Dreams of Stardom (Hollywood SI)

AN: Want a more interactive chapter with links to scenes of the movie [The Perks of Being a Wallflower]? Head over to RR or SH.

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Rod Meyer was excited. While he wouldn't say it out loud, his favorite actor's film had its premiere at Sundance. He had fought tooth and nail to be the one sent from his office to see the movie and write a review about it.

He still remembered the first time he was completely enchanted by Troy Armitage when he saw [The Sixth Sense]. The only reason he had not proclaimed Troy to be the next best thing to happen to cinema was that it might sound odd for a grown man to admire a kid like that. If that wasn't enough, Troy went on to star in those [Harry Potter] movies.

It wasn't that there was anything wrong with [Harry Potter], but it certainly suppressed the potential of a young actor like Troy. There was nothing in the first two films that could be considered 'good acting.' Sure, Troy was better than other actors his age in the same movies, but he couldn't be his best self because the films limited his scope of acting.

Then [A.I. Artificial Intelligence] came out, which Rod believed was the biggest Oscar snub of the decade. Troy deserved to win that award—not just be nominated—but for reasons unknown to Rod, he was completely ignored by most of the award bodies.

That was four years ago. Since 2001, Troy hasn't made any other films besides [Harry Potter]. Rod understood that the kid was busy with theater and shooting the biggest franchise in the world, but that didn't mean he liked it. And now, Troy was back with a bang—not just with one, but two simultaneous non-franchise releases in the same film festival.

Rod was present on the day of the premiere of [Brick], and true to his talent, Troy didn't disappoint. It was such an intriguing plot set in a high school environment. Very unlikely to happen in real life, but entertaining with the way the characters and story unfolded.

And now, the time had come for the release of Rod's most anticipated film of the festival—[The Perks of Being a Wallflower]. Rod had read the book when it first came out and cried like a baby afterward. He had reread it countless times over the years. Undoubtedly, it was one of his favorite books of all time, and now it was being adapted into a film, featuring his favorite actor. It was as if the world was conspiring to make this Rod's favorite movie.

Seeing Troy and the rest of the cast in person at the premiere was an added bonus.

Rod eagerly sat in his seat as the opening credits rolled, starting with, of course, Troy Armitage. One thing to note, though, was that the film was directed and written by none other than Stephen Chbosky, the same man who wrote the novel. Rod had never heard of this happening in Hollywood, but then realizing this was an indie film produced by Troy, it made sense.

The film began with a voiceover from Troy. No one would have guessed it was his voice if he wasn't on the screen. Usually, Troy played a sassy young man as Harry Potter with a British accent. But now, his voice was fully Americanized and had an inherently subdued quality to it, as if a very reserved and shy person were speaking—exactly what the character of Charlie needed to be in the film.

The way Troy avoided everyone else around him made the whole thing more believable. He didn't look like the muscular jock-type kid from [Goblet of Fire] at all, but rather a lonely boy with severe anxiety.

And then came the flamboyant character Patrick, played by a newbie, Jonathan Groff. From the first moment he walked on screen, he charmed everyone with his magnetic performance. If Charlie was the loner wallflower, Patrick was his complete opposite, with his loud, 'notice me' personality.

And then came a surprise cameo.

"I'm Mr. Anderson," said Bruce Willis. "I'm going to be your teacher for freshman English." His presence not only surprised Rod but, from what he could tell, everyone else in the audience as well.

Troy must have personally called Bruce to play the role of the teacher. It felt so nice to see the two reunite after chilling everyone to the bone in [The Sixth Sense]. For a change, Bruce was very good in the role of an empathetic, lovable teacher.

As the film continued, it brought forth a wave of nostalgia for Rod. The casual bullying Charlie faced was as real as it could be—at least, it was when Rod went to school. His older sister Candace, played by Mila Kunis, receiving mixtapes from her boyfriend was also something that might feel dated to younger audiences.

Charlie goes to a football game alone, which is more than a little depressing. But then he sees the loud boy named Patrick, who is equally alone despite his outwardly exuberant behavior. Patrick invites Charlie to sit with him.

And then came the reason most teenagers would want to see this film. Emma Watson shed the skin of Hermione to play Sam, her first non-Potter role after playing Hermione in four films.

As soon as she appeared on screen, excited murmurs erupted around Rod as teens got hyped to see Harry and Hermione paired off together. The buzz around the film had already spiked after that photo of them kissing was taken by the paparazzi.

