7 Reasons You Absolutely NEED to Take Your Kiddo to See Wonder

Updated on 1/9/2018 at 12:45 PM

When we heard that Lionsgate was making one of our all-time favorite books, Wonder, into a movie, we were over the moon. Raquel J. Palacio's story has become one of those exceedingly rare inspirational films that both kids and adults will think about well-after the theater doors close behind them.

The story follows the life of Auggie Pullman, a little boy with rare facial birth defects who's on the brink of starting fifth grade at a private school after being home-schooled his entire life. Viewers get an inside look at what it's like for Auggie to go through life looking "different" than everyone else, but also, they learn how at the end of the day we're really not that different from each other at all.

Wonder puts important themes — some that few adults can even wrap their heads around — completely into terms children can actually understand. The plot teaches little ones (and acts as a swift reminder for parents!) the importance of morality, being kind, and showing forgiveness.

Plus, you'll completely fall in love with the cast. Jacob Tremblay stars as Auggie and Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson gave an emotional, unforgettable performance as his parents. And Daveed Diggs (yes, one of the original members of the Hamilton cast) delivers in a big way as his teacher.

If you still need a reason to bring your brood to see the movie, we've got seven for you. Read through to get the full rundown.

It touches on difficult topics without being too heavy.

Wonder hits on important topics such as bullying and loneliness without coming off as too heavy. The amount of emotional moments shows kiddos the harmful effects of bullying without causing them to bawl uncontrollably, i.e. the sweet spot. However, just a head's up: there's two (admittedly pretty tame) fist-fighting scenes.

Your kids will learn that no challenge is too big to overcome.

Throughout the entire movie, Auggie is up against some pretty difficult challenges. After all, starting at a new school in the fifth grade is hard enough without having to deal with bullies and constant stares due to not looking as "typical" as everybody else on top of that. Despite his initial struggle to fit in with the other kids and lack of confidence, Auggie persists, and he's rewarded at the end. That's a page every kid should take from his book.

Via's storyline gives a much-needed perspective on the siblings of children with disabilities.

Yes, the primary focus is certainly on Auggie's journey, but the movie also shares his sister's perspective. There's an entire chapter decided to Via (played by Izabela Vidovic) which shows the emotions that come with growing up with a sibling who has special needs. Although she deals with your run-of-the-mill teenager stuff like having a first love and losing a BFF to the popular table, because of her experiences with Auggie, she handles everything she goes through maturely and graciously.

Mandy Patinkin is the easily the greatest principal of all time.

Mandy Patinkin plays Mr. Tushman, a hilarious and sage school principal who adds so much to Auggie's story. He also has a real knack for giving the best advice at the perfect time.

It teaches children the importance of standing up for what you believe in.

Every parent knows that sometimes kids can be mean, but that shouldn't stop you from encouraging your child to stand up for what they believe in, especially when it comes to bullies. Auggie's BFF, Jack (Noah Jupe), shows us the importance of having the courage to stand up for what's right in a huge way.

There's enough hilarious back-and-forth banter between Owen Wilson and Julia Roberts to last a lifetime.

While many movies market themselves are being "films the whole family can enjoy," many of them fall flat for at least part of the audience. But thanks to hilarious one-liners and banter — and sometimes tears — between Auggie's parents, Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson's subplot make the film even more relatable for anyone with children.

Kids will learn that you should always be kinder than necessary.

With so much negativity going on in the present-day, it's important to put a positive spin on the situations you can actually control. The movie emphasizes that people who are are nice to everyone usually end up being much happier themselves. Funny how that works. In the words of R. J. Palacio: "Kinder than is necessary. Because it's not enough to be kind. One should be kinder than needed."