“And if you really want to see how people are, all you have to do is look.”

From Wonder.

August (Jacob Tremblay) is a little kid whose face often makes him a social outcast, even though he’s just a normal kid that loves outer space, his family, and all things Star Wars.  Born with a genetic defect that has required many surgeries over his young life, Auggie has been homeschooled by his mother (Julia Roberts) and wearing an . astronaut’s helmet when out in public.  Since he’ll be going into 5th Grade, Auggie’s parents (dad played by Owen Wilson) have decided it’s time for Auggie to go to regular school.  He is introduced to a few children to help make his transition to school easier; one boy with hand-me-down shoes named Will (Noah Jupe) and a boy with trust-fund-kid shoes named Julian (Bryce Gheisar).  Auggie excels in his classes, makes a friend in Jack, and ignores that the entire school stares at him.  As we watch Auggie’s story unfold, we also get to see how his story is enhanced through the kindness of people in his life (such as his older sister [Izabela Vidovic]).  Things go well for a while, but some bullying isolates Auggie at school and he’ll have to learn what it means to be strong and kind when everyone else around him are the exact opposite.

This movie is spectacular!  It may be largely targeted at kids and fans of the children’s book series, but it is a powerfully moving and captivating story, regardless of age.  Auggie is a fun-loving little boy that enjoys life despite his hardships, and the other characters in the movie are genuine, but also multi-layered to allow easy development throughout the story.  The message of the movie is present through the entire movie, but it is not blatantly obvious so as to distract from heart that really makes the movie so great.  There are some sad moments, but they are far outweighed by the happy moments.  This is an exceptional movie that, without a doubt, should be watched again and again.

| Rated: PG | Running Time: 113 minutes |Genre: family/drama |

||Family Viewing||Cursing: 0 of 10|Nudity: 0 of 10|Sexuality: 0.5 of 10|Gore: 1 of 10

|AVAILABLE FOR HOME VIEWING|