The Perks of Being a Wallflower (film)

Last updated

The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The Perks of Being a Wallflower Poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Stephen Chbosky
Screenplay byStephen Chbosky
Based on The Perks of Being a Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Andrew Dunn
Edited by Mary Jo Markey
Music by Michael Brook
Production
company
Distributed by Summit Entertainment [1]
Release dates
  • September 8, 2012 (2012-09-08)(TIFF)
  • September 21, 2012 (2012-09-21)(United States)
Running time
103 minutes [2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$13 million [3]
Box office$33.3 million [4]

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a 2012 American coming-of-age romantic drama film written and directed by Stephen Chbosky, and based on his 1999 novel of the same name. Logan Lerman stars as a teenager named Charlie who writes to an unnamed friend, and these epistles chronicle his trials, tribulations, and triumphs as he goes through his freshman year of high school. The film depicts his struggles with his, unbeknownst to him, post-traumatic stress disorder, as he goes through his journey in high school making new friends, portrayed by Emma Watson and Ezra Miller. The film's ensemble cast also includes Mae Whitman, Kate Walsh, Dylan McDermott, Joan Cusack, Nina Dobrev and Paul Rudd in supporting roles.

Contents

Chbosky had always intended to adapt the novel to film, but did not rush to do so. He was hesitant to sell the rights to the film to anyone, but eventually sold them to Mr. Mudd Productions as long as they let him write and direct the film. Filming began in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in May 2011 and lasted approximately fifty days. [4] [5] [6] [7]

The Perks of Being a Wallflower had its world premiere at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2012, to a standing ovation. It was released theatrically in the United States on September 21, 2012, by Summit Entertainment. The film was well received by critics, who praised Chbosky's screenplay and direction, the performances of Lerman, Watson and Miller, soundtrack, execution of its topics, and emotional weight. It was also a box office success, grossing $33.3 million on a budget of $13 million, and received several accolades, including the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature, two Critics' Choice Movie Awards nominations, and the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film – Wide Release. The film has since become a cult classic, [8] especially among Zillennials, and helped define the "Tumblr era" in the early 2010s. [9]

Plot

In 1991, Charlie, who has suffered from clinical depression since childhood, has been discharged from a mental health care institution. Uneasy about beginning his freshman year of high school, he is shy and only manages to make friends with his English teacher.

Charlie meets two seniors, Patrick and his stepsister Sam. After the homecoming dance, Sam and Patrick invite him to a party with their friend group. He unknowingly eats a cannabis brownie, gets high, and makes speeches to the amusement of the party-goers. He also walks in on Patrick and Brad, the high school quarterback, kissing. Patrick tells Charlie that Brad is closeted, so he agrees to keep it a secret. Charlie discloses to Sam that his best friend committed suicide the year before, making her realize that Charlie has no other friends, so she and Patrick bring Charlie into their group. On their way home, the three hear an unknown song on the radio. Sam instructs Patrick to drive through a tunnel so she can stand up in the back of the pickup while the music blasts.

Sam needs to improve her SAT scores to have a better chance of being accepted into Penn State University, so Charlie offers to tutor her. This improves her scores, and at Christmas, she gives him a vintage typewriter. They discuss relationships, and Charlie reveals he has never been kissed. Sam reveals that her first kiss was at age 11 by her father's boss. Charlie reveals that his Aunt Helen was also sexually assaulted as a child. Sam tells Charlie she wants his first kiss to be from someone who loves him, and they kiss.

At a party, Charlie trips on LSD. He cannot control his flashbacks of Aunt Helen, who died in a car crash on her way to buy him his 7th birthday gift. He ends up in the hospital after falling asleep in the snow. At a regular The Rocky Horror Picture Show performance, Sam asks Charlie to fill in for her boyfriend, Craig. Their friend Mary Elizabeth is impressed and asks him to the Sadie Hawkins dance, and they enter an unsatisfactory relationship. At a party, when Charlie is dared to kiss the prettiest girl in the room, he chooses Sam, upsetting both her and Mary Elizabeth. Patrick tells Charlie to stay away from the group for a while and Charlie sinks back into depression.

Brad shows up to school with bruises on his face after his father catches him having sex with Patrick. Brad says he was jumped and beaten up, and he distances himself from Patrick, calling him a "faggot". In anger, Patrick punches him, causing him to retaliate. Brad's friends beat Patrick and prevent Sam from intervening when Charlie does before blacking out. Upon recovering, he finds that he has incapacitated Brad's friends and threatens to blind them. Sam and Patrick thank Charlie, and the three become friends again.

