"Wonder" takes the material from a well-regarded young adult novel and turns it into a family friendly movie. Jacob Tremblay plays a 10-year-old, struggling with facial deformities so severe his parents have elected to home school him. Now at age 10, the family decides to try socialization, entering Tremblay in middle school. Julia Roberts segues nicely into the role of suburban mother, while Owen Wilson fits as husband and father. A standout performance comes from Izabela Vidovic, who plays Tremblay's sister. She quite naturally feels her brother's condition has taken attention away from her. The film tells the story from different viewpoints and replaces the expected sentimentality with humor and realism. "Wonder," 3 stars, rated PG. Does it deliver what it promises? Family friendly & well-told. Is it entertaining? Audiences are applauding. Is it worth the price of admission? A welcome holiday hit.
