The adaptation of R.J. Palacio's "White Bird" by Marc Forster, grapples between compelling recollections from the 1940s and a tendency towards excessive sentimentality. Materializing through the memories of a grandmother teaching her grandson about kindness, these historic sections are the lifeblood of the film. This adaptation reaches its crescendo when it liberates itself from narrative contrivance by focusing on these flashbacks.
Functioning as a continuation and prequel to Palacio's "Wonder", the storyline picks up a few years later with Julian, a key character from "Wonder", looking to reshape himself and leave behind his ugly past. The transition isn't without its pitfalls; Julian's choice to remain invisible and anonymously attend a new school isn't totally supported by his grandmother, Sara.
In the course of the film, Sara recounts her childhood to Julian. Set against the backdrop of Nazi-occupied France in 1942, she shares tales of a sheltered life, disrupted slowly and then dramatically due to anti-Semitic policies. A moving subplot that comes to life is young Sara's deepening friendship with Julien, a boy left disabled due to polio, who becomes her savior and protector during this dark time.
However, the narrative's strengths begin to waver when it oscillates back and forth between these historical narratives and the contemporary storyline. The story loses its enchantment within the vagueness of present day dialogues and goings-on. Furthermore, the film's moral lecture on kindness feels diluted compared to what was achieved in "Wonder". Even the protagonist Julian's involvement in social justice feels contrived and fails to drive home the movie's core message. As the film comes to a close, audiences are left reflecting on a somewhat absent sense of context and struggling to retain the essence of the compelling historical narrative.
