Rod Meyer was excited. While he wouldn’t say it out loud, his favorite actor’s film had its premiere at Sundance. He had fought tooth and nail to be the o from his office to see the movie and write a review about it.

  He still remembered the first time he was pletely ented by Troy Armitage when he saw [The Sixth Sehe only reason he had not procimed Troy to be the best thing to happen to ema was that it might sound odd frown man to admire a kid like that. If that wasn’t enough, Troy went on to star in those [Harry Potter] movies.

  It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with [Harry Potter], but it certainly suppressed the potential of a young actor like Troy. There was nothing in the first two films that could be sidered ‘good ag.’ Sure, Troy was better than other actors his age in the same movies, but he couldn’t be his best self because the films limited his scope of ag.

  Then [A.I. Artificial Intelligence] came out, which Rod believed was the biggest Oscar snub of the decade. Troy deserved to win that award—not just be nominated—but for reasons unknown to Rod, he was pletely ignored by most of the award bodies.

  That was four years ago. Since 2001, Troy hasn’t made any other films besides [Harry Potter]. Rod uood that the kid was busy with theater and shooting the biggest franchise in the world, but that didn’t mean he liked it. And now, Troy was back with a bang—not just with one, but two simultaneous non-franchise releases in the same film festival.

  Rod resent on the day of the premiere of [Brick], and true to his talent, Troy didn’t disappoint. It was su intriguing plot set in a high school enviro. Very uo happen in real life, but eaining with the way the characters and story unfolded.

  And now, the time had e for the release of Rod’s most anticipated film of the festival—[The Perks of Being a Wallflower]. Rod had read the book when it first came out and cried like a baby afterward. He had reread it tless times over the years. Undoubtedly, it was one of his favorite books of all time, and now it was being adapted into a film, featuring his favorite actor. It was as if the world was spiring to make this Rod’s favorite movie.

  Seeing Troy and the rest of the cast in person at the premiere was an added bonus.

  Rod eagerly sat in his seat as the opening credits rolled, starting with, of course, Troy Armitage. Ohing to hough, was that the film was directed and written by her than Stephen Chbosky, the same man who wrote the novel. Rod had never heard of this happening in Hollywood, but then realizing this was an indie film produced by Troy, it made sense.

  The film began with a voiceover from Troy. No one would have guessed it was his voice if he wasn’t on the s. Usually, Troy pyed a sassy young man as Harry Potter with a British at. But now, his voice was fully Ameriized and had an ily subdued quality to it, as if a very reserved and shy person were speakily what the character of Charlie o be in the film.

  The way Troy avoided everyone else around him made the whole thing more believable. He didn’t look like the muscur jock-type kid from [Goblet of Fire] at all, but rather a lonely boy with severe ay.

  And then came the fmboyant character Patrick, pyed by a newbie, Jonathan Groff. From the first moment he walked on s, he charmed everyoh his magic performance. If Charlie was the loner wallflower, Patrick was his plete opposite, with his loud, ‘notice me’ personality.

  And then came a surprise cameo.

  “I’m Mr. Anderson,” said Bruce Willis. “I’m going to be your teacher for freshman English.” His prese only surprised Rod but, from what he could tell, everyone else in the audience as well.

  Troy must have personally called Bruce to py the role of the teacher. It felt so o see the two reuer chilling everyoo the bone in [The Sixth Sense]. For a ge, Bruce was very good in the role of ahetic, lovable teacher.

  As the film tinued, it brought forth a wave of nostalgia for Rod. The casual bullying Charlie faced was as real as it could be—at least, it was when Rod went to school. His older sister dace, pyed by Mi Kunis, receiving mixtapes from her boyfriend was also something that might feel dated to younger audiences.

  Charlie goes to a football game alone, which is more than a little depressing. But then he sees the loud boy named Patrick, who is equally aloe his outwardly exuberant behavior. Patrivites Charlie to sit with him.

  And then came the reason most teenagers would want to see this film. Emma Watsohe skin of Hermioo py Sam, her first non-Potter role after pying Hermione in four films.

  As soon as she appeared on s, excited murmurs erupted around Rod as teens got hyped to see Harry and Hermione paired off together. The buzz around the film had already spiked after that photo of them kissing was taken by the paparazzi.

  While the teenagers were thrilled, Rod remained focused on the film. He had to admit he was a bit disappointed. While Emma was undoubtedly beautiful, it felt like that was all there was to her performance. Her Ameri at came across as slightly fake. Uroy, who had experience speaking with an Ameri at (ever sihe Sixth Sense]), Emma’s at sounded forced at several points.

