With an uplifting story about a little boy with a deformed face struggling to fit in, it’s no wonder why people should see “Wonder.” It’s a nice movie filled with nice people. Not everyone is nice, but still.

Based on R.J. Palacio’s novel with the screenplay done by director Stephen Chbosky (“The Perks of Being a Wallflower”), Jacob Tremblay (“Room”) plays Auggie Pullman, who has been deformed since birth, and has undergone a series of operations just to make him look marginally better. His parents (Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson) send him to school, although they’re cautious about how the other 5th graders will treat him.

At school, he is often bullied by Julian (Bryce Gheisar) because of his face, and when he feels like an outcast, his family supports him every step of the way. He does, however, make a few friends, and the movie studies a few other characters besides Auggie, including his older sister Via (Izabela Vidovic), who is trying out for the drama club, and her friend Miranda (Danielle Rose Russell), who has family issues of her own.

Other than some unnecessary lines, “Wonder” has something for everyone: heart, humor, and truth. It proves people can stand out no matter how deformed they look, and how they can do good things, too. The performances from Tremblay, Roberts, Wilson, Vidovic, and Russell are spot on, and you really feel something in their characters. I’m glad I chose to skip “Daddy’s Home 2” to review this warm-hearted family drama.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Categories: comedy, Drama, Family