Movie adaptation

In 2012, Stephen Chbosky wrote and directed a movie version of his novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower. The film starred Logan Lerman as Charlie, Ezra Miller as Patrick, and Emma Watson as Sam. The movie was a commercial and critical success and also sparked a revival of interest in the original novel. 

The movie is a close adaptation of the novel, probably because, unusually, they are both by the same writer. However, the film is less explicit than the novel; for example, it leaves out the references to rape, masturbation, and specific sexual acts. This is perhaps because of the strict film rating system in the US, where sexual content is not deemed appropriate for younger viewers. 

The movie also cuts out a number of substories from the book. For example, Charlie’s relationship with his family is developed less in the film version. In particular, the movie doesn’t focus on Charlie’s relationship with his sister and cuts out the episode where she gets pregnant and asks Charlie to take her to the abortion clinic. 

Chbosky’s film adaptation focuses more on the relationships between Charlie, Sam and Patrick, and attempts to present an authentic depiction of teenage high-school experiences for a group of adolescents who don’t “fit in”.  

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