Wonder

On Friday night, I went to the movies. Husband and my brother went to see Murder on the Orient Express. I went to see Wonder. I first wrote about reading the book here. The book wrecked me. Over the summer I hosted book club for Wonder.

I truly 100% believe this book should be required reading. We could all stand to learn a little something from Auggie. The preview for the movie hit me at the core and I loved it from that moment on. 

So here I am on Friday night in the awesome reclining theater... 

 

And it was the perfect movie going experience. There was no one there. Two people on the opposite side of my row. And one person in the row above me, who I couldn't see at all unless I stood up. (In the middle of the movie, some teenagers came in from another movie just so they could make out the whole time but they weren't movie goers.) Have you ever gone to a movie by yourself? It is one of my favorite things to do and I rarely do it anymore. 

So it really felt like it was just me and the movie, which was perfect. I brought my Kleenex too, no worries. And I needed them. I cried and cried. I cried happy tears. I cried sad tears. I cried parent loving children tears. Apparently in order for a movie to be one of my good cry movies it needs to cast Julia Roberts or Owen Wilson. (Stepmom and Armageddon respectively.)  It's wonderful. So putting them together in the same movie was a bit of a sob fest.

The movie hit all the notes I needed them to hit. The kids they cast were phenomenal. And then there were little extras that made it feel like they took ME into account when they made the move. (They didn't really.) The fact Daisy was played by a border terrier just like my childhood dog Angelo? The glimpse of Patrick Swayze and "Nobody puts Baby in a corner" was an extra tidbit of Madeline love too. 

This is Gidget from the movie.

I never say this about "book movies" but I loved it just as much as the book. It was a different experience but overall they got it spot on. It was as if the book came to life. It was, it is, brilliant. I told my brother and Husband when I met them in the lobby after the movie that we would be buying the movie. We really will. I loved it so much. 

The only part of the movie that left a little to be desired was the ending. I enjoyed hearing the lessons everyone learned from writing their own precepts but it wasn't to be. I guess they had to condense it somehow. So I did desire a little bit more from the end but the rest of the movie was so strong I can forgive that. 

Anyway, I highly highly recommend it. It is rated PG so it is suitable for most people. I think you wouldn't need to read the book prior to the movie but in all honestly you should probably read the book because it's so good. And remember it's written for middle grades (10 to 12 year olds) so it is a fast read for adults!