I saw the movie ‘Wonder’ after it was recently added to Netflix’s gallery. The movie is about a 10-year-old boy named Auggie who has a facial deformity. Auggie decides to go to school after being home-schooled for ten years by his mother, played by Julia Roberts. During this transition, Auggie faces a lot of hardship trying to fit in the normal world around him. It is a heart-warming and inspiring movie.
Here are five lessons that I learned from it:
1. Never Judge Anyone by their Appearance: The most important lesson that the movie teaches us is that we should never judge people by their looks. Initially, Auggie is judged by his classmates due to his facial deformity. Later, when his classmates get to know him better, they discover that he is an amazing person with a warm heart. They see that there is so much more to Auggie than his looks.
2. Choose Kindness: In the movie, a ten-year-old girl says that when given the choice between right or being kind, one should choose kind. It teaches us that it’s important to be kind to others, as everyone is fighting hard battles in one or the other form. Kindness can bring about a change in the lives of everyone.
3. Life isn’t perfect: Life isn’t perfect for anyone. We may never know what someone is going through. Initially, Wonder focuses on the story from Auggie’s lenses showing us the challenges he faces while adjusting to the new environment. Later the filmmaker introduces us to the story of each character bringing in their perspective. The hardships of other characters suddenly become very visible to us.
4. Be Yourself: The movie shows that each one of us is unique, it is this uniqueness that makes us special in our ways. We should appreciate this uniqueness and never try to change ourselves just to fit in the world.
5. Stand up for Yourself: Wonder also teaches that we should be brave no matter what the situation is. People will believe in us only if we believe in ourselves. Auggie stood up against all the bullies at school and never lost faith in himself. By the end of the movie, he not only made good friends but also got a standing ovation.
Wonder is not just the story of someone with a facial deformity, but the story of each one of us who struggles to fit in the norms set by society.
“Courage. Kindness. Friendship. Character. These are the qualities that define us as human beings, and propel us, on occasion, to greatness.” — R.J. Palacio, Wonder
