A group of intelligent teen-aged outcasts who are learning to survive in a crazy world is the classic coming-of-age drama. Many argue that the theme is tired and simply shouldn’t be attempted anymore. However, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” does not attempt to tell this story; it excels in doing so.

“Perks,” based on the novel of the same name, tells the story of 15-year-old Charlie (Logan Lerman). Charlie enters high school with no friends and plenty of baggage. Right away he befriends two seniors who take him into their friend group. Openly gay and constantly witty Patrick (Ezra Miller) and his half sister/best friend Sam (Emma Watson) expose Charlie to a myriad of new experiences.

The book is written in the form of many letters written by Charlie. The film features heavy usage of voice-overs to continue this format but this does not disturb the flow of the film at all. The theme is present but is seamlessly woven in and out when it is most appropriate.

It should be noted that the film was written and directed by the author of the book, Stephen Chbosky. This is probably a large part of the reason it did such a wonderful job of giving its audience the same emotions and lessons that the novel originally did. I am generally skeptical of movies that are based on books but in this case I had no reason to be.

The main strength of this film is its subtlety. Mental illness is approached in an unflinchingly honest way. The acting is phenomenally nuanced for every radically different character. And the soundtrack is marvelous in general, but even better in how well it fits the story. Overall, the film is lovable by fans, skeptics, teenagers and adults alike. If have yet to see it, you are missing out on something great.