Have you ever....WONDER?

If you have to choose between right or kindness, what would you choose? That's the plot around this heartwarming and inspiring drama that can't escape from cliche's and sensibility to tell a story of acceptance and compassion. Based on the NY Times bestseller from the same name, that had everyone in tears, the motion picture adaptation was a sure thing. So this month we finally got "Wonder" (2017), the story of a kid that is being bullied at school, his parents, his sister that is struggling the issues of any teenage girl and her best friend and his best friend. All this different people struggling with real situations while trying to have a "normal" life, all moving around someone that is far from normal, and for some, closer to be a wonder. This is the story of August Pullman aka Oggie, a genuine, smart and funny boy that at his short age has been through a lot. Born with a deformity due to his parents genes, has been to multiple surgeries, first to make it able to breath, see, talk, then just to make his face more of presentable for the world out there, but still as much as he wants to look like a normal kid, he is far from that, and not just because of his looks but because he is much more than a normal kid.  Because in case you haven't notice, when people had to deal with uncommon circumstances they are shaped in different ways as the rest that for some reason get to enjoy a more privilege position or  move around a more familiar situation, being able to find other ways to adapt and be accepted, so they actually look and notice things that others don't feel the need to. Bringing them a very unique strength to deal with hard situations and rejection. Forging them as someone more flexible and sensible to others needs and capable of appreciate the love and respect to them and others as someone than be treasured as any gift. Because real friends are hard to find. We surround of people that will help us to socialize and make it through school, work, the party scene, romance or lust but don't we actually need real friends?

Those that are kind and respectful. That can shine by their uniqueness no matter how different they can seem, it's exactly that difference what make them so valuable. Those that can make the worst day turn into a great one or the opposite. Because we all need that feeling of belonging and acceptance but would you rather be accepted by someone that you admire instead of someone that can even deal with it's own. That's being the main struggle with this young kid. He obviously feels insecure because of his looks, reason why keeps hanging out wearing an astronaut  helmet and has been schooled at home by his mom, which aware of her son needs decides to send him to school so he can have a normal life even she's afraid of how tough will it be when other kids look at his face and once he get's there, she was totally right. Kids give him a look, and avoid him, start talking about him and gossiping, making up stories of his condition, and kids can be too transparent sometimes, not like frown ups that tend to be polite and because of that can also be cruel and can make someone feel bad about themselves, and without been physical there is a lot of damage that they can cause by making fun of someone and sending awful drawings to make someone feel a bad person and insecure. And even our main character is a strong kid that can silence all this noise, everyone has a limit to what can we take but when we have someone on our side things can change. And that's how we meet  Jack Will, a classmate that is intrigued by him because his unique personality and because he can't relate to the other guys plus they are not his cup of tea to hang with but has to keep the appearances until Auggie helps him in the science class and he realizes how much he like be around him. Following him another group of kids will join the group all falling for the big heart of a kid that all what he ever wanted is to feel normal and accepted. But the road to get won't be easy. We all need to overcome some bumps in the road to be able to prove ourselves to others and be able to win their compassion and likes.

But the struggle is all shared. As much as we want to fall for this kid problem's, we cant but wonder about the rest of his family. His parents that had done everything in their hands to make his life more enjoyable and guide him to become a strong, confident kid capable to someday face the outside world. And his mom, put her life on pause. They say because that's what mom's do, but she is as human as him, with her own needs and being able to put your kids needs before yours sounds easier than it is. Because it's not just a moment. Would be a series of frustrations and some times it won't be up to you to make it right but just be there to bring some calm and love where others should be the one fulfilling it. And same thing will go for the dad. Only difference is that in some cases like this, is that dad use to go out and work to be able to keep supporting the family while mom is the one who stays and lives this reality 24/7. But at the end this is thir family and only thing left to do is fight for it and do their best to rise their kids the best way possible so they can face the world on their own someday, but while that happens, they will carry the joy and sadness of their cubs on their shoulders. And becoming for a family with special needs like this will have a different impact in everyone, like the sister, Violet, a very calm, understanding, caring young girl that loves her brother and has bee always for him, but that doesn't change the fact that she also has her own life full of good and bad moments, on her very personal way. And now she is facing the fact that her all time best friend is growing apart from her, leaving her by her own at a new year at school, where everyone feels like an outsider per se. Until she meets a charismatic and artistic guy that persuades her to join the theater club so they can hang more and try something different in hopes that this might help her struggle.

How many times do we live in a bubble incapable or looking other than our own problems and feeling like we are the center of the universe and everything around us is playing against us? But how many of those times, we are able to realize that actually the people close to us have their own issues and maybe we are judging them without knowing their own battles, because we don't look, we don't pay attention and we don't listen. We close ourselves into our own problems and thoughts that we become selfish and blind to others needs and circumstances just because we think that ours are more important or worse than theirs. Are they? How often do we empathize to our beloved ones situations? Like in this story, Viola best friend is pushing her away because her own family is breaking apart and she feels so lonely that the only way for her to come across with her new situation was to pretend to be her best friend, the same one that is going through a bad time, but for her is a role model and a very unique person, including her family, that inside their own bubble seems like struggling and having a bad time all because of their situation but once compared with her own family situation seems like the picture perfect of a family portrait and she wishes that would be hers, and misses them because they have always treated her as part of the family. But she is trapped in her own mind and instead of being close to the people that care about her, she is moving away of them and alienating herself. Protection for survival. Really? How hard is to find people that loves you just because, to throw that away so easily? Why in order to deal with our own problems we have to push away people that wants to help you because they like us, but we are too afraid of being vulnerable and look weak to others, but don't they say that being united make us stronger? Why by being emotional we became emotionally unavailable?

Once that we see all these characters come together, we realize that all lives run in a separate path but they keep crossing to lead us to a better or worse direction, but at the end is our own decisions and attitude towards what come across who defines the color of that line and might attract other or push them away. But life is not that easy, when someone shines by it's own color, insecurities from others will awake, but at the end any judgment or hate to someone is just a reflection of our own faults.  But yes, this is a family movie, and i'm sure things get worse than what we get to see on screen.and sometimes the story and direction moves toward sentimentalism and predictable feel good situations that tend to manipulate the audience in hands of an extraordinary cast of young new talents leaded by Oscar nominee Jacob Tremblay  and big Hollywood stars like Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson that will steal your heart without you even noticing it. But more than the ride is the message hidden that makes it so relevant in modern days. A scream and example of tolerance and acceptance, a song to friendship. An earnest and sweet story targeting the current climate of american Bullying is all what we need to make our already crazy and tough society a more civilized and happy one because we need to move far from those days were making feel miserable others would be the only way to make us look better. We need to start working on solving our own issues and fight t be a better self because we all need that a some point and because we are too many in this world already that finding our place in it gets harder day by day but everyone is still so unique in it's own way that only by being noticed and recognize should be the equal to a standing ovation, because indeed, we all should get one standing ovation at least once in a lifetime to re assure us how of a wonder we all are. A must for everyone.