“It's Good to Be Quiet” is an American teenage drama directed by Stephen Chbosky based on his own novel. The main roles in the film were played by such Hollywood stars as Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller and Paul Rudd. The film was recognized by critics and received several prestigious film awards.
Production
Steven Chbosky’s novel “It’s Good to Be Quiet” was first published in February 1999. The book, which talks about growing up adolescents and touching on topics that are really important to them, quickly became a bestseller. So starting a film was just a matter of time.
The American actor and director John Hughes, after reading the novel Chboski, wanted to write a script and make a film. He planned that the main roles in the film will be performed by Shia Labough (Charlie), Kirsten Dunst (Sam) and Patrick Fugit (Patrick). However, John Hughes soon lost interest in the project, leaving the script incomplete.
Other directors who wanted to make a film based on Chbosky's book were Ron Howard, Joel Schumacher and Ryan Murphy. Film producers John Malkovich, Lianna Halfon and Russell Smith hired Stephen Chbosky as the director and screenwriter of the upcoming film.
He left part of the script written by John Huson, finished it, and added some of his own touches to the plot. The director of the film “It’s good to be quiet” Stephen Chboski has made only one full-length film: the comedy “Four Corners to Nowhere”.
In early 2011, Logan Lerman and Emma Watson signed a contract to work on the film. In April of the same year, Nina Dobrev, who received the role of the younger sister Charlie Candice, and May Whitman, who the director approved for the role of Mary Elizabeth, joined the project. Other actors in the film “It’s good to be quiet” (2012) were selected in May 2011.
Filming
The filming process began on May 9 and ended on June 29. Most of the film was shot in Pittsburgh.
The premiere of the film took place at the Toronto Film Festival on September 8, 2012, and in Russia the film was shown later - September 20.
Plot
The plot of the film “It’s good to be quiet” revolves around the introverted teen introvert Charlie Kelmekis, suffering from clinical depression. He is worried about the start of a new school year in high school. This is due to the fact that because of his insecurity and isolation, Charlie is not easy to find a common language with people, so he has no friends at all. At school, a teenager became attached only to an English teacher, Mr. Anderson.
Charlie has changed a lot over the past year. He finds a good friend in the face of his classmate Patrick, falls in love with Sam's attractive rebel, tries to improve relations with his family and struggles with long-standing tragedies.
Critic reviews
Despite the small directorial experience of Stephen Chbosky, he managed to find the perfect cast for the film, which could melt the hearts of critics.
The leading actors of the film “It’s good to be quiet” (2012), film critics enthusiastically responded. Newsday’s John Anderson wrote the following review: "Emma Watson as Sam is a" half-bad "girl trying to find herself before going to college. The actress brings honesty and a lack of cliché to a character who could turn out to be standard and boring. Others are equally good the actors of the film “It’s Good to be Quiet” (2012). Ezra Miller brought Patrick into the image unusual and realistic, Paul Rudd as an English teacher refreshes the story, and Charlie, whose image was embodied by Logan Lerman, looks like a calm observer, yearning and thoughtful, which will cling to the viewer, regardless of age. "
Film critic Ian Bakuolter wrote that Emma Watson, who had previously been perceived as Hermione from the Harry Potter franchise, and Logan Lerman, famous for the fantastic action movie Percy Jackson, and Ezra Miller, who played the depressed teenager in the thriller "Something Is Not so with Kevin, "perfectly fit into atypical roles for themselves.
Other reviews for the movie "It's Good to Be Quiet" also praised the cast. My Film Habit magazine published the following review: "The film is trying to convey to the viewer that even while high school can be a field of bullying and problems, anyone can find allies to help in this fight."
The plot of the film also appealed to most movie reviewers. However, minor flaws in the scenario were noted. For example, the fact that teenage problems in the picture are idealized, and the plot requires detail.
Connie Ogle noted in his review that: “The suicide of Charlie’s best friend, which occurs at the very beginning of the film, is shown in passing. This moment is not given due attention, although it is of great importance for the further development of the plot.”
Awards and box office
Young actors of the film “It’s good to be quiet” (2012) received several film awards. Emma Watson and Logan Lerman were awarded the Teen Choice Awards, and Ezra Miller received the Hollywood Film Festival.
The film did not become a box office hit, but it did not fail at the box office. In the USA and Canada, the tape raised $ 17.5 million, in other countries - $ 15.5 million, and this with a small budget of 13 million. The general box office of the film was $ 33 million. It can be considered a good result for teenage drama, but it can hardly be called a commercial success.