Wonder (film)

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Wonder
Wonder (film).png
Theatrical release poster
Directed byStephen Chbosky
Screenplay by
Based onWonder
by R. J. Palacio
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyDon Burgess
Edited byMark Livolsi
Music byMarcelo Zarvos
Production
companies
Distributed byLionsgate
Release date
Running time
113 minutes[2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$20 million[3]
Box office$306.1 million[4]

Wonder is a 2017 American family drama film directed by Stephen Chbosky and written by Jack Thorne, Steven Conrad, and Chbosky. It is based on the 2012 novel of the same name by R. J. Palacio and stars Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, Jacob Tremblay, Noah Jupe, Izabela Vidovic, Mandy Patinkin, and Daveed Diggs.

The film, which follows a boy with Treacher Collins syndrome trying to fit in, was released in the United States on November 17, 2017, by Lionsgate. It received positive reviews from critics and audiences, with many praising Tremblay and Roberts' performances, Chbosky's direction, writing, musical score and faithfulness to Palacio's novel; the film grossed $305 million worldwide on a $20 million budget. At the 90th Academy Awards, the film was nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.

Plot[]

August "Auggie" Pullman is 10, living in Brooklyn with his mother, Isabel; father, Nate; older sister, Via; and dog, Daisy. He was born with a rare medical facial deformity, mandibulofacial dysostosis, and has undergone 27 surgeries in order to see, smell, speak and hear normally.

Auggie has been home-schooled, but his parents decide to enroll him in middle school at Beecher Prep. Before classes begin, Auggie meets Principal Tushman, who arranges a tour for him with three other students: Jack, Julian, and Charlotte. When school starts, he is ostracized, but soon forms a close friendship with Jack.

For Halloween, Auggie dresses as Ghostface from last year after Daisy ruins the Boba Fett costume he was going to wear. He walks through school upbeat and confident due to his anonymity. However, upon entering homeroom, he overhears Jack, who does not recognize him, joining Julian and his friends Amos, Miles, and Henry, in making fun of him behind his back, saying "[he] would kill [himself] if [he] looked like Auggie." He becomes incredibly sad and makes himself sick from worry, forcing his mother to abandon her mother-daughter day with Via to get him. Though she is hurt, Via convinces Auggie to go trick-or-treating.

Auggie forms a new friendship with a girl named Summer, confiding in her about his split with Jack. When Jack asks Summer why Auggie is avoiding him, she only says "Ghostface". He soon realizes, and resolves to make it up to him by being his partner for the science fair. When Julian confronts Jack in the hallway, calling Auggie a freak, they begin fighting. Jack is suspended for two days, and the principal reads his letter about defending Auggie. Jack then apologizes to Auggie via Minecraft, telling him he said what he said only to gain favor with Julian's friend group, and they reconcile.

Meanwhile, Via signs up for the drama club after meeting a boy named Justin, who she soon begins a relationship with. She is selected as Miranda's understudy for the lead in the school's production of Our Town, but on opening night, learning Via's family is in attendance while her own is not, Miranda feigns illness to let Via take her place. She gives a moving performance, earning a standing ovation, and she and Miranda, who have grown apart after being friends, reconcile.

Auggie's popularity and circle of friends grows over the year, but he is still bullied by Julian and his friends until Mr. Browne notices. The principal confronts Julian and his parents with evidence, including hate notes and a class picture with Auggie photoshopped out. Julian's mother admits she deleted Auggie from the picture, defends Julian's actions, and insists students should not be exposed to Auggie. Despite her threats to pull funding, Julian is suspended for two days, forcing him to miss the nature retreat. As they leave, his mom declares that she and her husband were going to pull him out of school anyway, so he will not be back in the fall and Julian apologizes.

At the nature retreat, Auggie and Jack are threatened by a trio of seventh graders from another school, but Amos, Miles, and Henry defend them.

