Movies Like Wonder

Frequently asked about Wonder

Common questions people search for, with answers written by us at MoviesPack.

• What medical condition does Auggie Pullman have in Wonder?▾

  Auggie has Treacher Collins syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects the development of facial bones and tissues. By the time the film begins he has already undergone 27 surgeries to help him see, hear, breathe, and eat. The condition is why he was homeschooled by his mother Isabel until fifth grade.

• Why does Jack Will betray Auggie on Halloween?▾

  Julian and the other boys corner Jack and pressure him about why he hangs out with 'the freak,' and Jack, wanting to fit in, says he only spends time with Auggie because the principal asked him to and that if he looked like Auggie he'd kill himself. Auggie overhears this while wearing a Bleeding Scream costume Jack doesn't recognize, which is why the betrayal hits so hard. Jack genuinely likes Auggie but caves to peer pressure in the moment, and spends much of the rest of the film trying to earn back his trust.

• Why does Via feel invisible in her own family?▾

  Via's entire family orbits around Auggie's medical needs and emotional well-being, so her own struggles, including losing her best friend Miranda and starting high school, go largely unnoticed. She loves her brother deeply and understands why things are this way, but the film uses her chapter to show the quiet cost of being the 'easy' child. Her grandmother once told her she was her 'favorite,' which is what sustains her through feeling overlooked.

• Why did Miranda push Via away at the start of high school?▾

  Over the summer at camp, Miranda pretended Auggie was her own brother and invented a closer, more interesting family life because her parents were divorcing and her home felt empty. When school started she felt ashamed and distanced herself from Via rather than face the lie. She ultimately gives up her lead role in the school play so Via can perform in front of the Pullmans, as a way of making amends.

• What is the meaning of the standing ovation at the end of Wonder?▾

  At the year-end ceremony, Auggie is awarded the Henry Ward Beecher medal for the student whose quiet strength has most carried up the most hearts. The entire auditorium stands and applauds, signaling that the school community has come to see him fully rather than just his face. It pays off the film's central precept, quoted from Mr. Browne, that 'when given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind.'