Guest post by Christy Erving.

Heading into the movie theater on a pretty mundane Saturday evening in October, I didn’t have many expectations for Perks. The previous weekend, I attempted to convince a few of my friends to watch the movie with me, but we ended up seeing Taken 2 instead: very disappointing. Luckily, I had the complete opposite experience at Perks, which I ventured to the theater to see solo. A coming-of-age novel by Stephen Chbosky adapted into a feature film, The Perks of Being A Wallflower chronicles the freshman year of a somewhat troubled high schooler, Charlie (Logan Lerman; Percy Jackson & The Olympians), as he struggles to develop meaningful friendships and break through some of his social awkwardness. This is the perfect formula for a great movie…well, it is for me. I love “underdog” stories, so I was hooked as soon as I witnessed the first scene of Charlie eating alone in the cafeteria his first day of high school. What began as just another one of those typical high school “geek-to-chic” storylines (I’m thinking Mean Girls or Grease, which actually happen to be movies I adore) developed into a touching story about a young man who makes strides each day to fight the demons of the sexual exploitation his aunt inflicted upon him for years and the guilt of his aunt’s death when she was killed in a sudden car accident.

Charlie is fortunate to meet some awesome friends during his first year of high school including Patrick (Ezra Miller; City Island, Royal Pains), Mary Elizabeth (Mae Whitman; Parenthood), and Sam (Emma Watson; Harry Potter), who later becomes his love interest. Their friendship circle endures a series of highs and lows, and his friends are also dealing with some seriously heavy, albeit realistic, issues, which make this a must-see-movie. There are multiple layers of storytelling, which is what I absolutely loved. Everyone had their own set of issues, but their friends always looked out for them in the long-run. I don’t want to give away too much, so I won’t delve into the other storylines.

The acting all-around was brilliant, but I truly believe that Miller and Lerman deserve Golden Globe and Oscar nods. Miller almost steals the show, delivering a moving performance full of heart-wrenching gusto. Can I just say that I think this might be the best movie I’ve seen all year?!

Other actors and actresses you might recognize from the film include Nina Dobrev (The Vampire Diaries), Paul Rudd (I Love You Man, Wanderlust), Kate Walsh(Private Practice) (she’s looking fab and aging well!), Dylan McDermott (American Horror Story), and Joan Cusack (Shameless).

Not sure if the movie is still playing in theaters, but it was worth my ten bucks. If it’s no longer in theaters, you’ve got to catch it on Redbox. 🙂