I like the film? – My Opinion
Wonder is a good movie. With the genre of Family, Drama and a little bit of romance. It’s a great movie for all ages. It really puts the message across to not bully people because of how they look and what they can and can’t do. “Auggie can’t change the way he looks, so maybe we need to change the way we see” is an outstanding quote. Although this isn’t my type of movie to watch myself, it’s still a great movie.
Praise – What went well?
This part, I’m just going to write my two of my favourite parts of the story and why I liked them.
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Summer and Auggie became friends
After Summer sat the opposite of Auggie during break. We can already tell that they were going to become friends because of the soft music and as well as the conversation. Plus from the picture I just added on the first page, they shook hands.
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The Relationship between Via and her Grandmother.
This part of the movie really stuck with me because, as a person who has been left in the dust before, seeing that Via’s Grandmother was her rock really made my heart warm. When Via walked all the way to the beach to relive the moment also made me a little emotional.
“Revolved Around the Sun/Son not the daughter”
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Miranda trying to make up for what happened between her and Via.
When I first saw Miranda, I just assumed she was mean and a backstabber. But once I saw her background all she wanted was to be like Via. And when Via called Auggie telling him to apologise on her behalf and started crying, you know that she really meant that she’s sorry. As well as apologising over the phone and asking someone to apologise for her, you can tell she’s ashamed of what she’s done. Giving her the main part of the play was also a kind but sudden gesture. Miranda being on the sidelines watching Via go made her proud but still, more guilty than ever. She didn’t have all the lights to be on her this time, so she passed it on to Via.
Miranda: “Can you tell Via I miss her?”
Auggie: “Why can’t you tell her yourself?”
Miranda: “…”
Critique – What didn’t go well?
I agree with Miss Carter. When Daisy (the family dog) died, it was meant to be a very emotional part of the movie too. But there was barely anything. Sure it was Via’s rehearsal after, but really they could’ve done a better job. I mean kids wouldn’t cry if their beloved dog died.
Wonder Essay
WONDER
THE ESSAY
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By Miles Flight
INTRODUCTION
Wonder. It’s the average all ages movie about anti bullying. It has Drama, Family, Friendship and even a bit of Romance. This Film is a well structured film. It really spoke their message about anti-bullying, the out-come bullying and sometimes simple misunderstandings in general.
Examples of the ‘bullying’ how Auggie was left out and made fun of for his physical appearance. Or how Via gets mistreated by Miranda and gets accidentally left out by her family. An example of Romance is the tension between Via and Justin.
This essay will basically state what I have analysed in the Film. From the characters to the camera angles, to the music. Basically just a giant overview of the entirety of the film.
Film Aspect & Techniques
THE SETTING
In the mysterious cove of movies and film. The setting is undeniably the most important part of any film. To put it in short, it gives the reader a lot of information and context. E.g you wouldn’t see children sit down and learn algebra underwater. Film is an important part when it comes to context. Let’s unpack a couple of examples.
Nestled in a quiet neighbourhood, this setting embodies warmth, love, and a sense of security. The home exudes a vibrant and lived-in atmosphere, with its comfortable furniture, photographs on the walls, and the comforting aroma of home-cooked meals.
Within these walls, we witness the strong bond between August (Auggie) Pullman and his parents, Mr and Mrs Pullman, as they navigate the challenges of Auggie’s facial differences and his journey into a mainstream school. The home becomes a sanctuary, a place where Auggie’s true self is cherished, and where the family’s unconditional love provides solace amidst the storm of judgement and uncertainty.
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THE NATURE RETREAT – CAMP
In a distressing and pivotal scene, Auggie and his supportive friend, Summer, embark on a field trip to a nature retreat. This picturesque setting serves as a metaphorical escape from the noise and judgments of the world.
Surrounded by lush greenery, towering trees, and the soothing sounds of nature, Auggie finds solace and a renewed sense of self-acceptance. The retreat offers a calming atmosphere that presses pause to everything going on, allowing Auggie to embrace his own unique beauty and find strength in his individuality. It becomes a sanctuary where the characters shed their insecurities, bond with one another, and discover the transformative power of authentic connections.
