The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Sam and Charlie’s relationship in the book vs. the movie version

The main difference in the novel and the film version is that in the whole plot is told by Charlie, and we get to read more of his perspectives and opinions in the book, but in the film’s story-line is told through different characters. So this make Sam’s and Charlie’s relationship story be different. 

In the book, it seemed like Charlie was this confused young freshman, who was crazy a girl and never stopped thinking about her, but with the movie we get to see Sam’s reaction as well through the facial expressions. So in this case it doesn't seem as if Charlie is too obsessed with Sam but the movie creates the makes it as if they both had feelings equally with one another and it wasn’t just Charlie who was obsessed with Sam. The book mostly focused on Charlie as the person who wasn’t honest to himself but some parts suggest that Sam wasn’t honest about her feeling as well, because in the film Charlie was funnier and seemed more comfortable in the movies than the book, especially in the party scenes.

The book puts a huge emphasis on the fact that Charlie was still young and naïve as he repeats twice in the movie that he will never think of Sam that way – meaning thinking of Sam naked and sexually attracted to her. So in the book, their relation they not that open about their relationship, they seem to be more apart while in the movie Charlie seemed to be closer to Sam and open about their relationship.

Overall, I think in the movie Charlie is a little bit more personal to Sam, than in the book and their relationship gets deeper even before Sam admits that she also loves Charlie. Sam tells Charlie about she doubts herself about being accepted to college because she has to get good SAT scores and Charlie offers to help her and spend more time with her to prepare for college. This also goes against the image of Charlie as being the younger  and confused high school kid as it is described in the book, but we the movie portrays Charlie as this boy that would do anything for their relationship and not scared and naïve anymore.