Based on the book of the same name by Stephen Chbosky,The Perks of Being a Wallfloweris a coming-of-age movie that follows Charlie, a socially awkward wallflower, and his struggles as he navigates high school until Sam (Emma Watson) and her step-brother Patrick (Ezra Miller) take him under their wing. Charlie feels an instant attraction to Sam, although she doesn’t initially acknowledge him, while Patrick helps him gain a sense of humour to not take things too seriously. While Charlie is the main character, many fans of the film favor Patrick, the openly-gay funny boy with a heart of gold.
Ezra Miller’s performance as Patrickgarnered a lot of attention, both from critics and the audience alike. Were it not for his wonderful antics,The Perks of Being a Wallflowerwould have been a much tougher pill to swallow. Patrick’s comedic relief is what makes the film perfectly balanced between heavy topics, like child sexual abuse and suicide, and the lightness between Sam and Patrick as well as Patrick’s endless theatrics. Here are Ezra Miller’s best moments inThe Perks of Being a Wallflower.
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9Senior Prank
A small prank: Painting the shop teacher’s tools pink. While this may not seem like a big prank, it is in fact brilliant. Patrick gets bullied by his peers and targeted by his shop teacher for not being a stereotypical “manly man." His payback was to paint all the tools used for shop class pink, a typically feminine-associated colour. Also, considering that the film takes place in 1991, pink has historically been associated with girls making pink a rather gendered colour. Patrick’s senior prank basically is a deeper look into how deep the problems regarding gender, sexuality, and stereotypes truly run. The prank is also a symbol of how fighting back against discrimination can bring about true change as it has over the years.
8Ziploc Condom Story
When Charlie and Patrick are alone one night, Patrick tells him a story of a young couple that was ready to lose their virginity. Everything went well, the girl prepared and packed a picnic, but just when they were getting down to business, they realized they forgot a condom. So, rather than halt their actions, the couple opted to use one of the sandwich bags as a condom. Not only is this story a ridiculous example of teenage horniness, but the way Patrick tells the story makes it all the more hilarious.
7“Come on Eileen” Dance Scene
Probably the most iconic scene in the entire film is the“Come on Eileen” dance scene. Patrick and Sam take over the dance floor and dominate. Some would argue that this is a Sam and Patrick moment, but Patrick shines in his suit and scarf along with his careful dance moves. He stands out in this scene as they drag Charlie onto the dance floor and show him the true meaning of fun. Patrick, in general, makes everyone comfortable with his constant laughter and his inability to just leave people alone. The dance scene solidifies their relationship with Charlie, which Patrick started. Seeing that Charlie needed a friend, Patrick drags him along to try to build a lasting friendship with him.
6Break-up with Brad
In an especially poignant scene after Patrick’s abrupt breakup with Brad, Patrick confides in Charlie and this leads to him kissing Charlie. Charlie realizes, then, what Patrick has been going through. Ezra Miller’s performance is fantastic as the shiny veneer of the jokester that is Patrick wears thin and we see that he is just as fragile as anyone else. He may appear to just laugh everything off, but he can get hurt too. While this moment is not a comedic one, it’s one of the few moments where we see Patrick’s real emotions and how he tries to keep himself numb.
When one of his friends bullies Patrick, Patrick confronts Brad, even threatening to out him. Just as Patrick is about to walk away, Brad calls him a gay slur, to which Patrick reacts by punching Brad in the face. Patrick is so enraged by the use of the slur that he’s willing to risk his well-being for it. A fight ensues and Brad’s friends gang up on Patrick, eventually ending with Charlie stepping in. Miller’s performance here pulls us in as the tension between Patrick and Brad could be cut with a knife and the real feelings of hatred towards a homophobic slur were cast out in pure rage.
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4Below Average
Probably one of the best moments in the entire film is when Patrick’s Shop teacher evaluates his clock. The teacher wants to fail him until Patrick reminds him that if he fails him, they will have to see each other for another semester. Enter the below-average scene. The teacher caves and gives Patrick a C- for his clock.Patrick, Sam, and Charlie can then be seen out celebrating while Patrick iconically screams “Ladies and Gentlemen, I am below average!”. The irony is not lost on the audience as being below average is not something often celebrated. That said, this moment is relevant for many struggling students who have been ecstatic just to pass a class.
3“Nothing Hates U”
When Patrick’s feud with his shop teacher turns into the teacher referring to Patrick as “Nothing." It becomes a running joke among the entire school and most of the school refers to Patrick as “Nothing." As revenge, Patrick writes “Nothing Hates U” written on the top of his grad cap in white-out. This not only speaks volumes about Patrick as a character but gives the audience a good laugh as Patrick is able to take the cruel bullying and spin it back around on the bullies and by accepting the abuse and laughing at himself, he takes away any of the power that the bullies may have had if he let it get to him.
2Truth or Dare
When Brad dares Patrick to kiss Alice, Patrick doesn’t hesitate and goes for it, despite his preference for men. He jokes about it, getting the group’s attention by saying, “You guys are about to miss out on some serious f** on goth action." This little snippet is proof of the charm Miller manages to get across in Patrick’s character. Despite knowing it’s something he most likely will not enjoy, he does it anyway and with passion, making the whole group laugh. Miller brings out the true funny guy in Patrick, seeking to entertain the man he loves by kissing a girl.
1His Frank-N-Furter Performance
In the film, Sam, Patrick, and their friends performThe Rocky Horror Dinner Showin which live performers lip-sync with the film and recreate the performance in real life. Garnering the sparkly bodice and the platform heels, Miller shines as the infamous Dr. Frank N Furter fromThe Rocky Horror Picture Show. Patrick even goes so far as to sit in Charlie’s lap during the show. Miller’s confidence in drag is reminiscent of Tim Curry’s original performance in the film, and the aura he emits is second to none. Some wonderful photos of their performance can be found in theHi-Res Photo Galleryreleased by Summit Entertainment.
