The Perks of Being a Wallflower

A closer look at the story

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is set in Pittsburgh in 1991 and follows Charlie as he begins his first year of high school. Sensitive and shy, Charlie is a wallflower who has always watched life from the edges. While he quietly observes the world around him, he is also struggling to cope with the recent suicide of his best friend, Michael. His English teacher, Bill, hands him extra books to read and encourages him to come out of his shell. The real change, however, arrives when he meets two seniors, Sam and her stepbrother Patrick. They take Charlie under their wing and show him how much friendship, music and love have to offer. Told through letters, the story sees Charlie confronting the scars of his past and the hard issues of growing up, caught between childhood and the adult world ahead. Stephen Chbosky wrote and directed this 103-minute drama from 2012. Logan Lerman plays Charlie, Emma Watson plays Sam and Ezra Miller plays Patrick, with Mae Whitman and Kate Walsh also in the cast. Its heavy themes make it better suited to older viewers.