At the graduation ceremony, Auggie thanks his mom for enrolling him in school, and she tells him "You really are a wonder, Auggie." He is given the Henry Ward Beecher Medal for his strength and courage throughout the school year. The movie ends with everyone cheering Auggie as he delivers a voiceover narration (quoting the last precept Mr. Browne gave in class) "Be kind, for everyone is fighting a hard battle. And if you really want to see what people are, all you have to do is look."

Cast[]

Production[]

Development[]

On November 27, 2012, it was announced that Lionsgate was developing a feature film adaptation of R. J. Palacio's debut novel Wonder, and were in talks with John August to write the screenplay.[5] Mandeville Films' David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman produced the film.[5]

On May 8, 2013, Jack Thorne was hired to adapt the novel after August had departed from the project.[6] In October 2014, John Krokidas was reported to be directing the film,[7] though in April 2015, Paul King was hired to direct instead. Steven Conrad was writing the script at that time.[8]

Casting[]

On April 14, 2016, Jacob Tremblay was cast to play the lead role, Auggie Pullman, while Julia Roberts was in talks to play Auggie's mother.[9] On May 5, 2016, Roberts' casting was confirmed, and Stephen Chbosky was set as the film's director.[10]

On June 27, 2016, Owen Wilson joined to play Auggie's father.[11] On July 11, 2016, newcomer Noah Jupe joined the cast as Auggie's best friend at school,[12] and on July 15, 2016, Daveed Diggs was cast as Mr. Browne, an English teacher at the school.[13]

On August 19, 2016, Sônia Braga joined the cast, portraying the role of Roberts's character's mother.[14]

Visual effects[]

Tremblay's prosthetic makeup, designed and created by Arjen Tuiten, took an hour and a half to apply. It consisted of a skull cap with prosthetic ears attached, a facial prosthetic that covered Tremblay's face, and a wig to tie it all together.[15]

Filming[]

Filming took place in several locations in British Columbia, Canada, and Coney Island, New York, from July 18 to September 13, 2016.

Music[]

Marcelo Zarvos composed the film's score.[16] Bea Miller composed a song for the film, "Brand New Eyes". It was released on August 3, 2017. Wonder author R. J. Palacio has often credited Natalie Merchant's song "Wonder", from her 1995 album Tigerlily, as the inspiration for her best-selling book and at Merchant's invitation, the song was featured on the soundtrack. The song is played during the film's end credits.[17]

Release[]

Lionsgate had initially scheduled Wonder to be released in the United States on April 7, 2017.[18][19] On February 13, 2017, it was announced that the release date had been pushed back to November 17, 2017.[20] Wonder had its world premiere at the Regency Village Theater in Los Angeles on November 14, 2017.[21]

Reception[]

Box office[]

Wonder grossed $132.4 million in the United States and Canada, and $173.2 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $305.6 million, against a production budget of $20 million.[4] Deadline Hollywood calculated the film made a net profit of $55.3 million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues.[22]

In the United States and Canada, Wonder opened alongside Justice League and The Star, and was initially projected to gross around $9 million from 3,096 theaters in its first weekend.[23] However, after grossing $740,000 from Thursday night previews and receiving a large number of group ticket sales, weekend projections were upped to $15 million.[24] Weekend projections were again increased, this time to $28 million, after the film made $9.4 million on its first day. The film went on to debut to $27.1 million, finishing second at the box office, behind Justice League.[25] In its second weekend, the film dropped just 17.7%, grossing $22.7 million and finishing third at the box office.[26]

Critical response[]

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 86% based on 189 reviews, and an average rating of 7.1/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Wonder doesn't shy away from its bestselling source material's sentiment, but this well-acted and overall winsome drama earns its tugs at the heartstrings."[27] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 66 out of 100, based on 33 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[28] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A+" on an A+ to F scale, one of fewer than 90 films in the history of the service to receive the grade.[25]

Some reviewers criticized the decision to cast an actor without the condition as Auggie as undermining the film's message.[29][30]

Accolades[]

