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Movie review: Young Tremblay anchors Chbosky's thoughtful, moving 'Wonder'
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Director Stephen Chbosky on the set of Wonder. - photo by Josh Terry
WONDER 4 stars Jacob Tremblay, Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, Izabela Vidovic, Daveed Diggs, Mandy Patinkin; PG (thematic elements, including bullying and some mild language); in general release

Its always nice when someone takes a good idea and makes it even better. Wonder is a perfect movie for the holidays, but its feel-good message will come in handy year-round.

Based on the book by R.J. Palacio, Stephen Chboskys Wonder follows a boy named Auggie (Jacob Tremblay) as he begins his first year of public school. What would already be a challenging situation is exacerbated by the fact that Auggie was born with facial deformities, and even after 27 operations, he still hides under a space helmet wherever he goes.

Fortunately, Auggie has a wealth of loving support at home, including his father, Nate (Owen Wilson), and his talented mother, Isabel (Julia Roberts), who is venturing back into her passion for illustration after years of home-schooling her son. Auggie also has a big sister named Via (Izabela Vidovic) to give him some valuable direction.

To give her son a boost, Isabel arranges for Auggie to meet a few of his classmates before the new school year. So he meets a spoiled kid named Julian (Bryce Gheisar), a diva-in-training named Charlotte (Elle McKinnon) and a boy on scholarship named Jack Will (Noah Jupe).

Space helmets wont fly at school, so Auggie has to brave his first day face-first, and the results are predictably terrifying. Everyone, from the kids to Auggies well-meaning teachers, is taken aback by his looks. But after a rough start, the youngster starts to settle in, even becoming close friends with Jack Will before a misunderstanding compromises their friendship.

At this point, its easy to peg Wonder as another inspiring story meant to teach us about inner beauty and self-worth. In some ways, Wonder feels like another Mask, the moving 1985 film about a teenage boy named Rocky with a skull deformity.

But this is where Wonder changes gears and becomes something special. Rather than stick with Auggies perspective, Chboskys film following the pattern of Palacios book begins skipping to different narrative perspectives, starting with Via.

Auggies sister, it turns out, has problems of her own. Shes had a falling-out with her former best friend, Miranda (Danielle Rose Russell), and, thanks to her brothers plight, Via feels ignored at home. To shake things up, she goes out for a school play and starts dating a boy named Justin (Nadji Jeter).

After we spend some time in Vias life, Wonder adds more perspectives to the mix, including Jack Wills and later Mirandas. In each case, the film doubles back and forces us to reinterpret scenes from earlier in the movie as we get more context.

At the same time, Chbosky never lays it on too thick, and Wonder avoids being preachy. Led by Tremblay, the cast does a fine job of creating performances that communicate the nuance Chboskys film needs to be effective.

Ultimately, Wonder is just a sweet film, less about Auggie than it is a portrait of a small group of everyday people with interconnected lives and dreams and struggles. Along with its unique storytelling style, Wonder mixes in a great cast and a witty personality to whip up a fantastic family friendly film for the holidays that most audiences should enjoy.

Wonder is rated PG for thematic elements, including bullying and some mild language; running time: 113 minutes.
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Have You Seen This? Street musician slays with clarinet
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Better than almost every face-melting guitar or drum solo. - photo by Facebook video screenshot

THE BIG EASY — Yeah, yeah, we all know that New Orleans is stuffed to the gills will incredible musicians.

But knowing that fact and then hearing that fact are two different things. You can step into any number of jazz clubs on any given night on Bourbon Street, and you’ll probably be impressed with virtually every act. Or you can sit at home on your comfy couch and watch this featured video.

In the video, you’ll see a woman who is in the groove. She is swinging hard, and wailing on her clarinet with a practiced expertise that makes it sounds so easy.

From note one you’ll be drawn in; your appreciation will grow with every second, and then your face will melt off when you realize how incredible she really is.

If you’ve never played a woodwind or a brass, you may not know everything that comes with a performance like this. Lung capacity and breath control are huge factors in keeping your notes clear and loud, and hitting those high notes is especially difficult.

So when this woman hits that high note and holds it for several seconds, you know you’re dealing with an exceptional musician. It means she has worked hard for years to develop skill on top of her natural talent, and we get to benefit.

It kinda makes you wonder how we let people get away with mumble rap and autotune when talent like this exists in the world.

I wish this video were longer, and I wish I had more information about this woman, but as it is, we’ll just have to appreciate the little flavor of New Orleans jazz posted by the Facebook group Clarinet Life.

Street musician killing it on clarinet

She must have lungs of iron! Its inspiring hearing the upper registers being played so well.

Posted by Clarinet Life on Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Martha Ostergar is a writer who delights in the ridiculous that internet serves up, which means she's more than grateful that she gets to cruise the web for amazing videos to highlight for your viewing pleasure.
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