While the teenagers were thrilled, Rod remained focused on the film. He had to admit he was a bit disappointed. While Emma was undoubtedly beautiful, it felt like that was all there was to her performance. Her American accent came across as slightly fake. Unlike Troy, who had experience speaking with an American accent (ever since [The Sixth Sense]), Emma's accent sounded forced at several points.

If you ignored that small detail, the three leads looked like real friends. Charlie, Sam, and Patrick were a group of misfits who came together to form an iconic on-screen trio—quite like Harry, Hermione, and Ron.

In the next scene, Charlie walks in on his sister arguing heatedly with her boyfriend, Ponytail Derek, who slaps her across the face.

Gasps echoed through the theater as the reality of the situation hit viewers—this was a very realistic portrayal of a toxic relationship.

In a rare show of bravery, Charlie bursts through the door, ready to confront Derek, only for Candace to intervene and send him away. Charlie could only watch from the window as Candace kissed Derek goodbye.

Then came the homecoming dance. Initially, Charlie stands back, watching as everyone else dances on the floor—Candace, Derek, Sam, Patrick, and a host of other teenagers seen throughout the movie.

And then the music changes to a familiar tune: "Come On Eileen." It was one of Rod's favorite dance songs growing up. Emma Watson and Jonathan Groff start a well-choreographed dance routine on the floor as Charlie looks on with longing in his eyes. Then, suddenly, summoning a courage he doesn't know he has, he begins inching toward his new friends.

A loud cheer erupted from the audience at the wholesome scene when Sam and Patrick seamlessly included Charlie in their dance routine. It was so satisfying to see Charlie no longer feeling so lonely.

Later, Sam and Patrick take him to a house party at Bob's place, a stoner friend of theirs. To introduce Charlie to their other friends, Patrick leads him to two girls, Mary Elizabeth and Alice, and says, "This is Charlie's first party ever. So I expect nice, meaningful, heartfelt blowjobs from both of you."

Charlie's eyes widened comically at the remark, and the audience burst into laughter.

As Patrick went off to meet another friend, Brad Hays, Bob offered Charlie a brownie. 

Almost everyone in the audience groaned in despair when Charlie unsuspectingly ate the brownie.

Troy was in top form, playing Charlie's stoned antics perfectly while everyone—both in the movie and in the theater—laughed. The laughter wasn't aimed at Charlie himself, but rather at his innocence. 

Sam was the only one not to laugh. When Charlie said he wanted a milkshake, she quietly made one for him. It was a touching scene, a moment of connection between two friends. Everything was going perfectly until Charlie casually brought up his best friend, Michael.

"Michael's dad was a big drinker, so he hated getting high and going to parties," Charlie said, still a little high from the brownie.

"So where's Michael tonight?" Sam asked, just as casually, while making the milkshake.

"Oh, he shot himself last May," Charlie replied, equally casual. The background music in the film stopped abruptly as Sam looked up at him in shock.

The audience, who had been laughing at Charlie's innocence moments earlier, quietened immediately and understood the weight behind the scene.

Seeing Charlie so vulnerable in front of Sam was a revelation. When he went upstairs to find a bathroom, he stumbled upon Patrick and Brad kissing. Patrick quickly asked him not to tell anyone, as Brad was still in the closet. In another heartwarming moment, Patrick raised a toast to Charlie after learning about his past from Sam.

"Awww," the girl sitting next to Rod cooed at the sweet scene.

As Patrick and Sam drove Charlie home, David Bowie's "Heroes" played on the radio. Sam, excited by the song, begged Patrick to drive through the tunnel. She stood at the back of the truck, arms spread wide as she embraced the night air.

Charlie, looking at her from the window, clearly showed he was in love with her. 

"Why can't anyone look at me like that?" the same girl from earlier moaned.

"Why can't you be quiet and let us watch the film in silence?" a boy shouted back, making everyone around them laugh. Thankfully, the two didn't continue their banter as the film went on.

A montage followed, showing the passage of time as Charlie became fully integrated into the group of friends. Then came a scene that Rod wasn't entirely sure of the purpose behind. The teenagers were participating in a screening of [The Rocky Horror Picture Show], with everyone dressed in revealing costumes. Emma Watson and Lea Michele, who played Mary Elizabeth, wore slightly more modest outfits compared to the others. If Rod had to guess, it was probably because they were under 18 at the time of filming the scene.

Then came one of the most pivotal scenes, a defining moment from the book.

