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White Bird Movie Review: Moving Coming-Of-Age Period Drama Stands For Kindness And Hope
The World War II drama, directed by Marc Foster, is a hopeful and meaningful story about the golden rule. The Hollywood film releases in India on October 2.
White Bird Movie Review: Moving Coming-Of-Age Period Drama Stands For Kindness And Hope
About White Bird
White Bird is based on RJ Palacio's followup story to Wonder, which was turned into the 2017 film with Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, and Jacob Tremblay. The semi-sequel tells the story of Auggie's former bully Julian (Bryce Gheisar), who learns an important lesson in kindness from his grandmother Sara, played by Oscar winner Helen Mirren. In the hands of a lesser filmmaker, it could turn syrupy, despite the heavy material. But director Marc Foster lends poignancy to White Bird, leaving us feeling hopeful with its ending.
White Bird: Plot
The film picks up after Julian has been expelled from Beecher Prep for tormenting Auggie (Tremblay). Now, as the new kid in a new school, Julian must learn to pick the right path. He does so with the help of his wise and caring grandmother, Sara Blum (Mirren). Going down memory lane to her teenage life in France, Sara makes Julian understand the real meaning of selflessness and kindness from her own experiences as a Jewish girl in Nazi-occupied France.White Bird: Writing and Direction
Mark Bomback adapts Palacio's novel; the film then becomes both a history lesson and a personal account of the harrowing experience of being Jewish in Europe during the 1940s. The options were limited and dangerous, and more often than not, one had to rely on the kindness of strangers. Fittingly, Sara (Ariella Glaser) finds it through her classmate Julien (Orlando Schwerdt), who is ridiculed by the others in school for his limp after being struck by polio.In modern-day New York and 1940s France, Sara and Julian learn how to correct their prejudices. Foster deftly shows this through balancing the tone of the film with both a historic lens and a message of hope. Towards the finale, there are several tense moments that leave you on the edge of your seat. White Bird counters the ugliness of the past with a moving sense of purpose.
White Bird: Performances
The period film is headlined by Mirren, and she holds the film well through small doses. Much of White Bird rests on Glaser and Schwerdt as classmates who become the closest of friends and more. Glaser, who reminded me quite a lot of a young Sydney Sweeney, captivates with her sweetness. Schwerdt is equally charming as the earnest Julien, who will do anything for Sara. Gheisar's Julian gets a redemption arc, and Gillian Anderson has a brief but impactful role as Julien's mother.White Bird: Critique
White Bird delves into a few more darker territories than Wonder did. But it is surrounded by the same sheen of positivity and optimism. The film's message is clear as Sara states, "Never forget kindness." It would do us all good to be reminded of that again and again.Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Reviews, Entertainment News and around the world.
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