CAMERA ANGLES
In every film, there has to be your camera angles and your background music. Having these aspects in film helps the audience empathise with what’s happening in the film. The genre’s of this Film are a bit of a mix. But the main genre is Drama. Next to Drama is Family and a little bit of Romance. Let’s get into the examples..
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JACK WILL VS JULIAN ALBANS.
A little bit into the film after Julian overstepped a few boundaries. Jack snapped and started to battle it out unexpectedly in the school hallways. If it weren’t for Mr Brown, there would’ve been more than a few scratches.
Let’s start to unpack this scene. So based on the walls and the position of the characters. The camera is nearing the ground and is pointing up-wards. This usually means that the person that is nearing the top of the frame has the most power. Think of it like a superhero standing tall against their sworn enemy. An angle like that is called a Low Angle shot. In the screenshot above, you can also tell that it’s kind of on an angle. It’s on this angle because having it like that, provides an unusual and dramatic perspective. An angle like that is no other than the Dutch Tilt. Once you put all of the angles and effects together it really does have a more dramatic effect. If it was just at a standing position only, it would just have less emotion that it has. To make a drama film, you need it to be dramatic.
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AUGGIE’S FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.
Other than Auggie’s Mother helping Auggie in every step of his life. The amount of support Auggie got before he fled into school was somewhat touching. Not only was his parents there to wish Auggie a good day, but also his older sister Via. Even though Auggie is the reason why Via is being accidentally left out in the family, she still loves him no matter what. It really speaks about the importance and loyalty of family.
Unfortunately, this is the only screenshot I was able to find that would fit the scene I wanted to unpack. But anywho, throughout the farewells and good wishes, there were two specific angles. There was a POV Shot of Auggie looking up at his parents as they’re comforting him. A POV shot is basically where the camera is in the eyes of the character. Almost like the audience is watching from behind the eyes and in the mind of the character. The reason why the director had the camera in those chosen shots was to empathise the moment more. To make it feel like you’re wishing August a good day too.
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AUGGIE’S FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL – IN THE CLASSROOM.
Of course after the somewhat sappy goodbyes, Auggie had to make his way to class. Being homeschooled your whole life and knowing the people around you is easy. But what’s not easy is going into a big place with hundreds of people your age you hardly know. To August, it’s like tossing a wad of meat into a lion’s den, you either get your self esteem health chomped away, or they lose interest and ignore you. Once everybody started flooding in, August was sitting waiting for the time to pass by, and small hope for a friend.
This shot is a very common but good choice for a situation like this. You’re lonely, have no one and you hardly know your surroundings enough to find a solid place to hide his face from the crowd, figuratively though. Looking at the screenshot above is what we call the Elevated (High) shot. The purpose of this shot is to make the main subject look vulnerable, small and weak. In this case, the shot was used perfectly.
MUSIC & SOUND EFFECTS
Every single film has music and sound effects. At least modern films have music and sound effects. Anywho, music is also one of the most important film aspects in directing/creating a movie. It’s so important in fact that captions include what type of music and what sound effect they’re playing. Why does there need to be music to have a good film? How does Wonder show this aspect of filmmaking? In case you didn’t get the memo, let’s unpack a simple scene.
THE CLASS CAMP
This part of the movie was emotional. Emotional as in joyful. To add some background to the single frame presented.. Auggie and his class applied for a camp because it was somewhat mandatory. August hesitated but with some encouragement, he followed through and joined the class camp. In this scene in particular, Auggie and a handful of students were exploring the woods. Until they encountered a party of older students and they fought. After the fight they took off to the riverside and stood together in the sunset.
The lyrics of the music of this scene was pretty self explanatory. “I know we’re gonna be friends”, pretty much those lyrics summed up what’s happening in the scene. The soft sombre music really tied it together too. This really speaks to the importance of music. If there wasn’t any music at all, it would just be awkward unknown silence. I like this scene because it’s straightforward. It just tells you that they’re going to become friends.
THE CHARACTERS / CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
Of course there are the beautiful cast of characters. Characters are something that you need to try your hardest to build. Without a proper personality of a character, the storyline would be completely messed up. Of course the personalities can change just like that, but there is no explanation why.
Miranda is one of the best characters to use as an example. When she’s first introduced in the story, she made an impression that she was a fake friend. She left Via out during lunch and sat with a group of other friends, excluding her. Miranda played it off and so did Via. But Via was utterly confused. From what we know, not only did she change her personality but she changed her physical appearance.
Comparing her from her first appearance to the play, she didn’t really change; she just wanted to fit in with a group of other people. Miranda had her own segment in the movie explaining her backstory and the relationship between the Pullmans (Auggie and Via family). Miranda was like a sister or a daughter to the Pullmans, they were so close that they were considered family. In that segment we can see that all Miranda wanted to be was to be Via. She wanted to have a brother like Auggie to talk about and wanted a life like hers.
The play situation was when Miranada realised how awful she was towards Via. So what she did was give Via the main character role. Of course Via killed the part, and Miranda was watching from the backstage entry. The teacher was also surprised at how well Via played with such limited time.
Another part where we can see Miranda in her true kind personality, is on the phone with Auggie. The reason why Miranda called Auggie was to apologise to Via. Auggie asks why she doesn’t apologise to Via herself, but she grows silent in her tears.
“Can you tell Via that I’m sorry?” – Miranda
“Why can’t you tell her yourself?”
We can’t forget about the true main character here, Auggie Pullman. As you can tell, Auggie was awfully shy and isolated in his own home in fear of being bullied. Before school, Auggie was homeschooled by his mother. He had a bright mind and fell in love with Science, more specifically Astronomy. Auggie always wore his astronaut helmet while playing or roleplaying, or to hide his face. His helmet was his protection shield.
As we watch further into the movie, he has his ups and downs but continues to attend school. Later on he makes his first friend Jack Will. He gets into a situation where Jack will look like a bad guy, but it was a misunderstanding. Then he makes his next friend, Summer Dawson. They meet during lunch. After that, Auggie gains a lot of reassurance from Summer that he won’t be alone and there will be no accusations in the friendship as Summer clearly states.
“I don’t like being accused of things!” – Summer Dawson.
After that he gains friends after a fight during camp. Only having each other versus a bunch of aggravated teenagers from the other side of camp, they could only flee back. And they did, and successfully knocked most onto the ground and fled from the scene to not make things more violent.
Another scene where we can see the August change was during graduation. If you compare August to his first day versus his last. You can tell things have changed for the better. Auggie went from lonely and anxiety filled to proud and friendly.
First day of School
Graduation Day
Via Pullman was always introverted and kept to herself. Mostly because she only had one friend and was left behind by her family. The only person who truly felt like family to Via, was her Grandmother. Her Grandmother used to talk to her on the beach or whenever she had problems of her own. Via loved her grandmother like it was the only thing that mattered.
Once her Grandmother passed, it shook her right to the core. She didn’t know if she could ever trust someone like that again, especially after what Miranda pulled after camp.
Mrs Pullman, Via’s mother, was always all over Auggie. Making sure he’s okay, he came home safely, or homeschooling him. Via was left out because of her infamous appearance in her massive highschool, and her being in her room. But, Via wasn’t jealous of Auggie nor mad. She knew that Auggie needed more support, that’s why she never spoke out. Via only wished for her Grandmother’s company one more time on the sandy beach.
“Revolved Around the Sun/Son not the daughter”
Of course, Via’s popularity struck after being swiftly placed into the main role of her production. Of course, she nailed it and the audience was impressed. Another person that helped her break out of her shell is her boyfriend, Justin Hollander. It started off as Justin being interested in her mysterious personality, he longed to get to know her better just so he could get a grasp of an other-worldy aspect of her beauty.
“You’re so quiet.” – Justin.
She went from being an introverted girl, to still an introverted girl but with a lot more confidence than she had in the beginning.
CONCLUSION
In the end, “Wonder” is a cinematic masterpiece that utilises the interplay of setting, camera angles, music, and character development to create a deeply moving and inspirational story.
It reminds us of the beauty of compassion, the strength of the human spirit, and the importance of embracing our individuality. Through the synergy of these cinematic elements, “Wonder” touches our hearts, leaving a lasting impact and a reminder of the profound power of empathy in our own lives.
Happy Brodcasting
As you know during some classes, we get our gears in our brain warmed up by writing some summative things about good things in the world. Next term, we are starting on stating our opinions as well as summarising the article.
The link to the blogpost is here
