Wonder
Directed by Stephen Chbosky
TheoScope Rating
Worldview · content · moral framework
Plot
Based on the New York Times bestseller, WONDER tells the incredibly inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman. Born with facial differences that, up until now, have prevented him from going to a mainstream school, Auggie becomes the most unlikely of heroes when he enters the local fifth grade. As his family, his new classmates, and the larger community all struggle to discover their compassion and acceptance, Auggie's extraordinary journey will unite them all and prove you can't blend in when you were born to stand out.
Discern Score Breakdown
30%
30%
25%
15%
Audience Suitability
Kids
Under 10
Teens
10–17
Adults
18+
Family
Mixed ages
Content Flags
Wonder is a rare mainstream family film that takes seriously the moral weight of kindness, cruelty, and human dignity without resorting to sentimentality or false resolution. It operates from an implicitly humanistic but genuinely virtuous worldview that will resonate with Christian families even in the absence of explicit faith content. It is among the better examples of the genre and well suited to family viewing for most ages.
Pastoral Take
Wonder is one of the most genuinely family-appropriate films Hollywood has produced in years, and most parents will find it not only safe but actively valuable to watch together with children as young as six or seven. The bullying scenes and one moment of mild physical confrontation may briefly unsettle younger or more sensitive children, but these are handled with care and actually provide excellent conversation openings about standing up for others. While the film has no explicit Christian content, its portrait of sacrificial love, human dignity, and the cost of true friendship gives parents rich material to connect to Scripture and to the way your family talks about how you treat people who are different.
Discussion Points
- 1When Jack Will pretended not to be Auggie's friend at Halloween to avoid being teased, it really hurt Auggie — but Jack eventually apologized and tried to make it right. Have you ever been in a situation where being a loyal friend cost you something socially? What do you think the Bible means when it says a friend 'loves at all times'?
- 2Auggie's mom gave up her graduate degree to homeschool and care for him, and his sister Via sometimes felt invisible because so much attention went to her brother. How do you think a family decides what sacrifice is worth making for each other? Does that remind you of anything Paul says about how love 'does not seek its own'?
- 3At the end of the film, the principal says Auggie showed more courage than most adults ever will — just by showing up every day. What kind of courage do you think that takes, and where do you think that kind of strength comes from? Is there a difference between courage that comes from confidence and courage that comes from something deeper?
- 4Julian's parents actually encouraged his cruelty by defending him even when he was wrong. How do you think the people around us shape who we become — for better or worse? What does it look like to have adults in your life who tell you the truth about your own character, even when it's uncomfortable?
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Cast
Jacob Tremblay, Owen Wilson, Izabela Vidovic
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