Figure 1: Medium close-up of Auggie (Tremblay) in an astronaut suit in Wonder (Lionsgate, 2017), directed by Stephen Chbosky; 0:01:13
In the movie Wonder (2017), directed by Stephen Chbosky, August “Auggie” Pullman (played by Jacob Tremblay) suffers from a facial deformity. As he braces himself for his first year in public school, he must deal with bullies, standing out, and learning to be himself. A clear visual motif in this movie is Auggie’s astronaut helmet. It has many meanings for Auggie, but the main purpose of it is to help him cope with being different.
Auggie’s helmet acts as a way to experience the world without actually living in it. The first shot of the film is Auggie picturing himself as an astronaut floating in space, when in reality, he is in his room jumping on his bed with the helmet on (Figure 1). The tight framing does not let the audience know where Auggie actually is until a few seconds later, leading them to believe that Auggie is in space. He can visualize his dreams of being an astronaut without leaving his bedroom.
The helmet also serves as a barrier between Auggie and the world. As he stands at the entrance of the school, he wears his helmet until the very last minute (Figure 2). Once he removes the helmet, he knows that the other children, parents, and school faculty will see his disability. Until the helmet is gone, Auggie can ignore the world, and he will not be judged for his face.
Figure 2: Close-up of Auggie (Tremblay) talking to his mom, Isabel (played by Julia Roberts), outside of the school in Wonder (Lionsgate, 2017), directed by Stephen Chbosky; 0:12:32
As the movie progresses, the helmet becomes less like a crutch and more like a symbol of success. He imagines himself bouncing down the hallway in the suit after he becomes friends with Jack Will (played by Noah Jupe) (Figure 3) and ignores the helmet completely as the two boys leave school together (Figure 4). As Auggie begins to find a sense of belonging, he wears the helmet less and less. It still symbolizes his fears and dreams, but now he does not need it as much as he originally did.
Figure 3: Auggie (Tremblay) bounces down the hall in an astronaut suit in Wonder (Lionsgate, 2017), directed by Stephen Chbosky; 0:38:14
Figure 4: Auggie (Tremblay) and Jack Will (Jupe) pass by Isabel (Roberts) as they leave school in Wonder (Lionsgate, 2017), directed by Stephen Chbosky; 0:38:40
The final shot mirrors the first shot of the movie, with Auggie picturing himself as an astronaut in space. However, he is in two entirely different situations now, and it is reflected in the shot. Unlike the first shot (Figure 1) where Auggie’s helmet is dark and he is in front of a wall that is painted with the nighttime sky, the final shot (Figure 5) shows Auggie in front of a realistic nighttime sky with a helmet that holds a bright golden shine. Auggie’s journey began with the helmet, and now he does not need to hide behind it anymore.
Figure 5: Medium close-up of Auggie (Tremblay) jumping in an astronaut suit in Wonder (Lionsgate, 2017), directed by Stephen Chbosky; 1:45:41
The use of the astronaut helmet as a visual motif in Wonder illustrates the rising levels of confidence that Auggie finds throughout the film. Despite being bullied and judged, he found friendships and love wherever he went. The helmet served many purposes, but the most significant one was symbolizing Auggie’s growth and unique character.
Author Biography
Miranda Sprouse is an undergraduate student at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She is majoring in film studies and earning a certificate in professional writing. Miranda enjoys watching movies, screenwriting, and film analysis. She hopes to have a future career that combines her passions for writing and film.