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) and nominee(s) Result Ref.
AARP's Movies for Grownups Awards February 5, 2018 Best Intergenerational Film Wonder Nominated [31]
Readers' Choice Poll Wonder Nominated
Academy Awards March 4, 2018 Best Makeup and Hairstyling Arjen Tuiten Nominated [32]
British Academy Film Awards February 18, 2018 Best Makeup and Hair Naomi Bakstad, Robert Pandini and Arjen Tuiten Nominated [33]
Casting Society of America January 18, 2018 Big Budget – Comedy Deborah Aquila, Kara Eide, Tricia Wood and Kris Woz Nominated [34]
Critics' Choice Movie Awards January 11, 2018 Best Young Actor/Actress Jacob Tremblay Nominated [35]
Best Adapted Screenplay Jack Thorne, Steve Conrad and Stephen Chbosky Nominated
Best Hair & Makeup Wonder Nominated
Heartland Film Festival December 31, 2017 Truly Moving Picture Award Stephen Chbosky Won [36]
Hochi Film Award December 18, 2018 Best International Picture Stephen Chbosky Won [37]
London Film Critics Circle January 28, 2018 Young British/Irish Performer of the Year Noah Jupe Nominated [38]
Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild February 24, 2018 Feature Motion Picture: Best Contemporary Makeup Naomi Bakstad, Jean Black and Megan Harkness Nominated [39]
Feature Motion Picture: Best Contemporary Hair Styling Robert Pandini and Alisa Macmillan Nominated
Feature Motion Picture: Best Special Makeup Effects Michael Nickiforek and Arjen Tuiten Nominated
Feature Motion Picture: Best Contemporary Hair Styling Robert Pandini and Alisa Macmillan Nominated
Feature Motion Picture: Best Special Makeup Effects Michael Nickiforek and Arjen Tuiten Nominated
Saturn Awards June 27, 2018 Best Performance by a Younger Actor Jacob Tremblay Nominated [40]
Best Make-up Arjen Tuiten Nominated
Best Independent Film Wonder Won
Seattle Film Critics Society December 18, 2017 Best Youth Performance Jacob Tremblay Nominated [41]
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association December 8, 2017 Best Youth Performance Jacob Tremblay Nominated [42]
Women Film Critics Circle December 17, 2017 Best Family Film Wonder Nominated [43]
[44]
Teen Choice Awards August 12, 2018 Choice Drama Wonder Nominated [45]
Choice Drama Actor Jacob Tremblay Nominated
Choice Drama Actress Julia Roberts Nominated

Musical adaptation[]

It was announced on April 9, 2019 that a musical adaptation of the film is in the works for Broadway. Jill Furman (Hamilton) will produce, R. J. Palacio will adapt the novel for the stage production.

References[]

