WONDER
A moving, tearful call to kindness, empathy, and courage.
Should You Watch It?
WONDER is one of those rare family dramas that sends you home wanting to become kinder. Its strongest gift is empathy: it asks you to see a difficult school year through Auggie’s eyes, but also through the eyes of his family, friends, and even those who hurt him.
The Pullman family’s love is the movie’s emotional center. Their struggles are real, yet sacrificial care comes through strongly. The film does not excuse bullying, but it encourages compassion—even toward enemies—in a way that reflects Jesus’ command to love them.
The cost is brief, mostly light foul language, including one strong misuse of Jesus Christ’s name. For older children and adults, this is worth the trip; younger children need a parent’s discernment.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESAuggie Pullman is a smart, witty boy with a facial deformity who has been homeschooled by his mother. When he enters school for the first time, he must face stares, ridicule, and the challenge of making friends.
The story follows Auggie’s first year through his perspective and the perspectives of those around him, including his parents, older sister Via, and new friends Jack Will and Summer.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means WONDER is an outstanding family drama, and its performances explain why. Jacob Tremblay commands the screen as Auggie, while Owen Wilson and Julia Roberts are terrific as his parents. The dialogue is very well written, and the movie evokes strong emotion and empathy.
The main weakness is its narrative structure. The story meanders, and its episodic quality makes its source as a novel apparent. Still, the result is terrifically empathetic, uplifting, and filled with tears of joy.
The Worldview
WONDER exalts kindness, compassion, empathy, forgiveness, and sacrificial family love. It presents bullying as wrong without excusing the bullies, while also urging people to look beyond harmful behavior and practice compassion toward difficult people.
That emphasis aligns strongly with a biblical view of how we should treat others. The film’s moral vision is especially close to Christ’s command to love enemies, though its focus remains on human empathy rather than a full account of redemption in Christ.
The story also affirms the dignity of a child who is often judged by appearance. It encourages viewers to become more compassionate people, and its positive portrayal of the Pullman family makes love for one another its strongest witness.
Scripture gives this call its deepest foundation: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Very strong moral worldview encouraging kindness, compassion, empathy, and forgiveness, with strong Christian elements, including mother prays, “Dear God, let them be nice to him” as her son enters school, and woman says her grandson has “angels looking out for him”; no obscenities, but one bully misuses of Jesus Christ’s name, five light OMG profanities, one use of “sucks,” and principal jokes about how his last name is Tushman, and he repeats some of the names he gets called for it; light violence from bullies, one child punches another, older bullies pick on younger children and a fight breaks out, but the children get out unscathed for the most part, and one child says that if he “looked like Auggie, he’d kill himself”; no sex scenes, but kissing between two teenagers; no nudity; light alcohol consumption, one person jokes “let’s get drunk”; no smoking or drug references; and, bullying between children.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
The film asks people to look beyond appearances. How can you show someone dignity when others are judging them?
James 2:1–4 · 1 Samuel 16:7What does it mean to respond to a bully with both truth and compassion?
Matthew 5:44 · Ephesians 4:32The Pullman family loves one another through hurt and conflict. What does sacrificial love look like in your family this week?
1 Corinthians 13:4–7 · Philippians 2:3–4Why can kindness require courage, especially when friends or classmates are watching?
Joshua 1:9 · Galatians 6:9–10The Final Word
WONDER is terrifically empathetic, beautifully performed, and deeply encouraging. Its brief profanity keeps it from being fully clean, but older children and adults can find a generous, Christ-shaped call to compassion here. WORTH THE TRIP — OLDER CHILDREN AND UP.
