White Bird: A Wonder Story
★ ★ ★
White Bird is a very loose sequel to the 2017 box office hit ‘Wonder.’ Very little ties the two films together except for a character named Julian (Bryce Gheisar). In ‘Wonder,’ Julian is the villain, a bully who verbally torments Auggie, a boy born with a facial deformity. By the end of that film, Julian learns his lesson, realizes the error of his ways and changes his behavior. As it was, ‘Wonder’ was a beautifully executed film.
In ‘White Bird,’ Julian has started a new school and is cautious to interact with anyone because of his bullying past. In the beginning, we see him withdraw inward. He goes home after school to find a note from his parents, saying they would be out late and there’s food in the fridge.
Helen Miren as Grand mere
© 2024 Lionsgate
Juilian’s French grandmother, Grand-mère (Helen Miren) surprises him with a visit, and sensing something’s not going well at school, proceeds to tell him a story of her school days in a Nazi occupied small French town in 1942.
In her story, teenage Grand-mère is Sara Blum (Ariella Glaser) who lives with her parents, Max (Ishai Golan) and Rose (Olivia Ross). Max has an optimistic outlook that Jewish people being rounded up by Nazis can’t happen in their town. Rose is much more realistic, wanting to move away before things go bad.
Sara and Fellow Students Prepare to Hide from German Soldiers
© 2024 Lionsgate
Sara is focused on her studies, her friends and her art. She also has a crush on a boy named Vincent (Jem Matthews). She’s even drawn a portrait of him in her sketchbook.
Another boy, Julien Beaumier (Orlando Schwerdt) has a crush on Sara. He walks with crutches and is often bullied for it.
Rose was right to be pessimistic as German soldiers swarm the school to round-up Jewish students and take them away. The headmaster and teachers have an evacuation plan for the students and try to help them escape. Though the escape plan fails, Sara manages to escape.
Orlando Schwerdt as Julien Beaumier
© 2024 Lionsgate
Julien, who was not a part of the round-up, helps Sara get off the school grounds and takes her back to his home where his parents Jean-Paul (Jo Stone-Fewings) and Vivienne (Gillian Anderson) offer to let her stay in the upper loft of their barn.
What follows is a sweet, blossoming love story between Sara and Julien as they face the dangers of their occupied town and the risk of her being discovered.
For the most part, the film tackles the subject matter in a very light-hearted way, which I’m not certain adequately portrays the great risk Julien’s family takes on by helping Sara. Still, the developing love story between Julien and Sara generally works well and will certainly tug away at some heartstrings.
Bryce Geisar as Julian Albans
The film’s weakness is the bouncing between Grand-mère telling Julian her story and the actual portrayal of it. Each time we cut to Grand-mère and Julian, it reminds us we’re watching a movie.
I understand this is meant to be tied to ‘Wonder,’ but both films are so different in tone and direction, it feels like they are disconnected in more than just the story thread. I would have preferred the story to start and remain set in 1942-occupied France, but that wouldn’t be true to the source material, a series of novels by R. J. Palacio.
Despite the shortcomings, it’s still a sweet film with a love story many will find endearing.
Running Time: 2h 0m
Directed by: Marc Forster
Written by: Mark BombackR.J., Palacio
Starring: Helen Miren, Ariella Glaser, Orlando Schwerdt, Bryce Geisar, Gillian Anderson
Drama