  If you ighat small detail, the three leads looked like real friends. Charlie, Sam, and Patrick were a group of misfits who came together to form an ii-s trio—quite like Harry, Hermione, and Ron.

  In the se, Charlie walks in on his sister arguiedly with her boyfriend, Ponytail Derek, who sps her across the face.

  Gasps echoed through the theater as the reality of the situation hit viewers—this was a very realistic portrayal of a toxic retionship.

  In a rare show of bravery, Charlie bursts through the door, ready to front Derek, only for dace to intervene and send him away. Charlie could only watch from the window as dace kissed Derek goodbye.

  Then came the homeing dance. Initially, Charlie stands back, watg as everyone else dances on the floor—dace, Derek, Sam, Patrick, and a host of other teenagers seen throughout the movie.

  And then the music ges to a familiar tune: “e On Eileen.” It was one of Rod’s favorite dance songs growing up. Emma Watson and Jonathan Groff start a well-chraphed dance routine on the floor as Charlie looks on with longing in his eyes. Then, suddenly, summoning a ce he doesn’t know he has, he begins ing toward his new friends.

  A loud cheer erupted from the audie the wholesome se when Sam and Patrick seamlessly included Charlie in their dance routi was so satisfying to see Charlie no longer feeling so lonely.

  Later, Sam and Patrick take him to a house party at Bob’s pce, a stoner friend of theirs. To introduce Charlie to their other friends, Patrick leads him to two girls, Mary Elizabeth and Alice, and says, “This is Charlie’s first party ever. So I expeice, meaningful, heartfelt blowjobs from both of you.”

  Charlie’s eyes widened ically at the remark, and the audience burst into ughter.

  As Patrick went off to meet another friend, Brad Hays, Bob offered Charlie a brownie.

  Almost everyone in the audience groaned in despair when Charlie unsuspegly ate the brownie.

  Troy was in top form, pying Charlie’s stoned antics perfectly while everyoh in the movie and iheater—ughed. The ughter wasn’t aimed at Charlie himself, but rather at his innobsp;

  Sam was the only o to ugh. When Charlie said he wanted a milkshake, she quietly made one for him. It was a toug se, a moment of e between two friends. Everything was going perfectly until Charlie casually brought up his best friend, Michael.

  “Michael’s dad was a big drinker, so he hated getting high and going to parties,” Charlie said, still a little high from the brownie.

  “So where’s Michael tonight?” Sam asked, just as casually, while making the milkshake.

  “Oh, he shot himself st May,” Charlie replied, equally casual. The background musi the film stopped abruptly as Sam looked up at him in shock.

  The audience, who had been ughing at Charlie’s innoents earlier, quietened immediately and uood the weight behind the se.

  Seeing Charlie so vulnerable in front of Sam was a revetion. When he went upstairs to find a bathroom, he stumbled upon Patrid Brad kissing. Patrick quickly asked him not to tell anyone, as Brad was still in the closet. In another heartwarming moment, Patrick raised a toast to Charlie after learning about his past from Sam.

  “A,” the girl sittio Rod cooed at the sweet se.

  As Patrid Sam drove Charlie home, David Bowie’s “Heroes” pyed on the radio. Sam, excited by the song, begged Patrick to drive through the tunnel. She stood at the back of the truck, arms spread wide as she embraced the night air.

  Charlie, looking at her from the window, clearly showed he was in love with her.

  “Why ’t anyone look at me like that?” the same girl from earlier moaned.

  “Why ’t you be quiet a us watch the film in silence?” a boy shouted back, making everyone around them ugh. Thankfully, the two didn’t tiheir banter as the film went on.

  A montage followed, showing the passage of time as Charlie became fully ied into the group of friends. Then came a se that Rod wasirely sure of the purpose behind. The teenagers were participating in a sing of [The Rocky Horror Picture Show], with everyone dressed in revealing es. Emma Watson and Lea Michele, who pyed Mary Elizabeth, wore slightly more modest outfits pared to the others. If Rod had to guess, it robably because they were under 18 at the time of filming the se.

  Then came one of the most pivotal ses, a defining moment from the book.

  “Mr. Anderson?” Charlie asked his teacher hesitantly. “Why do nice people choose the wrong people to date?”