"Mr. Anderson?" Charlie asked his teacher hesitantly. "Why do nice people choose the wrong people to date?"

"We accept the love we think we deserve," Bruce Willis responded sagely, embodying the wise and thoughtful English teacher.

That quote touched Rod deeply, as it likely did for countless others around the world who had read the book. But the way it was delivered in the film, combined with Bruce Willis' performance, was nothing short of marvelous.

As the story progressed, Charlie helped Sam study for her SATs, which she had tanked the first time around. Months passed, and finally, it was Christmas. Being the thoughtful person he was, Charlie bought gifts for all his friends, though he only received a gift from Patrick, his Secret Santa.

Then Sam took him to her room and gifted him a typewriter. What followed was Emma Watson's best acting in the entire movie as she revealed her dark past to Charlie before doing something the audience had eagerly anticipated—she kissed him. It was a tender and touching moment.

More than one person in the audience clapped and cheered for Charlie, celebrating his first kiss with the girl he had desperately loved but was too shy to confess his feelings to.

During the holidays, Charlie took drugs at one of the parties and later passed out in the snow. He had a flashback about his Aunt, who died in a car crash around Christmas when he was a child. He later woke up in the hospital, surrounded by police and his worried parents.

Then came another [Rocky Horror Picture Show] screening, but this time, the cast didn't have a Rocky. In all seriousness, Mary Elizabeth looked at Charlie and said, "Take off your clothes."

Moments later, Charlie was on stage wearing nothing but a pair of golden speedos. Rod shook his head in disappointment. It seemed like Troy just needed an excuse to take his clothes off. Sure, his body was impressive, but one couldn't ignore the fact that Troy was only 16—probably 15 when the scene was filmed.

Unfortunately, the audience didn't share Rod's discomfort, and excited cheers, predominantly from young girls, filled the theater at the sight of Troy Armitage's sculpted body. Thankfully, he was the only one in such a revealing outfit; Emma Watson wore a long white nightie that covered her modestly.

After the show, Mary Elizabeth asked Charlie to the Sadie Hawkins Dance, and he agreed. Following the dance, she invited him over to her place and kissed him. But poor Charlie could only think of Sam, the girl he actually wanted to kiss.

"I just can't believe," Mary Elizabeth said, "that you, of all people, are my boyfriend."

The camera panned to Charlie, whose expression was one of confusion, clearly baffled by this sudden turn of events. The audience erupted in laughter at his innocent reaction to Mary Elizabeth's declaration.

What followed was a textbook example of a one-sided relationship. Charlie clearly didn't want to be involved but was too shy to say anything, so he let it continue.

"Charlie, you need to break up with her!" his mother said when Mary Elizabeth refused to hang up the phone.

"I can do that?" Charlie asked, delivering the line with perfect comic timing, which sent the audience into raucous laughter.

Then came a more difficult scene to watch. During a game of Truth or Dare, Charlie was dared to kiss the most beautiful girl in the room. He kissed Sam, who was sitting beside Mary Elizabeth.

Everything came crashing down for Charlie after that one mistake. He lost all his friends—Mary Elizabeth started ignoring him, and both Patrick and Sam told him to stay away. Once again, he was isolated.

He asked his sister, Candace, to eat lunch with him, but she ignored him as well. When Charlie finally confronted her, she broke down in his arms, revealing that she was pregnant by her boyfriend. Without telling their parents, Charlie took her to an abortion clinic. It was a wholesome brother-sister moment that showed the depth of their bond.

As time went on, Charlie found out that Brad's father had caught Brad and Patrick together, leading to Brad being beaten within an inch of his life. To maintain his macho image at school, Brad began ignoring Patrick, which culminated in a brutal fight in the cafeteria. Jonathan Groff stole the scene as Patrick was viciously attacked by Brad's friends. Charlie came to his rescue, though the film beautifully avoided glorifying violence. One moment, Charlie was there; the next, Brad's friends were on the ground, and Charlie had a bruised hand. It was a clever camera trick by the director to show how Charlie blacked out during the altercation.

This incident ultimately led to Charlie being accepted back into his circle of friends. Patrick and Charlie went on a drive to talk, where Patrick opened up about what had happened between him and Brad, revealing how Brad's father had brutally beaten him. It was a heartbreaking story that reflected the struggles many gay teenagers face.

In a moment of vulnerability, Patrick kissed Charlie, only to apologize immediately and hug him. The scene was tastefully shot, with the kiss shot through the back of Charlie's head. Most likely the actors didn't kiss because of the conservative attitudes surrounding homosexual scenes in films, particularly with underaged actors like Troy Armitage.