Charlie's mental state worsens. Patrick tries to cope with what happened with Brad and kisses Charlie before immediately apologizing. Sam is accepted into Penn State, and she breaks up with Craig on prom night after learning he is cheating on her. The night before she departs, she brings Charlie to her room. They confide in each other and kiss, but when Sam touches Charlie's thigh, he experiences a flashback of his Aunt Helen, which he passes off.

After Sam leaves for college, Charlie's emotional state and flashbacks worsen. He calls his sister, who realizes he is in distress and calls the police. Charlie eyes a kitchen knife as they burst through the door and awakens in a hospital, where psychiatrist Dr. Burton brings out his repressed memories, revealing that his aunt sexually abused him as a child.

The night Charlie is released from the hospital, he is visited by Sam and Patrick. The three revisit the tunnel, having identified the song (Heroes by David Bowie), and Charlie and Sam share a kiss. Charlie stands up in the back of the truck. He acknowledges that he feels alive and that, at the moment, "we are infinite".

Cast

Production

Development

Stephen Chbosky at the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con Stephen Chbosky, Jericho Panel at Comic Con SD 2006 cropped.jpg
Stephen Chbosky at the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con

Chbosky incorporated both fictional ideas and personal experiences into the novel. [10] After five years with these elements in mind, [10] he had the idea of writing the novel during a difficult period in his life. [11] He was experiencing an unpleasant breakup of his own, [11] which led him to ask, "Why do good people let themselves get treated so badly?" [12] The author tried to answer the question with the sentence "we accept the love we think we deserve". This quote references the struggle of finding self love, encompassing one's life and hope for the future, and not just romantic love. [13]

The story began when Chbosky was in school, evolving from another book on which he was working. [10] In that book he wrote the sentence, "I guess that's just one of the perks of being a wallflower", which led him to realize "that somewhere in that ... was the kid I was really trying to find." [10] Chbosky began writing the novel in the summer of 1996 while he was in college, [14] and within ten weeks he completed the story. [10] He rewrote it into two more drafts, concluding the published version in the summer of 1998. [14]

Charlie was loosely based on Chbosky himself. Like the novel itself, Chbosky included much of his own memories from the time he lived in Pittsburgh into the film. [15] The other characters were manifestations of people Chbosky had known throughout his life; [16] Chbosky focused on people's struggles and what they are passionate about, attempting to pin down the very nature of each of the characters. [17] The characters of Sam and Patrick were an "amalgamate and celebration" of several people Chbosky has met; Sam was based on girls who confided in him, and Patrick was "all the kids I knew who were gay and finding their way to their own identity." [15]

Shortly after the novel's release, Chbosky began to write a screenplay for it. [18] Chbosky recalled a meeting with his agent saying, "My agent said we would average a call a week, whether it was from producers optioning it or a writer or director wanting to adapt. Even a German film company, I don't know the name of the company, but they wanted to buy it and turn it into a German film, which I would love to have seen, in an alternate universe kind of way. Yeah, there were many offers, but I couldn't let it go. I don't know how to sell something this personal. And especially what the book meant to the fans—I couldn't let it go to anyone else. I owed the fans a movie that was worthy of their love for the book." [18] When he finally did sit down and started on penning the screenplay, he found it more difficult than the book. The novel took him just four months to write, while the script took him a year. [19]

Chbosky would not sell the rights to the film unless a studio also let him adapt and direct the film. John Malkovich's production company Mr. Mudd Productions purchased the rights to the film and let Chbosky himself write the script and direct the film.

After discovering, from her agent, that no one in Hollywood wanted to fund the movie due to its subject matter, Emma Watson flew out to Los Angeles to pitch the film and met with multiple studio executives from all the major film studios such as Paramount, Warner Bros., Disney, etc. In January 2011 after Watson met with and pitched the film to Erik Feig, he gave the greenlight, which led to Summit acquiring the distribution rights. [20] [21] [22] The following month, Summit sought a buyer for the project at the European Film Market held simultaneously with the Berlin International Film Festival. [23]

Casting

In May 2010, Logan Lerman and Emma Watson were reportedly in talks for the project [24] and confirmed the following year. [25] In April 2011, Mae Whitman signed on as Mary Elizabeth and Nina Dobrev was cast as Candace. Paul Rudd was cast as Mr. Anderson later that month. [26] On May 9, 2011, Kate Walsh announced that she was cast in the film as Charlie's mother and had begun filming. [27] On May 19, 2011, it was announced that Ezra Miller had joined the film. [28]

Filming

The film was shot in the Cincinnati & Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area from May 9 to June 29, 2011. [29] Initial filming began in Pittsburgh's South Hills, including South Park, Upper St. Clair, and Peters Township High School. [30] [31]

The Rocky Horror Picture Show scenes were filmed at The Hollywood Theater in Dormont [32] after Chbosky learned that the theater was re-opening; he had seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show there when he was younger. [33]

The film also has scenes within Pittsburgh city limits inside the Fort Pitt Tunnel, Fort Pitt Bridge on Interstate 376 and on Mount Washington. [34]

Music

The soundtrack to The Perks of Being a Wallflower was released by Atlantic Records on September 11, 2012, a month before the film's release. [35] The film's music was chosen by the film's director Stephen Chbosky and music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas, while the incidental music was scored by Michael Brook. [36] The score album was released September 25, 2012. [37]

Chbosky wrote on the album's liner notes, “I’ve shared them with friends. And they have shared their favourites with me. Some of the songs are popular. Some of them are not known by a whole lot of people. But they are all great in their own way. And since these songs have meant a lot to me, I just wanted you to have them as a soundtrack for whatever you need them to be for your life.” [38] [39]

Release

The Perks of Being a Wallflower had its world premiere [40] at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2012, to a standing ovation. [41]

The film was initially scheduled for release on September 14, 2012, but in August 2012, it was announced that the release would be delayed by a week to September 21, 2012, in selected cities. [42] The film continued to expand on September 28, 2012, with a nationwide release on October 5, 2012. The UK premiere was on September 23 [43] at the Cambridge Film Festival.

Rating

The film originally received an R rating for "teen drug and alcohol use, and some sexual references". The filmmakers appealed, and the MPAA changed it to PG-13 for "mature thematic material, drug and alcohol use, sexual content including references, and a fightall involving teens". [44]

Reception

Box office

The Perks of Being a Wallflower received a limited release of four theaters in the United States on September 21, 2012, and grossed $228,359 on its limited opening weekend, averaging $57,089 per theater. The film earned $17,742,948 in North America and $15,641,179 in other countries, for a worldwide total of $33,384,127. [4] [45] [46]

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 85% based on 172 reviews, with an average rating of 7.50/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a heartfelt and sincere adaptation that's bolstered by strong lead performances." [47] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 67 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [48] On CinemaScore, audience members gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale. [49]

The arrival of the stars from the movie "Indignation" (25036130926) (Logan Lerman cropped).jpg
Emma Watson 2013.jpg
Ezra Miller by Gage Skidmore.jpg
The performances of Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and Ezra Miller (left to right) received critical acclaim.

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three and a half stars out of four, writing in his review, "All of my previous selves still survive somewhere inside of me, and my previous adolescent would have loved The Perks of Being a Wallflower". [50]

The lead cast also earned positive notice. Ian Buckwalter of The Atlantic said, "The primary trio of actors delivers outstanding performances, starting with Watson, who sheds the memory of a decade playing Hermione in the Harry Potter series with an about-face as a flirtatious but insecure free spirit. Miller also plays against their most recent performance, which was as the tightly wound eponymous teenage psychopath in We Need to Talk About Kevin , to deliver a giddy, scene-stealing turn as Patrick. Lerman, best known for the Percy Jackson series, shines as Charlie, a role that demands he be immediately likeable while still holding onto some deep darkness that can't be fully revealed until the end." [51]

John Anderson of Newsday also praised the cast, saying "As Sam, the quasi-bad girl trying to reinvent herself before college, she (Emma Watson) brings honesty and a lack of cliche to a character who might have been a standard-issue student. But equally fine are her co-stars: Ezra Miller, who plays the gay character Patrick as something messy and unusual; Paul Rudd, as their English teacher, is refreshingly thoughtful. And Charlie is portrayed by Lerman as quietly observant, yearning and delicate in a way that will click with audiences regardless of age". [52]

Some critics had a less favorable response to the film, with the main criticism being that the portrayal of teenage issues is idealized and the casting uninspired. The Miami Herald critic Connie Ogle notes that "the suicide of Charlie's best friend, which takes place before the film opens, seems glossed over too quickly" despite the event being Charlie's main character motivation in the film. [53] Jack Wilson of The Age writes, "the script is transparently fake at almost every moment, congratulating the gang on their non-conformity while soft-pedalling any aspect of adolescent behaviourdrug use, sex, profanitythat might upset the American mainstream." [54] Richard Corliss of Time criticized the casting of actors in their twenties to play teenage characters unlike Heathers (1989), another coming-of-age film in which the lead actors were actual teenagers. [55]

MTV, Us Weekly and Complex named The Perks of Being a Wallflower one of the best films of 2012. [56] [57] [58]

The film also influenced the "Tumblr culture" that was around online when the film was released, with online users posting GIFs of the film's cast and aphorisms on the site during the early 2010s. [59]

Accolades

AwardDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipient(s)ResultRef(s)
Boston Society of Film Critics December 9, 2012 Best Supporting Actor Ezra Miller Won [60]
Best Supporting Actress Emma Watson Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association December 17, 2012 Best Adapted Screenplay Stephen Chbosky Nominated [61]
Most Promising FilmmakerNominated
Critics' Choice Movie Awards January 10, 2013 Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated [62]
Best Young Performer Logan Lerman Nominated
Detroit Film Critics Society December 14, 2012Breakthrough PerformanceStephen ChboskyNominated [63]
Best ScreenplayNominated
Best Supporting ActorEzra MillerNominated
Dorian Awards January 18, 2013LGBT Film of the YearThe Perks of Being a WallflowerNominated [64]
GLAAD Media Award April 20, 2013 Outstanding Film – Wide Release Won [65]
Hollywood Film Festival October 23, 2012Spotlight AwardEzra MillerWon [66]
Independent Spirit Awards February 23, 2013 Best First Feature Stephen Chbosky, Lianne Halfon, Russell Smith, and John Malkovich Won [67]
MTV Movie Awards April 14, 2013 Best Female Performance Emma WatsonNominated [68]
Best Breakthrough Performance Ezra MillerNominated
Best Kiss Emma Watson and Logan LermanNominated
Best Musical Moment Emma Watson, Logan Lerman and Ezra MillerNominated
North Carolina Film Critics Association October 23, 2012Best Supporting ActressEmma WatsonNominated
National Board of Review Awards January 8, 2013 Top 10 Films The Perks of Being a WallflowerWon [69]
Phoenix Film Critics Society October 23, 2012Best Supporting ActressEmma WatsonNominated
People's Choice Awards January 9, 2013 Favorite Drama MovieThe Perks of Being a WallflowerWon [70]
Favorite Dramatic Movie ActressEmma WatsonWon
San Diego Film Critics Society December 11, 2012 Best Adapted Screenplay Stephen ChboskyNominated [71]
Best Supporting Actress Emma WatsonWon
Best Ensemble Performance The Perks of Being a WallflowerWon
Santa Barbara International Film Festival January 29, 2013Virtuoso AwardEzra MillerWon [72]
St. Louis Film Critics Association December 17, 2012 Best Adapted Screenplay Stephen ChboskyNominated [73]
Best Supporting Actress Emma WatsonNominated
Teen Choice Awards August 11, 2013 Choice Movie: Drama The Perks of Being a WallflowerWon [74]
Choice Movie Actor: DramaLogan LermanWon
Choice Movie Actress: DramaEmma WatsonWon
Choice Movie Breakout: ActorEzra MillerNominated
Choice Movie LiplockLogan Lerman and Emma WatsonNominated
USC Scripter Award February 9, 2013Best Adapted ScreenplayStephen ChboskyNominated [75]
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association December 10, 2012 Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated [76]
Best Youth PerformanceLogan LermanNominated
Writers Guild of America Awards February 17, 2013 Best Adapted Screenplay Stephen ChboskyNominated [77]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emma Watson</span> English actress (born 1990)

Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson is an English actress. Known for her roles in both blockbusters and independent films, she has received a selection of accolades, including a Young Artist Award and three MTV Movie Awards. Watson has been ranked among the world's highest-paid actresses by Forbes and Vanity Fair, and was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mae Whitman</span> American actress (born 1988)

