The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a film about an introvert freshman who is taken under the wings of two seniors, welcoming him to the real world. The film has three main characters; the introvert freshmen, Charlie Kelmeckis, played by Logan Lerma, Patrick, Charlie's first friend in middle school, played by Ezra Miller, and Sam, Charlie's love interest and expertly played by Emma Watson. The film targets youth (15-20) as the main audience, with its use of pop culture and dealing with relatable teen issues such as: drugs and alcohol, love interests and high school in general. Charlie, on several occasions, is subjected to drugs and alcohol, having to face the overwhelming enjoyment and the inevitable consequences of his decisions. Many teenagers are forced to make the same choices and these themes will be further discussed in this essay. .
One major theme highlighted in the film is "high school"; the setting of the film is quite obviously in a school. Charlie references the school and talks about his first day. On Charlie's first day, we see him standing off to the side observing a senior-looking student demeaning "freshmen" by getting them to hop around the school like toads. Discrimination and harassment is always present in a high school. Other "typical" high school experiences such as, American football, high school formals, and teenage parties, further solidify the like-ness of Charlie to the target audience.
Camera angles are a very important part of the film, they help define the mood, how people interact with each other, and they can also foreshadow things that are going to come. The film is a personal view of Charlie and his experiences. The shots included in the film focus on him and the people he meets rather than the surrounding area or location. For instance, at the start of the film, Charlie is explaining what he is going to do on his first day of school and proceeds to visualise what it would be on his last day of school.
