Movie review
November 13, 2017 · 113 min · PG
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Wonder follows August "Auggie" Pullman, a fifth-grader with a rare craniofacial condition, as he attends mainstream elementary school for the first time and confronts bullying while building friendships and family bonds. The story unfolds through multiple character perspectives, centering on personal resilience, empathy, and everyday moral choices. No modern activist, identity-political, or institutional-critique elements appear in the narrative, dialogue, or marketing.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Wonder.
Woke representation / casting
Disability premise is the story’s foundation from the 2012 source novel and executed with practical prosthetics on a child actor; no audience-visible forced diversity, race/gender swaps, or identity signaling beyond narrative necessity.
Woke political dialogue
Complete absence of activist, political, or ideological dialogue; all conversations stay personal and story-driven.
Identity-driven story themes
Visible physical difference and social reactions form the emotional core, yet the film presents acceptance as individual empathy and resilience rather than modern identity politics or group grievance.
Western institutional / cultural critique
No portrayals of toxic masculinity, flawed traditional roles, anti-conservative messaging, or institutional oppression; bullies are individual actors and resolution rests on personal character and family support.
Woke character or canon changes
Production
Not relevant
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Only minor, progressive-focused casting critiques with zero anti-woke claims of agenda-pushing, propaganda, or forced representation.
Creator track record context
Chbosky’s earlier work contains incidental inclusive elements typical of 2012 teen drama; no activist pattern or political framing applied to Wonder.