Mae Whitman is an American actress. She first became known as a child actor, starring in the films When a Man Loves a Woman (1994), One Fine Day (1996), Independence Day (1996) and Hope Floats (1998), and the television series Chicago Hope (1996–1999) and JAG (1998–2001). She earned mainstream recognition for her performances in the Fox sitcom Arrested Development, the NBC drama series Parenthood (2010–2015)—for which she was nominated for a Critics' Choice Television Award—and the NBC crime comedy series Good Girls (2018–2021). She also had roles in the films Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) and The DUFF (2015), the latter earning her a Teen Choice Award nomination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rupert Grint</span> English actor (born 1988)

Rupert Alexander Lloyd Grint is an English actor. Grint rose to fame for his role as Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter film series, for which he was cast at age eleven, having previously acted only in school plays and his local theatre group. He portrayed Weasley in all eight films in the series, beginning with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) and concluding with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011). Since then, he has continued his work on film, television, and theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Logan Lerman</span> American actor

Logan Wade Lerman is an American actor. He played the title role in the fantasy-adventure Percy Jackson films. He appeared in commercials in the mid-1990s, before starring in the series Jack & Bobby (2004–2005) and the movies The Butterfly Effect (2004) and Hoot (2006). Lerman gained further recognition for his roles in the western 3:10 to Yuma, the thriller The Number 23, the comedy Meet Bill, and 2009's Gamer and My One and Only. He subsequently played d'Artagnan in 2011's The Three Musketeers, starred in the coming-of-age dramas The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), Indignation (2016) and The Vanishing of Sidney Hall (2017), and had major roles in the 2014 films Noah and Fury. In 2020, he returned to television with the series Hunters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Chbosky</span> American writer and director (born 1970)

Stephen Chbosky is an American film director, screenwriter, and author. He is best-known for writing the bestselling coming-of-age novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower (1999), as well as for writing and directing the 2012 film adaptation of the book. Most recently, he directed the 2017 drama Wonder and the 2021 film adaptation of Dear Evan Hansen. His first psychological horror novel, Imaginary Friend, was published in October 2019.

<i>The Perks of Being a Wallflower</i> 1999 novel by Stephen Chbosky

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a 1999 young adult novel by American author Stephen Chbosky. Set in the early 1990s, the novel follows Charlie, an introverted and observant teenager, through his freshman year of high school in a Pittsburgh suburb. The novel details Charlie's unconventional style of thinking as he navigates between the worlds of adolescence and adulthood, and attempts to deal with poignant questions spurred by his interactions with both his friends and family.

Sarah Emily Ramos is an American actress who began her career as a child actress. She is known for her roles on the television series American Dreams (2002–2005) and Parenthood (2010–2015).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emma Stone</span> American actress and producer (born 1988)

Emily Jean "Emma" Stone is an American actress and producer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. In 2017, she was the world's highest-paid actress and named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Gadon</span> Canadian actress

Sarah Lynn Gadon is a Canadian actress. She began her acting career guest-starring in a number of television series, such as Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1999), Mutant X (2002), and Dark Oracle (2004). She also worked as a voice actress on various television productions. Gadon gained recognition for her roles in David Cronenberg's films A Dangerous Method (2011), Cosmopolis (2012), and Maps to the Stars (2014). She also starred in Denis Villeneuve's thriller Enemy (2013), the period drama Belle (2013), and the action horror film Dracula Untold (2014).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nina Dobrev</span> Canadian actress (born 1989)

Nina Kamenova Dobreva, credited professionally as Nina Dobrev, is a Canadian actress. She is best known for portraying Elena Gilbert and Katherine Pierce on The CW's supernatural drama series The Vampire Diaries (2009–2015).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Simmons</span> American actor

Johnny Simmons is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Dylan Baxter in Evan Almighty (2007), Chip Dove in Jennifer's Body (2009), "Young Neil" Nordegraf in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (2023), Brad Hayes in The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), serial killer Adam "Balloon Man" Kemper in Elementary (2012), Peter Newmans in The Late Bloomer (2016), and Shane in Girlboss (2017).

The Detroit Film Critics Society is a film critic organization based in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 2007, and comprises a group of over twenty film critics. To become a member, the critic must have reviewed at least twelve films a year in an established publication, with no more than two different critics per publication admitted. It presents annual awards at the end of the year, for the best films of the preceding year.

<i>Noah</i> (2014 film) American film by Darren Aronofsky

Noah is a 2014 American epic biblical drama film directed by Darren Aronofsky, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ari Handel. Inspired by the biblical story of Noah's Ark from the Book of Genesis and the Book of Enoch, it stars Russell Crowe as Noah, along with Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, and Anthony Hopkins.

The 11th Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards were held on December 10, 2012.

