The Wonder is a 2022 historical drama directed by Sebastián Lelio, based on the novel of the same name by Emma Donoghue. The film stars Florence Pugh as an English nurse who is sent to Ireland in the aftermath of the Great Famine to investigate a girl who claims to have not eaten for four months.
Tropes:
- Abusive Parents: Anna’s mother, when facing the risk of having the charade be exposed, she would rather let her daughter die than admit the truth.
- Aside Glance: Kitty smiles at the camera in the middle of the film as her voice-over addresses the viewer again.
- Belligerent Sexual Tension: Elizabeth and William start off on the wrong foot when he makes a poorly advised joke that causes offense. They then get into a few arguments about Anna. When Elizabeth learns that his family all died of starvation, her sympathy turns into attraction.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: The film begins with a look literally behind the scenes of the film sets as the narrator discusses the importance of stories. Later, the narrator is revealed to be a character in the film, Kitty O'Donnel. She greets the viewer again in voice-over as she gives the camera an Aside Glance. In the end, the film breaks back out of the set and settles on the actress of Kitty, Niamh Algar, dressed in modern clothing and smiling at the camera.
- Delicate and Sickly: Anna's mother claims that she was never very hale even before she renounced food.
- Dramatization: "Fasting girls
" were a real phenomenon in Victorian times. This story is apparently based on the true story of a Welsh girl named Sarah Jacob, who was brought under medical supervision to investigate her claims. In the end, Sarah died of starvation once she was no longer able to eat in secret. Like the film, her parents were complicit in the illusion and refused to admit it at the risk of their daughter's life. - Drowning My Sorrows: Elizabeth mourns the loss of her child by taking laudanum while staring at his baby boots.
- Functional Addict: Elizabeth takes laudanum at night but is quite professional during the day.
- Mayor Pain: The village authorities who contract Elizabeth are utterly useless and refuse to believe her.
- