The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
88%RT Audience Score: 89%
Awards & Nominations: 19 wins & 50 nominations
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a heartfelt and sincere adaptation that’s bolstered by strong lead performances
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is like a high school yearbook come to life, but with better music and more attractive people. It’s a heartwarming and relatable story about finding your place in the world, even if that place is on the fringes. The performances are top-notch, especially Emma Watson and Ezra Miller, who manage to be both hilarious and heartbreaking. And the soundtrack is a perfect mix of ’90s nostalgia and indie rock. So if you’re looking for a movie that will make you laugh, cry, and feel all the feels, this is the one for you.
Production Company(ies)
Warner Bros., Legendary Entertainment, Syncopy
Distributor
Summit Entertainment
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Fort Pitt Tunnel, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 on appeal for mature thematic material, drug and alcohol use, sexual content including references, and a fight – all involving teens
Year of Release
2012
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Digital Datasat
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 43m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 12, 2012 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 12, 2013
Genre(s)
Romance/Lgbtq+
Keyword(s)
starring Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Mae Whitman, Kate Walsh, Dylan McDermott, directed by Stephen Chbosky, written by Stephen Chbosky, Romance, Lgbtq+, PG-13, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Deborah Ross, Violet Lucca, David Stratton, Jake Wilson, Ian Buckwalter, David Sexton, Gautam Anand, Jason Adams, Nicole Ackman, David Walsh, Mike Massie, produced by Lianne Halfon, Russell Smith, John Malkovich
Worldwide gross: $33,384,127
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $43,039,632
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,404
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 4,693,526
US/Canada gross: $17,742,948
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $22,874,642
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,368
US/Canada opening weekend: $228,359
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $294,406
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,549
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $13,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $16,759,918
Production budget ranking: 1,466
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $9,025,216
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $17,254,499
ROI to date (est.): 67%
ROI ranking: 1,076
Emma Watson – Sam
Ezra Miller – Patrick
Mae Whitman – Mary Elizabeth
Kate Walsh – Mother
Dylan McDermott – Father
Director(s)
Stephen Chbosky
Writer(s)
Stephen Chbosky
Producer(s)
Lianne Halfon, Russell Smith, John Malkovich
Film Festivals
Toronto
Awards & Nominations
19 wins & 50 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (171) | Top Critics (58) | Fresh (146) | Rotten (25)
This is boring, and it’s partly that believability thing. How many alienated outsiders do you have to gather together before they become insiders? Alternatively, they are all so good-looking, smart and well-heeled, they are winners, surely.
September 1, 2018
Deborah Ross
The Spectator
TOP CRITIC
“Like real teenagers, Watson and Miller convincingly move from glowing objects of desire to comic relief to deeply troubled human beings.”
June 28, 2013
Violet Lucca
Film Comment Magazine
TOP CRITIC
I think for a first film this guy who wrote the book and has adapted it for the screen has done a terrific job and I really found these characters sympathetic.
November 29, 2012 | Rating: 4/5
David Stratton
At the Movies (Australia)
TOP CRITIC
Even making allowances for a certain amount of Hollywood gloss, there’s something wrong with a film about misfits where everyone is this good-looking and poised.
November 29, 2012 | Rating: 1.5/5
Jake Wilson
The Age (Australia)
TOP CRITIC
Perks seems like the work of a much more experienced director, maintaining fidelity to the source material without sacrificing any cinematic qualities, triggering genuine sentimentality and nostalgia through interaction between sound and image.
October 9, 2012 | Rating: 8/10
Ian Buckwalter
The Atlantic
TOP CRITIC
Chbosky directs the movie with the care and conviction of someone who knows that this is his big story being told once and for all.
October 5, 2012 | Rating: 4/5
David Sexton
London Evening Standard
TOP CRITIC
The films biggest achievement is how beautifully it captures the rich tapestry of teenage experiences soaked in lessons learned for a lifetime.
March 22, 2022 | Rating: 4.5/5
Gautam Anand
The Cinemaholic
How warmly rewarding it is to watch people seem to actually like each other once in awhile
January 10, 2022
Jason Adams
My New Plaid Pants
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of the best coming-of-age films ever made, from its strong performances…to its eloquent but grounded screenplay.
September 23, 2021 | Rating: 9/10
Nicole Ackman
Next Best Picture
The result, while generally pleasant, is neither compelling nor memorable enough. The figures and situations are somewhat familiar, generic, rounded off.
February 12, 2021
David Walsh
World Socialist Web Site
In this fraudulent alternate reality, eccentricity appears unconvincingly appreciated.
December 2, 2020 | Rating: 3/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
The Perks Of Being A Wallflower is a delicate film which captures the pain, fragility, love and joy of being young like few before it have.
October 27, 2020
Film Companion Staff
Film Companion…
Plot
Based on the novel written by Stephen Chbosky, this is about 15-year-old Charlie (Logan Lerman), an endearing and naive outsider, coping with first love (Emma Watson), the suicide of his best friend, and his own mental illness while struggling to find a group of people with whom he belongs. The introvert freshman is taken under the wings of two seniors, Sam and Patrick, who welcome him to the real world.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Nothing to add here about The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Stephen-Chbosky.jpg
