This film tells the story of Charlie, a high school freshman, who writes a letter to an unnamed friend about his experiences and tribulations of his first year of high school. The protagonist suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and has to balance this with the average aspects of surviving freshman year, such as socialization, maintaining good grades, and overall enjoying the experience. He learns new things about himself and high school by meeting some friends along the way who help him with his struggles.
Charlie, portrayed by Logan Lerman, is a shy teenager whose only wish is to find happiness and create good memories. He loves to read and spend time with family. Sam, short for Samantha, portrayed by Emma Watson, is a high school senior, who’s best friend is her stepbrother Patrick, also a senior, portrayed by Ezra Miller. These two characters are dynamic and love to spend time with friends. They are both part of the drama club and enjoy parties and fun experiences. Sam and Patrick are free-spirited and are not affected by other people’s judgments. They both help Charlie step out of his comfort zone and quickly become his best friends. They teach him things about high school and teenage experiences. This friendship is reassuring throughout the movie, as it’s comforting to see how age or grade, in friendships, truly does not matter. It matters how the individuals feel around each other.