  “t the love we think we deserve,” Bruce Willis responded sagely, embodying the wise and thoughtful English teacher.

  That quote touched Rod deeply, as it likely did for tless others around the world who had read the book. But the way it was delivered in the film, bined with Bruce Willis’ performance, was nothing short of marvelous.

  As the story progressed, Charlie helped Sam study for her SATs, which she had tahe first time around. Months passed, and finally, it was Christmas. Being the thoughtful person he was, Charlie bought gifts for all his friends, though he only received a gift from Patrick, his Secret Santa.

  Then Sam took him to her room and gifted him a typewriter. What followed was Emma Watson’s best ag iire movie as she revealed her dark past to Charlie before doing something the audience had eagerly anticipated—she kissed him. It was a tender and toug moment.

  More than one person in the audience cpped and cheered for Charlie, celebrating his first kiss with the girl he had desperately loved but was too shy to fess his feelings to.

  During the holidays, Charlie tos at one of the parties and ter passed out in the snow. He had a fshback about his Aunt, who died in a car crash around Christmas when he was a child. He ter woke up in the hospital, surrounded by polid his worried parents.

  Then came another [Rocky Horror Picture Show] sing, but this time, the cast didn’t have a Rocky. In all seriousness, Mary Elizabeth looked at Charlie and said, “Take off your clothes.”

  Moments ter, Charlie was on stage wearing nothing but a pair of golden speedos. Rod shook his head in disappoi. It seemed like Troy just needed an excuse to take his clothes off. Sure, his body was impressive, but one couldn’t ighe fact that Troy was only 16—probably 15 when the se was filmed.

  Unfortunately, the audience didn’t share Rod’s disfort, aed cheers, predominantly from young girls, filled the theater at the sight of Troy Armitage’s sculpted body. Thankfully, he was the only one in such a revealing outfit; Emma Watson wore a long white nightie that covered her modestly.

  After the show, Mary Elizabeth asked Charlie to the Sadie Hawkins Dance, and he agreed. Following the dance, she invited him over to her pd kissed him. But poor Charlie could only think of Sam, the girl he actually wao kiss.

  “I just ’t believe,” Mary Elizabeth said, “that you, of all people, are my boyfriend.”

  The camera pao Charlie, whose expression was one of fusion, clearly baffled by this sudden turn of events. The audieed in ughter at his i rea to Mary Elizabeth’s decration.

  What followed was a textbook example of a one-sided retionship. Charlie clearly didn’t want to be involved but was too shy to say anything, so he let it tinue.

  “Charlie, you o break up with her!” his mother said when Mary Elizabeth refused to hang up the phone.

  “I do that?” Charlie asked, delivering the lih perfeic timing, which sent the audieo raucous ughter.

  Then came a more difficult se to watbsp;During a game of Truth or Dare, Charlie was dared to kiss the most beautiful girl in the room. He kissed Sam, who was sitting beside Mary Elizabeth.

  Everything came crashing down for Charlie after that one mistake. He lost all his friends—Mary Elizabeth started ign him, and both Patrid Sam told him to stay away. Once again, he was isoted.

  He asked his sister, dace, to eat lunch with him, but she ignored him as well. When Charlie finally fronted her, she broke down in his arms, revealing that she regnant by her boyfriend. Without telling their parents, Charlie took her to an abortion ic. It was a wholesome brother-sister moment that showed the depth of their bond.

  As time went on, Charlie found out that Brad’s father had caught Brad and Patrick together, leading to Brad beien within an inch of his life. To maintain his maage at school, Brad began ign Patrick, which culminated in a brutal fight in the cafeteria. Jonathan Groff stole the se as Patrick was viciously attacked by Brad’s friends. Charlie came to his rescue, though the film beautifully avoided glorifying violenoment, Charlie was there; the , Brad’s friends were on the ground, and Charlie had a bruised hand. It was a clever camera trick by the director to show how Charlie bcked out during the altercation.

  This i ultimately led to Charlie being accepted bato his circle of friends. Patrid Charlie went on a drive to talk, where Patrick opened up about what had happened between him and Brad, revealing how Brad’s father had brutally beaten him. It was a heartbreaking story that reflected the struggles many gay teenagers face.

  In a moment of vulnerability, Patrick kissed Charlie, only to apologize immediately and hug him. The se was tastefully shot, with the kiss shot through the back of Charlie’s head. Most likely the actors didn’t kiss because of the servative attitudes surrounding homosexual ses in films, particurly with underaged actors like Troy Armitage.