The 33rd Boston Society of Film Critics Awards, honoring the best in filmmaking in 2012, were given on December 9, 2012.

The 17th San Diego Film Critics Society Awards were announced on December 11, 2012.

The nominees for the 9th St. Louis Film Critics Association Awards were announced on December 11, 2012. The winners were announced on December 17, 2012.

<i>Beauty and the Beast</i> (2017 film) Film directed by Bill Condon

Beauty and the Beast is a 2017 American musical romantic fantasy film directed by Bill Condon from a screenplay by Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Mandeville Films, it is a live-action/CGI remake of Disney's 1991 animated feature film of the same name, itself an adaptation of Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont's 1756 version of the fairy tale. Starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens as Belle and the Beast respectively, the film features a supporting ensemble and choir cast including Luke Evans, Kevin Kline, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Audra McDonald, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Ian McKellen, and Emma Thompson.

<i>The Perks of Being a Wallflower</i> (soundtrack) 2012 film soundtrack

The soundtrack to the 2012 coming-of-age drama film The Perks of Being a Wallflower written, directed and based on the 1999 novel of the same name by Stephen Chbosky, features a selection of pop, rock and jazz compilations by various artists, handpicked by Chobsky and music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas. The album was marketed and released by Atlantic Records on September 11, 2012, in digital platforms, CD and vinyl. Michael Brook composed the film's incidental underscore, published by Lakeshore Records on September 25, that featured nine tracks.

