M•O•M•M•A recommends Wonder

My husband and I have been trying to watch more non animated movies as a couple. For the past few years I feel like if it didn’t happen on Sesame Street, Bikini Bottom, or The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse it didn’t happen. Go ahead laugh, but for a family of 4 movies are expensive. In between parking, snacks, and tickets, and then probably dinner because let’s face it, who isn’t hungry after you snack on movie theater food? Movie night comes in at a pretty penny. So a movie for two without animated characters sounds great! Thankfully for me, my husband will pretty much watch any chick flick, kids movie, or family film without hesitation. So we decided to give WONDER a try.

The movie is based on the New York Times best seller novel WONDER. It tells the inspiring story of August Pullman. A boy, transitioning from home school to middle school, born with facial differences & health complications that have prevented him from attending mainstream school until now. Auggie, as his family calls him, is about to start the Fifth grade and face the entire school. He loves science, Star Wars, and video games, just like any kid his age does. Auggie struggles to fit in not only because he is different, or because he’s been home schooled his whole life, but because his classmates & the community have a hard time feeling compassion, kindness, and most of all, acceptance towards him.

Why I recommend it? Wonder tells the story focusing not only on Auggie’s struggle and life, but on the entire family, classmates, teachers, and community. In a world where being the cool kid is often more important than being the kind kid, this movie is a lesson for all. For the kid who stands up for being different and won’t give up, to the kid who sees beyond looks and reaches out to be a friend to the kid no one wants to be friends with, to the other that faces peer pressure head on, and decides to be a friend although he will be ridiculed for it, to the educator who keeps a watchful eye to provide a nurturing environment for all of the children in school. Also a great lesson for all parents, for the ones that help their kids get through their daily struggles but won’t remove all of the obstacles from their path, to the parent who hasn’t thought about the words or behavior they exhibit at home and how they can affect how your child treats others. 

If you are an educator, please watch this film. If you are middle school teacher or administrator , I highly recommend you have your classes watch this movie and hold meaningful discussions with your students and analyze the part each and every one of us can play in a person’s life who is struggling a little more than the rest of us.  I haven’t read the book, but I can probably say with certainty that you should add this book to your books to read list. Parents and kids will be brought to think honestly about your actions, feelings, thoughts, and efforts in raising, and being kind people to all.