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  2. ^ "WONDER". Lionsgate Press. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  3. ^ "Will 'Justice League' Perform Like 'Wonder Woman' or 'Suicide Squad' at the Box Office?". TheWrap. November 14, 2017.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "Wonder (2017)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Sneider, Jeff (November 26, 2012). "Lionsgate lining up John August to adapt 'Wonder'". Variety. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  6. ^ Fleming, Mike, Jr. (May 8, 2013). "Lionsgate Taps Jack Thorne To Adapt R.J. Palacio Novel 'Wonder'". Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  7. ^ Ford, Rebecca; Kit, Borys (October 7, 2014). "'Kill Your Darlings' Director to Helm YA Adaptation 'Wonder' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  8. ^ Kit, Borys (April 23, 2015). "'Paddington' Director Books Lionsgate's YA Adaptation 'Wonder' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  9. ^ Geier, Thom (April 14, 2016). "'Room' Star Jacob Tremblay in Talks for Lionsgate's 'Wonder'". TheWrap. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  10. ^ Kit, Borys; Ford, Rebecca (May 5, 2016). "Julia Roberts to Play Jacob Tremblay's Mother in 'Wonder'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  11. ^ Kroll, Justin (June 27, 2016). "Owen Wilson to Co-Star With Julia Roberts in 'Wonder' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  12. ^ Kit, Borys (July 11, 2016). "'Night Manager' Actor Joins Julia Roberts, Jacob Tremblay in 'Wonder' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  13. ^ Lincoln, Ross A. (July 15, 2016). "Tony Winner Daveed Diggs Joins Lionsgate's 'Wonder' In First Post-'Hamilton' Film Role". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  14. ^ Kit, Borys (August 19, 2016). "Sonia Braga Playing Julia Roberts' Mother in 'Wonder' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  15. ^ Giardiana, Carolyn. "'Wonder': Jacob Tremblay's 90-Minute Makeover Involved Custom Teeth and Full Facial Prosthetics". Hollywood Reported. Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved Sep 5, 2021.
  16. ^ "Marcelo Zarvos to Score Steven Chbsoky's 'Wonder'". FilmMusicReporter. January 11, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
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  21. ^ Saval, Malina (November 15, 2017). "'Wonder' Premiere Celebrates Book's Six-Year Journey to Big Screen, 'Once-in-a-Lifetime Actor' Jacob Tremblay". Variety. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
  22. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 29, 2018). "Small Movies, Big Profits: 2017 Most Valuable Blockbuster Tournament". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  23. ^ Anita Busch (November 14, 2017). "The Tale Of Two Films: Walden Media's 'The Star' & 'Wonder' Bow On Same Day".
  24. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 17, 2017). "'Justice League' Powers To $13M Thursday Night; Beats 'Wonder Woman' – Friday AM Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  25. ^ Jump up to: a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 18, 2017). "'Justice League' Encounters Kryptonite At The B.O. With $93M+ Opening: Why The DC Movie Weakened". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  26. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 26, 2017). "Thanksgiving B.O. At $268M, +3% Over 2016 Spurred By 'Coco' & Holdovers". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
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  28. ^ "Wonder reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
  29. ^ Henley, Ariel. "What "Wonder" Gets Wrong About Disfigurement and Craniofacial Disorders". TeenVogue. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  30. ^ Barack, Lauren. "Critics Question the Representation of Disability in 'Wonder'". School Library Journal. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  31. ^ Lee, Ashley (January 17, 2018). "AARP's Movies for Grownups Awards: 'The Post' Leads Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  32. ^ "Oscars: 'Shape of Water' Leads With 13 Noms". The Hollywood Reporter. January 23, 2018. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  33. ^ Ritman, Alex (January 8, 2018). "BAFTA Awards: 'Shape of Water,' 'Three Billboards,' 'Darkest Hour' Lead Pack of Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  34. ^ Ford, Rebecca (January 2, 2018). "Artios Awards: Casting Society Reveals Film Nominees (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  35. ^ "Critics' Choice Awards: 'The Shape of Water' Leads With 14 Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. December 6, 2017. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
  36. ^ "Truly Moving Picture Award". Heartland film. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
  37. ^ "作品賞・海外部門「ワンダー 君は太陽」配給のキノフィルムズ・武部由実子社長「今後も精進して参りたいと思います」…報知映画賞表彰式". Sports Hochi (in Japanese). December 19, 2018. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  38. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (December 19, 2017). "'Three Billboards' Leads London Critics' Circle Film Award Nominations". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  39. ^ Giardina, Carolyn (January 5, 2018). "Makeup Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards: 'Darkest Hour,' 'Wonder' Lead Feature Nominees". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  40. ^ McNary, Dave (March 15, 2018). "'Black Panther,' 'Walking Dead' Rule Saturn Awards Nominations". Variety. Archived from the original on March 15, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  41. ^ "'Blade Runner 2049 Leads the 2017 Seattle Film Critics Society Nominations". Seattle Film Critics Society. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  42. ^ "The 2017 WAFCA Awards". Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association. December 8, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  43. ^ Neglia, Matt (December 12, 2017). "The 2017 Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC) Nominations". Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  44. ^ Benardello, Karen (December 23, 2017). "The Women Film Critics Circle Awards 2017's Best Movies". Shockya.com. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  45. ^ Douglas, Esme. "Teen Choice Awards 2018: See the full list of winners". EW. Archived from the original on August 13, 2018. Retrieved August 13, 2018.

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