References

  1. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films . Archived from the original on August 14, 2022. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  2. "THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER (12A)". British Board of Film Classification . July 27, 2012. Archived from the original on September 26, 2012. Retrieved August 18, 2012.
  3. Mark Olsen (November 1, 2012). "'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' steadily blossoms". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 8, 2012. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 "The Perks of Being a Wallflower (film)". Box Office Mojo . IMDB. Archived from the original on April 13, 2013. Retrieved April 14, 2013.
  5. "Catching Up With The Perks of Being A Wallflower". Paste.com. September 27, 2012. Archived from the original on August 14, 2022. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
  6. "'Perks Of Being A Wallflower' updates plus filming locations in Pittsburgh May 9–13". Archived from the original on October 3, 2011. Retrieved May 12, 2011.
  7. "A message from Emma". EmmaWatson.com. Archived from the original on May 9, 2011. Retrieved May 12, 2011.
  8. "'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' Comes of Age". Vanity Fair . September 21, 2022.
  9. Rosenberg, Sam (September 19, 2022). "How the Perks of Being a Wallflower Became a Generation-Defining Classic". Consequence. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Beisch, Ann (December 2001). "Interview with Stephen Chbosky, author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower". LA Youth. Archived from the original on February 15, 2011. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  11. 1 2 Stewart, Sierra (September 18, 2012). "Interview With Perks of Being a Wallflower's Stephen Chbosky". Blueprint Magazine Online. Archived from the original on July 21, 2018. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  12. Aquino, Tara (September 22, 2012). "Interview: "The Perks of Being A Wallflower" Director Stephen Chbosky Talks Finding The Perfect Cast And Changing Teens' Lives". Complex . Archived from the original on July 21, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  13. Durling, Roger (September 26, 2012). "The Perks of Being a Wallflower Q&A". Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Archived from the original on December 10, 2014. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
  14. 1 2 Douglas, Edward (September 20, 2012). "Interview: Perks of Being a Wallflower Author/Director Stephen Chbosky". Comingsoon.net. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on September 7, 2014. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  15. 1 2 "Screenwriter and Novelist Stephen Chbosky: Rebel with a Cause". Script Magazine. September 21, 2012. Archived from the original on May 24, 2013. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  16. Ratcliff, Ashley (February 18, 2013). "'The perks of being' a filmmaker". Home Media Magazine. Archived from the original on September 7, 2014. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  17. Thebigfanboy. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Interview with Stephen Chbosky (Writer/Director)". Youtube. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
  18. 1 2 Aquino, Tara (September 22, 2012). "Interview: "The Perks of Being A Wallflower" Director Stephen Chbosky Talks Finding The Perfect Cast And Changing Teens' Lives". Complex . Archived from the original on September 25, 2012. Retrieved September 22, 2012.
  19. Feinberg, Scott (September 19, 2012). "Stephen Chbosky on Epic Journey of Bringing 'Perks of Being a Wallflower' to Big Screen (Video)". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on May 27, 2014. Retrieved September 22, 2012.
  20. Emma Watson on Her Fight to Get 'Wallflower' Made , retrieved August 27, 2023
  21. EMMA WATSON in conversation with Stephen Chbosky! , retrieved August 27, 2023
  22. McNary, Dave (January 25, 2011). "Summit circles 'Wallflower'". Variety . Archived from the original on November 8, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  23. Kay, Jeremy (February 17, 2011). "Buyers leave EFM with deals despite slow festival". Screen Daily . Archived from the original on February 22, 2011. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
  24. McNary, Dave (May 19, 2010). "Watson, Lerman in talks for 'Perks'". Variety . Archived from the original on November 8, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  25. Lodderhose, Diana (February 9, 2011). "Emma Watson to star in 'Wallflower'". Variety . Archived from the original on November 8, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  26. Finke, Nikki (April 15, 2011). "Nina Dobrev Goes From 'Vampire Diaries' To 'The Perks Of Being A Wallflower'". Archived from the original on January 10, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
  27. Wilkinson, Amy (May 10, 2011). "Kate Walsh Signs On For 'Perks Of Being A Wallflower'". MTV. Archived from the original on May 13, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  28. Wilkinson, Amy (May 19, 2011). "Ezra Miller To Play Patrick In 'Perks of Being a Wallflower'". MTV . Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
  29. "Movie Filming In Pittsburgh Wants To Make Your Car A Star". WPXI. April 27, 2011. Archived from the original on August 5, 2012. Retrieved May 13, 2011.
  30. "Movie Begins Filming in Upper St. Clair". Upper St. Clair Patch. Archived from the original on June 9, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  31. Emmers, Becky (May 19, 2011). "Kings Restaurant Closing for 'Perks' Movie Shoot". Peters Patch. Archived from the original on May 27, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  32. Vancheri, Barbara (April 21, 2011). "Film Notes: Newly resurrected Hollywood Theater to appear in film". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  33. "USC Native to Film Scenes for Movie at Dormont's Hollywood Theater". Dormont-Brookline Patch. April 25, 2011. Archived from the original on May 30, 2011. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  34. Anya Sostek (September 28, 2012). "The 'Perks' Fort Pitt Tunnel stunt: Don't try it". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  35. ""The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" by Various Artists on iTunes". itunes.apple.com. Archived from the original on December 3, 2017. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
  36. Various artists, The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, archived from the original on July 5, 2015, retrieved December 3, 2017
  37. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Original Motion Picture Score) by Michael Brook on Apple Music". itunes.apple.com. September 18, 2012. Archived from the original on December 3, 2017. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
  38. "'Perks Of Being A Wallflower' Soundtrack Tracklist Revealed (EXCLUSIVE)". Huffington Post. August 17, 2012. Archived from the original on April 13, 2017. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
  39. Handy, Bruce. "Q&A: Perks of Being a Wallflower's Stephen Chbosky on Emma Watson's Casting, High School Yearning, and "Heroes"". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on July 6, 2017. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