  Later, Sam received her acceptater from Penn State, and the friends celebrated their high school graduation and college acceptances. Sam was newly single, having broken up with her cheating boyfriend, Craig. At the going-aarty, Charlie gave Sam all of his books, wanting to give her a part of himself before she left for college.

  Ba Sam’s room, she asked a question that resonated with her character. “Why do I, and everyone I love, pick people who treat us like we are nothing?”

  Charlie looked at her with i eyes aed the earlier line, “t the love we think we deserve.”

  Rod found that full-circle moment incredibly satisfying, as it showed how the powerful line Bruce Willis had delivered earlier was not just a throwaway—it had real weight in the film.

  “Then why did you never ask me out?” Sam asked.

  “Because you were with Craig, bitch!” someone shouted from the audience, making the eheater erupt in ughter during what was meant to be an intense se.

  Oblivious to the audience’s rea, Charlie fessed his love for Sam, and the two kissed—this time, a real romantic kiss, not one of friendship. When Sam touched his thigh, Charlie pulled back, startled.

  “What’s wrong, Charlie?” Sam asked.

  “Nothing,” he replied before kissing her again.

  As Sam prepared to leave for uy, she gave Charlie one final kiss, and he once agaihe weight of loneliness. That’s when the fshbacks started—first to Sam toug his thigh, but when the camera panned upward, and it wasn’t Sam; it was his Aunt, the one who had died in the car crash.

  “Wait, what!?” someone excimed from behind Rod.

  “Holy shit!” another voice shouted, eg the surprise of the non-book readers in the audience.

  Even in the book, this revetion had been subtle, and many readers likely didn’t fully grasp the gravity of what had happeo Charlie. But for those paying attention, this twist was both shog a-wreng.

  As Charlie’s breakdown unfolded on the s, Rod’s breath hitched. The way Troy portrayed the raw anguish on Charlie’s face—it was like he was eling the deepest form of betrayal anyone could experieroy’s performan that se was beyond exceptional, pulling from what felt like an incredibly dark pce, and it was utterly gut-wreng to watch. It was master-level ag, and Rod couldn't help but think that this se alone should earn Troy a nomination for an Oscar, if not an ht win.

  The girl sitting beside Rod broke down in tears, and watg her sob was the tipping point for him as well. His own eyes watered, overwhelmed by the sheer emotion on dispy. This wasn’t just a film anymore—it was a deeply human experiehat resonated with everyone iheater.

  On s, Charlie, in a fit of desperation, called his sister, dace, fessing that he believed he was responsible for his Aunt Helen’s death. Realizing the gravity of the situation, dace urged her friends to call the police, but by the time the call disected, Charlie was holding a knife.

  “Please tell me he’s not gonna die!” a teen girl cried out iheater, her voice ced with panic. Even though Rod had read the book, there was still a moment of uainty—would the movie follow the same course, or would it take a different turn?

  The tension was unbearable until the police finally broke the door down. The se shifted, and Charlie woke up in the hospital. A collective sigh of relief seemed to ripple through the audience, including Rod, as they realized Charlie was going to be okay. He was finally getting the help he deserved. Joan Cusack, who pyed Charlie’s doctor, was a grounding presen the movie, guiding him out of his dark mental state by helping him e to terms with the fact that what his Aunt Helen did was not his fault.

  The film ed up on a mueeded hopeful note. Sam and Patrick returned during a break from college, and the trio once agaihrough the tunnel, a symbol of their unbreakable bond. As David Bowie’s “Heroes” pyed, Charlie stood up in the back of the truck, arms spread wide, feeling the freedom he had longed for. He and Sam kissed once more, bringing their story full circle.

  The film ended with Charlie saying, “We are infinite.” And in that moment, it sure felt like that.

  As the credits began to roll, Rod struggled to find the words to express how he felt about the movie. There was just ohing that echoed in his mind, and it slipped from his mouth before he could stop it: “That was beautiful.” And it truly was. This film was one of the most toug he had seen in a long time, filled with warmth, real-life moments, and nostalgia that transported him back to his own high school days.

  Rod knew immediately that this was an instant cssic—a movie that people would watch over and ain, ohat would remain timeless. And as soon as the credits finished rolling, he stood up and started g loudly, uo tain his admiration for the film. He was only the first by a few seds, though, because soon, the entire hall erupted in appuse that felt like it would never end, a fitting clusion to a film that had touched everyone so deeply.