I couldn't decide whether to write this post on this blog, or my film blog, because it's kind of about a book, and kind of about the film of that book. However, the film of that book hasn't been made yet, so in the end I thought it would be more appropriate to write about it on this blog (also, I wrote on my film blog more recently...).
I finished reading The Perks of Being A Wallflower about three minutes ago, and it's the best book I've read in quite a long time. I usually like books, I occasionally don't like them, but it's rare for me to love one. But this book was different to anything I'd read before, because it was poignant and serious and funny and sweet, all at the same time. I'd heard about it months and months ago, but hadn't got round to reading it until having a conversation with my best friend's little sister (though I should really just call her my friend...or Next Nigella). I was telling her about this upcoming film with Logan Lerman and Emma Watson in that sounded interesting, and she was telling me about this book she'd read that was really good and sounded a lot like the film, and eventually we realised we were talking about the same thing.
Before I read the book, I was excited about the film because it had Logan Lerman in, and I have a bit of a crush on him (despite being several inches taller), the Wikipedia synopsis looked interesting and it was fuel to add to my dislike and complaining about Emma Watson. That sounds very bitchy, and I won't try to defend it because, frankly, it is bitchy, but sometimes teenage girls feel the need to bitch about people vastly better-looking, talented and richer than them in a poor effort to boost their own self-esteem. Anyway, I was complaining about how Emma Watson was ridiculously lucky to be getting to film in America with Logan Lerman and get paid a bomb for doing it and she wasn't really that good an actress etc etc etc. Bitchy stuff.
And having read and loved the book, I now have to alter that opinion. Whilst before I was waxing lyrical about how good Logan Lerman would be and how crap Emma Watson would be, I've changed my mind completely. I haven't done a complete turnaround, but now I have to say that I can't see Logan Lerman as this character, because the character seems to be the antithesis of my (admittedly very limited) knowledge of Logan Lerman, and every character I've seen him play bfore. I very much hope he'll do it well, and if he does he'll be cemented in my mind as a very good actor, as well as very pretty. And regarding Emma Watson, I don't think the character is quite right for her, either, but before I was hoping she'd be rubbish. That way I'd have grounds to bitch and complain about her without feeling like I was just being catty. But now, I really, truly, deeply and earnestly hope that she does a good job. Because this story deserves to be told well, and that character deserves to be played well.
So I am eagerly awaiting the film adaptation of The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, and I really, really hope it delivers.
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I also heard that Logan Lerman and Emma Watson were going to be in POBAWF before I had even heard of the book. I read it in one sitting and was amazed. The book gripped something inside of me and didn't let go. By the end I believe that I had a unique kind of love for each one of the characters. I could see Logan Lerman as Charlie throughout the entire thing, but I'm still not so sure about Emma Watson as Sam. Like you, however, I'm crossing my fingers and hoping they both knock it out of the park. As much as a love Logan as an actor, it would be hard to forgive him for bombing a film adaptation of a book that means so much to me. All of that said, I think that the entire cast carries an attachment to the book and I believe they all probably immersed themselves into their characters until they come out perfected.
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