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Sunday, February 11, 2018

Wonder (2017)

This movie was nominated in the category of Make Up and Hairstyling, which is such an obscure corner of a movie that it only has three nominees rather than the usual five, and it is relatively new on the scene.  Rumor has it that The Darkest Hour is the likely winner, because it was the make up that made Gary Oldman into the much older Winston Churchill.  This movie is about Auggie Pullman, who has mandibulofacial dysostosis, which is more commonly known as Treacher Collins Syndrome.
It affects the development of bones and other facial tissues.  Hallmarks of this syndrome are underdeveloped cheek bones, a small jaw and chin, a cleft palate, and eyes that slant downward.
 Underdeveloped facial bones may restrict an infant's airway, resulting in respiratory problems. Some of the eye abnormalities can lead to vision loss, and unusual ear formation may result in hearing loss. Auggie experiences tall of these problems and has undergone surgeries to correct what can be corrected, but they leave him quite noticeably disfigured.  This is the story of the effect of such a thing on the child, the sibling, the family, and those around them.  It is quite optimistic in the outcomes, but level in the distribution of the trauma, especially where it affects his sister, who is robbed of her role as an older sibling, as well as the parenting she would have otherwise gotten.  Well worth watching if a bit Pollyanna in the end.

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