It’s been twelve years since the release of Wonder, the beloved children’s book by R.J. Palacio, and seven since its film adaptation hit theaters. Now Lionsgate is releasing both a prequel and a sequel to Wonder, called White Bird, which chronicles the story of the school bully’s grandmother during the Holocaust. Director Marc Forster takes over for previous director Stephen Chbotsky, making creative and visual choices that diverge from the original film.
For those who need a refresher, Wonder is centered on a young boy with a facial difference as he integrated into a public school for the first time. There, he meets school bully Julian (Bryce Gheisar). White Bird takes place a few years after the previous film’s events, with Julian now alone at a different school and unable to move on from his past.
One day after returning home, his grandmother Sarah (Helen Mirren) greets him and decides to tell him about her childhood as a young girl in 1940s German-occupied France. Living with her parents, Sarah (now played by Ariella Glaser) is a popular student who loves art and movies and has a crush on Vincent (Jem Matthews). Privileged, she often ignores fellow student Julien (Orlando Schwerdt) who walks with a limp.
However, when Nazi soldiers show up at her school to round up Jewish students, Sarah narrowly escapes and finds herself in Julien’s barn. He and his family agree to house her until she can get out of the country or until the war is over. Over time, the two become closer, playing pretend and spending time with his parents (Gillian Anderson and Jo Stone-Fewings). But as the occupation intensifies their little paradise is threatened.
Forster takes this film in a completely different direction than Chbotsky, using darker colors and grayer skies than in Wonder. There’s not much overlap and connection between the two films. However, Sarah’s story is done with taste and a delicate sensibility that is perfect for younger viewers. The “pretend” scenes in the barn are sweet and provide a bit of whimsy in such a grounded film. For many kids, White Bird will be their first World War II or Holocaust film that they see. Luckily, it is done with tact and with language appropriate for late elementary school students.
Orlando Schwerdt and Ariella Glaser carry the film beautifully for such young actors. Mirren and Anderson give the performances you’d expect from two veteran actors, though the latter feels underused. While the film is predictable and a little slow at times, White Bird is a solid follow-up to Wonder and continues its themes of kindness and redemption.
White Bird is in theaters now. Watch the trailer below.
