[Review] — WHITE BIRD is a Heartwarming, Emotional Coming-of-Age Drama

The movie WHITE BIRD is now showing in theaters. It is a sequel/prequel spinoff to the 2017 movie WONDER, based on the novel by R. J. Palacio. WHITE BIRD is based on the book "White Bird: A Wonder Story" by R. J. Palacio. 

Directed by Marc Forster and written by Mark Bomback, the movie features actors such as Ariella Glaser, Orlando Schwerdt, Bryce Gheisar, Gillian Anderson, and Helen Mirren.

The story follows Julien Beaumier (played by Bryce Gheisar), who got removed from Beecher Prep after bullying another student, Auggie in WONDER. His grandmother, played by Helen Mirren, visits and tells him her childhood story in Nazi-occupied France during World War II, aiming to teach life lessons of compassion, love, and sacrifice. 

WHITE BIRD is a deeply moving coming-of-age story and a testament to the courage it takes to extend kindness and love during difficult times. You can find showtimes and purchase tickets at tickets.whitebird.movie.

I haven't seen "WONDER," but the film isn't a necessary watch to understand "WHITE BIRD," which is more of a loose standalone sequel/prequel. Let's call it a sentimental coming-of-age story set in France during WWII, with Helen Mirren narrating. I didn't know what to expect from the film, and to my surprise, it was well-directed with beautiful cinematography and an excellent musical score by Thomas Newman. The cast delivered exceptional performances in their respective roles—standouts were the younger actors Ariella Glaser and Orlando Schwerdt.

WHITE BIRD is a heartwarming, emotional WWII drama that parallels modern times in multiple ways. I thoroughly loved the film and highly recommend it to others. ╌★★★★★

Disclosure: Many thanks to Kingdom Faith Marketing Services for providing a screener for this review. My opinions are 100% my own.