Wonder at heart-warming story of disfigured lad taking off his mask to face the world
YOUNG Auggie Pullman always sticks a whacking great space helmet on his head before leaving the house.
The lad wants to avoid people staring at his disfigured face – and the ploy works until his mum decides she can no longer home-school him and he has to face the classroom.
Finally he has to remove the toy mask and reveal his true self in a world of bullies.
His story makes one of the most heart-warming movies of the year.
Auggie, played by the brilliant Jacob Tremblay, who you may remember from the Oscar-winning Room, struggles with many complicated emotions.
Among the gut-slamming cruelties perpetrated against him there are moments when he imagines a slight that does not exist.
Not only do we see Auggie’s problems from his perspective, we also experience the impact on those around him, such as his sister Via.
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Adding star quality to the project are Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson as the boy’s concerned parents.
Roberts doesn’t do many movies these days and this is her best in at least a decade.
Wonder isn’t without its imperfections, but it definitely stands out from the family-movie crowd.