  40. Knegt, Peter (September 5, 2012). "TIFF List 2012: A Complete List of All Films at the Toronto International Film Festival". indiewire. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved October 30, 2020. The Perks of Being a Wallflower Stephen Chbosky, USA World Premiere
  41. Ahearn, Victoria (September 14, 2012). "Emma Watson, Zac Efron, Selena Gomez young stars making transition at TIFF". CTV News. Archived from the original on May 11, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2020. When "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" got a standing ovation at its Toronto International Film Festival premiere this past week
  42. "Release Date Round-Up: 'Oblivion' and 'Perks' Get Pushed, 'Rush' and 'Mama' Get Dated". FilmSchoolRejects. Archived from the original on August 15, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  43. "'Cambridge Film Festival – Programme for Sunday 23rd of September'". Archived from the original on September 8, 2013.
  44. "MPAA Grants 'Perks of Being a Wallflower' PG-13 Rating". The Wrap . Sharon Waxman. March 8, 2012. Archived from the original on April 13, 2012. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  45. "Indie Box Office - Perks Of Being A Wallflower, Diana Vreeland, The Master". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Media Corporation. September 23, 2012. Archived from the original on October 27, 2012. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
  46. "Box Office: Jake Gyllenhaal Tops Jennifer Lawrence; Dredd 3D Bombs | E! Online". Ca.eonline.com. September 24, 2012. Archived from the original on August 14, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
  47. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango. October 12, 2012. Archived from the original on February 1, 2018. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  48. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on November 7, 2015. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  49. Knegt, Peter (September 30, 2012). "Specialty Box Office: 'Perks' Soars In Expansion; 'The Master' Slows Down". IndieWire . Archived from the original on August 24, 2017. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
  50. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower movie review (2012) | Roger Ebert". Archived from the original on May 11, 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  51. Buckwalter, Ian (September 21, 2012). "How 'Perks of Being a Wallflower' Breaks an Old Filmmaking Curse". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on November 26, 2012. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
  52. Anderson, John (October 4, 2012). "'Perks of Being a Wallflower' review: Life in high school". Archived from the original on December 31, 2012. Retrieved December 12, 2012.
  53. Ogle, Connie. "'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' PG-13". The Miami Herald. Archived from the original on October 1, 2012. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  54. Wilson, Jack. "Bohemian fantasy shies away from adolescent truths". Melbourne: theage.com.au. Archived from the original on November 30, 2012. Retrieved November 29, 2012.
  55. Corliss, Richard (September 13, 2012). "The Perks of Being a Wallflower: A Teen Angel's Dreamy Angst". Time Entertainment. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
  56. "Best Movies Of 2012". MTV. Archived from the original on December 16, 2012. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
  57. "Top Ten Movies of 2012". US Weekly. December 20, 2012. Archived from the original on January 30, 2013. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
  58. "The 25 Best Movies of 2012". Complex. Archived from the original on January 11, 2013. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
  59. "How the Perks of Being a Wallflower Became a Generation-Defining Classic". September 19, 2022.
  60. "Boston Film Critics: 'Zero Dark Thirty' Best Pic & Director, 'Lincoln' Actor & Screenplay". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. December 9, 2012. Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  61. "2012 Chicago Film Critics Awards". Chicago Film Critics Association. December 17, 2012. Archived from the original on March 3, 2013. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
  62. "News/Critics' Choice Awards 2013: Complete List of Nominations". E!. December 11, 2012. Archived from the original on December 11, 2014. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  63. "The 2012 Detroit Film Critics Society Awards". Detroit Film Critics Society. Archived from the original on January 18, 2014. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  64. Kilday, Gregg (January 18, 2013). "'Argo' Named Best Film by Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on April 12, 2015. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  65. Megan Townsend (April 20, 2013). "The New Normal, The Perks of Being a Wallflower among GLAAD Media Award Recipients in Los Angeles". GLAAD.org. Archived from the original on April 22, 2013. Retrieved April 23, 2013.
  66. "2012 Hollywood Film Awards®, The Official Launch of the Awards Season™". Hollywood Film Awards. October 23, 2012. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
  67. "Independent Spirit Awards 2013: Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter . February 23, 2013. Archived from the original on March 17, 2014. Retrieved February 23, 2013.
  68. Tapley, Kristopher (March 5, 2013). "Django and Ted lead MTV Movie Awards nominations as Twilight nearly shut out". HitFix. Archived from the original on February 20, 2015. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  69. "2012 Archives - National Board of Review". National Board of Review. Archived from the original on October 14, 2014. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  70. "People's Choice Awards: Fan Favorites in Movies, Music, & TV". People's Choice Awards. Archived from the original on January 23, 2015. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  71. Tapley, Kristopher (December 10, 2012). "The Master leads San Diego film critics nominations". HitFix. Archived from the original on August 22, 2015. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  72. "Celebrity Tributes". Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Archived from the original on January 22, 2015. Retrieved January 22, 2015.
  73. Tapley, Kristopher (December 11, 2012). "Django Unchained lands eight St. Louis film critics nods". HitFix. Archived from the original on January 26, 2016. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  74. Nessif, Bruna (May 22, 2013). "2013 Teen Choice Award Nominations: Twilight and Vampire Diaries Are Tops, Taylor Swift and Harry Styles Square Off". E!. Archived from the original on May 25, 2014. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  75. Kit, Borys (February 9, 2013). "'Argo' Writers Win Scripter Award". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on December 12, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  76. Tapley, Kristopher (December 10, 2012). "'Lincoln' leads Washington DC Area film critics nominations, 'Zero Dark Thirty' wins". HitFix. Archived from the original on May 31, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
  77. "Argo and Zero Dark Thirty scoop Writers Guild awards". BBC News. February 18, 2013. Archived from the original on February 8, 2021. Retrieved September 7, 2014.