The Perks of Being a Wallflower author Stephen Chbosky wrote and directed this adaptation himself, ensuring that the soul of the book made the transition intact. Charlie, a young man with a history of mental-health problems, has no friends at his new high school until he falls in with a pair of outcast seniors who introduce him to drugs, sex, and rock and roll. Chbosky is a writerly director, focusing on his actors’ faces as they deliver his dialogue and using the camera to shape the themes of the book. Through it all, the actors acquit themselves with grace and style (Emma Watson, especially, manages to avoid the dreaded manic-pixie-dream-girl trap by playing it straight). If you have to adapt arguably the most beloved coming-of-age novel published in the last two decades, this is the way to do it. (PAUL CONSTANT)