Later, Sam received her acceptance letter from Penn State, and the friends celebrated their high school graduation and college acceptances. Sam was newly single, having broken up with her cheating boyfriend, Craig. At the going-away party, Charlie gave Sam all of his books, wanting to give her a part of himself before she left for college.

Back in Sam's room, she asked a question that resonated with her character. "Why do I, and everyone I love, pick people who treat us like we are nothing?"

Charlie looked at her with innocent eyes and repeated the earlier line, "We accept the love we think we deserve."

Rod found that full-circle moment incredibly satisfying, as it showed how the powerful line Bruce Willis had delivered earlier was not just a throwaway—it had real weight in the film.

"Then why did you never ask me out?" Sam asked.

"Because you were with Craig, bitch!" someone shouted from the audience, making the entire theater erupt in laughter during what was meant to be an intense scene.

Oblivious to the audience's reaction, Charlie confessed his love for Sam, and the two kissed—this time, a real romantic kiss, not one of friendship. When Sam touched his thigh, Charlie pulled back, startled.

"What's wrong, Charlie?" Sam asked.

"Nothing," he replied before kissing her again.

As Sam prepared to leave for university, she gave Charlie one final kiss, and he once again felt the weight of loneliness. That's when the flashbacks started—first to Sam touching his thigh, but when the camera panned upward, and it wasn't Sam; it was his Aunt, the one who had died in the car crash.

"Wait, what!?" someone exclaimed from behind Rod.

"Holy shit!" another voice shouted, echoing the surprise of the non-book readers in the audience.

Even in the book, this revelation had been subtle, and many readers likely didn't fully grasp the gravity of what had happened to Charlie. But for those paying attention, this twist was both shocking and heart-wrenching.

As Charlie's breakdown unfolded on the screen, Rod's breath hitched. The way Troy portrayed the raw anguish on Charlie's face—it was like he was channeling the deepest form of betrayal anyone could experience. Troy's performance in that scene was beyond exceptional, pulling from what felt like an incredibly dark place, and it was utterly gut-wrenching to watch. It was master-level acting, and Rod couldn't help but think that this scene alone should earn Troy a nomination for an Oscar, if not an outright win.

The girl sitting beside Rod broke down in tears, and watching her sob was the tipping point for him as well. His own eyes watered, overwhelmed by the sheer emotion on display. This wasn't just a film anymore—it was a deeply human experience that resonated with everyone in the theater.

On screen, Charlie, in a fit of desperation, called his sister, Candace, confessing that he believed he was responsible for his Aunt Helen's death. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Candace urged her friends to call the police, but by the time the call disconnected, Charlie was holding a knife.

"Please tell me he's not gonna die!" a teen girl cried out in the theater, her voice laced with panic. Even though Rod had read the book, there was still a moment of uncertainty—would the movie follow the same course, or would it take a different turn?

The tension was unbearable until the police finally broke the door down. The scene shifted, and Charlie woke up in the hospital. A collective sigh of relief seemed to ripple through the audience, including Rod, as they realized Charlie was going to be okay. He was finally getting the help he deserved. Joan Cusack, who played Charlie's doctor, was a grounding presence in the movie, guiding him out of his dark mental state by helping him come to terms with the fact that what his Aunt Helen did was not his fault.

The film wrapped up on a much-needed hopeful note. Sam and Patrick returned during a break from college, and the trio once again went through the tunnel, a symbol of their unbreakable bond. As David Bowie's "Heroes" played, Charlie stood up in the back of the truck, arms spread wide, feeling the freedom he had longed for. He and Sam kissed once more, bringing their story full circle.

The film ended with Charlie saying, "We are infinite." And in that moment, it sure felt like that.

As the credits began to roll, Rod struggled to find the words to express how he felt about the movie. There was just one thing that echoed in his mind, and it slipped from his mouth before he could stop it: "That was beautiful." And it truly was. This film was one of the most touching he had seen in a long time, filled with warmth, real-life moments, and nostalgia that transported him back to his own high school days.

Rod knew immediately that this was an instant classic—a movie that people would watch over and over again, one that would remain timeless. And as soon as the credits finished rolling, he stood up and started clapping loudly, unable to contain his admiration for the film. He was only the first by a few seconds, though, because soon, the entire hall erupted in applause that felt like it would never end, a fitting conclusion to a film that had touched everyone so deeply.

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