Please join us to CELE • tpr'7- .00 ,.00P 4:1 7 if Logan Lerman and Ezra Miller in The Perks of Being a Wallflower MT Coming-Of-Age Story Michael Fox Special to the Jewish News S tephen Chboksy, the non- Jewish author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, has just adapted his much-loved 1999 novel, a powerfully empathetic yet unsenti- mental saga of young adults, for the screen, and he has no compunction about saluting the inspirations for his characters and, for that matter, his own career. The film stars Ezra Miller as Patrick, an out gay high school senior who befriends Charlie (Logan Lerman), a shy, unsteady freshman with a child- hood secret. The two Jewish actors are joined by Harry Potter veteran Emma Watson as Patrick's stepsister, Sam (with whom Charlie falls in love). Chbosky, who grew up in a Pittsburgh suburb, says the catalyst for Patrick was a Jewish student he met at the University of Southern California. "My friend was raised Orthodox, loved his faith and was also gay," Chbosky, 42, explains. "He had such a difficult time with those two identities because each was true, and real, and beautiful for him. God, I wish he had reached out to his family; but rather than just trying to live like a normal person would, he did a lot of self- destructive, risky things, and he got himself in trouble." Thankfully, that was years ago, and the friend is doing great, Chbosky reports. "He was gregarious, he was funny, he was incredibly charming," Chboslcy recalls of his friend. "So what I did was I took his personality and I gave a lot of it to Patrick and some of it to [Patrick's closeted boyfriend, football quarterback] Brad. "Some of Patrick and Brad's story happened to [my friend] in high school, and I wanted to honor what he had been through. I fictionalized it because it would be disrespectful not to, but the spirit and the essence was there:" It's one of those curious coinci- dences that Chbosky ended up casting a Jewish actor in the role of Patrick, though Ezra Miller is so talented, and delivers such a charged performance, it's hard to imagine another young actor playing him. Chbosky shared anecdotes about his college pal with Miller. told Ezra a great deal of it, yes:' Chboksy says. "He was really curious. It proved to be a good resource" During a college tour when he was just 17, Chbosky encountered the person who would become his pri- mary career influence: Stewart Stern, screenwriter of Rebel Without a Cause; Rachel, Rachel; and other films. At a seminar at USC, Chbosky heard Stern tell "stories about all the actors from James Dean to Paul Newman to Marlon Brando," he remembers. "Being a kid from Pittsburgh, it was a mind-blowing experience to listen to [him]," and Chbosky decided to attend USC. But shortly after Chbosky started, Stern had a heart attack. "I [had] only heard him speak for three hours, but he meant so much to me that I wrote him an anonymous letter and made him a little mix-tape to kind of cheer him up in the hospital," Chbosky says. "But I made sure not to sign any- thing because I didn't want him to think I was trying to get an agent or anything. Just a simple act of kindness; it took him a good year and a half to find me, and he's been my hero and mentor ever since." Stern was the first person to read the Perks screenplay. Perhaps more important, Rebel Without a Cause was one of the great inspirations for Perks. "It showed me how truly timeless an honest story about young people is," Chbosky says. "The central experience of being young is similar. Almost 60 years separate Perks and Rebel, and separate Stewart and myself, but if you sat down with us and joined in that conversation, it's the same experience, the same emotion, the same desire for a good life and hope when things have been difficult. The Perks of Being a Wallflower opens Friday, Sept. 28. H ITZ Founder & CEO of Renaissance Media Parent . Company, The Jewish News) at the Jewish Ensemble Theatre's 8th annual BEHINEOSCENES GALA OCTOBER 15, 2012 • 6 P.M. at Glen Oaks Country Club Working with diverse ethnic, religious and racial groups and putting out a welcome mat for immigrants, Arthur Horwitz has always been a community conscience on the side of justice. His deep concerns and activism promoting the arts and culture have made life better for all of us. FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TICKETS CALL (248)788.2900 OR VISIT VVVVVV.JETTHEATRE.ORG 1779460 Make Reservations at Moes for this weekend!! Happy Hour Monday-Friday 3-8pm I I I uy one Dinner get one 50% OFF With coupon. 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