A worthy spin-off and prequel to “Wonder.”
“White Bird” is the spin-off of “Wonder” (both of which are based on RJ Palacio’s books), which was about a boy named Auggie Pullman, whose facial deformity caused him humiliation and cynicism, until he was able to see the outlook on life. This time, it focuses on his bully Julian Albans (Bryce Gheisar), who realized the error of his ways too late and is revealed that his parents were selfish and ignorant people, who actually supported the bullying. Now that he’s in a new school, he thinks it’s important for him to be normal. But what does that word even mean? Even my mother hates that word.
It’s also a prequel, as his artist grandmother Sara (Helen Mirren) comes from Paris and tells him her story of her youth as a Jewish girl living in Nazi-occupied France. She starts off being happy and spoiled, drawing pictures and living comfortably with her parents, but as the war and anti-semitism commences, she starts to learn the hard truth about her life.
This movie works on both ends, because of how it deals with kindness and cruelty, as “Wonder” did, and how the young bully needs to learn what it means to be fully reformed. He also needs to acknowledge that history has a way of repeating itself, especially since World War II was a time of cruelty and depression.
Young Sara (Ariella Glasser) ends up separated from her parents, when she dodges the Nazis invading her school, and is rescued by a young polio-lamed boy named Julien (Orlando Schwerdt), whom she never cared about at school. Regardless, he takes her through the sewers to his home, and hides her in his barn. He offers her the lessons he’s being taught at school, his parents (Gillian Anderson and Jo-Stone Fewings) offer her kindness, and their friendship develops into love.
I wasn’t really feeling much ambition for “White Bird,” because it was originally supposed to come out two years ago, until Lionsgate pushed it back and pulled it from the schedule. It also would have come out last year if it wasn’t for the SAG-AFTRA strikes, but now, it has finally seen the light of day in theaters. Usually when a movie gets delayed for suck a period of time, it could make you lose interest. But now that I have seen it, I was able to thrive against my cynicism, and see what it is. A heartwarming spin-off and prequel that honors the 2017 movie.
Not every formula works, but the screenplay by Mark Bomback (“Live Free or Die Hard,” “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”) and the direction by Marc Foster likes the honor the courage and emotions of Palacio’s stories. The scenes when Julien and Sara imagine driving through Paris and New York City may sound corny, but they do remind me of the optimism presented in “Life is Beautiful.”
Mirren does fine work as both the grandmother and narrator of her story, while Gheisar still makes you feel bad for his past mistake, and Glasser as the young Sara and Schwerdt both have naturalism in their characters. The girl starts off self-involved, while the boy eventually criticizes her for her personality and her lack of concern for him during their school years. Not even knowing his name. But through the difficulties, they both manage to see the good in one another. Even using their words of wisdom to live in such evil times.
And like “Wonder,” there are those who can’t be redeemed, like Sara’s classmate Vincent (Jem Matthews), whom she had a crush on, until she learns he’s an anti-semite, who transitions into a sadistic monster bent on killing her or at least exposing her to the Nazis. Every time, he represents his evils, you hope something bad happens to him.
WWII dramas set in occupied-Europe are usually emotional and sad, but that doesn’t mean faith and courage can be overshadowed by fear and cynicism. “White Bird” represents that in its own scale, and I’m glad we’re finally given the opportunity to see it.