Theres no movie genre more fraught with mixed emotions than the humble tear-jerker.
On the flip side, for those of us in the audience, we demand more than simple manipulation.
We want subtlety in exchange for our precious sniffles.
Stephen Chboskys new three-hankie drama,Wonder, isnota subtle movie.
Lets be absolutely clear about that.
Hell, an adorable dog dies in the middle act for no essential reason to the plot.
So its a minor miracle that the film works as well as it does.
The problem is more theirs than his.
But since hes 10, he has a hard time seeing it that way.
Hes so self-conscious about his appearance that he wears an astronauts helmet everywhere he goes.
Its his way of hiding from the world.
As overprotective parents, its not an easy decision.
It doesnt hurt that smaller supporting parts are played by seasoned pros like Mandy Patinkin and Sonia Braga.
Will you know that youre being manipulated?
But the wonder ofWonderis you wont mind a bit.B+
