Charlie, an extremely shy and nervous teenager, starts freshman year of high school. He doesn't fit in, and the only person he befriends at the start of the year is his English teacher. He soon meets Sam and her stepbrother Patrick. They are seniors, defiantly individual; Sam is an artsy independent spirit, while Patrick is a fiery openly gay boy. After a school dance, in which they encourage Charlie to join them, they begin to hang out with great frequency. Charlie decides to help Sam study for the SATs so she can get into her dream school, Penn State. He falls deeply in love with Sam, though he can't muster up the courage to say anything. When Sam gives him a typewriter for Secret Santa and gives him his first kiss, telling him she loves him, he prepares to make his move, even though she is seeing a college boy. When that doesn't work out, however, he decides to start seeing Mary Elizabeth, a classmate who has the hots for him. Yet he immediately grows fed up by Mary Elizabeth's domineering sensibilities, and at a school party, without thinking, when asked to kiss the prettiest girl in the room during a game, Charlie walks over and kisses Sam. This both ends his relationship with Mary Elizabeth and his friendship with Sam. Charlie is driven even further into isolation than before. He must find a way to reconcile with his friends before they leave for college, and he must try to deal with his suicidal tendencies before they claim him.
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Best part of story, including ending:
This is one of the best movies in years, a lovely story about three real teenage characters-- not stereotypes, but nuanced and full-blooded characters. It's funny, sad, and warm.
Best scene in story:
In one scene, Patrick laments that he will never find a guy as good to him as Charlie and kisses Charlie instinctively. He then apologizes and they immediately reconcile. It's a sensitive, powerful moment.
Opinion about the main character:
Charlie is a troubled kid trying his best to fit in. Anyone who has ever been any sort of misfit in their lives will immediately gravitate to Charlie's plight.
Logan Lerman is the character Charlie who goes to high school and finds it difficult to fit in, immediately being attacked by the other students. He is a loner. He is befriended by a senior, Patrick (played by Ezra Miller) who is outrageous. Patrick introduces Charlie to his sister Sam (played by Emma Watson). Charlie immediately falls for her but she already has a boyfriend.
They all go to a party together. Charlie tells Sam his best friend killed himself which causes her to feel sorry for him. At the party, Charlie walks in on Patrick kissing a football player Brad (played by Johnny Simmons). Patrick convinces Charlie to keep this a secret.
Christmas is coming soon which also happens to be Charlie's birthday. Charlie and Sam kiss for the first time. On Christmas Eve, Charlie is very depressed because it is also the night when his Aunt Helen died in a car accident. She had molested him and he feels guilty about it and thinks somehow he was responsible for her death. He takes LSD and goes crazy with hallucinations about the death of his aunt.
Charlie is invited by another girl to a dance. He goes with her, even though he would prefer to be with Sam. The girl tells him that she is his girlfriend now. Charlie does not want to hurt her feelings but he does not really like her. Brad and Patrick have a fight at school because Brad's dad found out about the boys kissing. Brad's friends attack Patrick and Charlie comes to his rescue. Sam breaks up with her boyfriend because she finds out he was with another girl. Sam is going off to college and Charlie helps her pack. They kiss but when things are getting intimate Charlie rejects her advances. He has a weird reaction, because it reminds him too much of when he was abused by his aunt. Charlie's depression causes him to have a break-down and he ends up in the hospital. After he gets out, he realizes that Sam does love him and he finally is free of the sexual repression and guilt.
Best part of story, including ending:
I like the exploration of the different sexual identities and the inner struggles of the characters trying to deal with their sexuality.
Best scene in story:
When Patrick kisses Charlie and Charlie doesn't have any reaction. There is no shock on Charlie's part or pushing Patrick away, just emptiness.
Opinion about the main character:
Charlie is really tormented by his past, but he isn't the one that did anything wrong. It is nice to see he finally overcomes his guilt and gains some perspective on what has happened to him.
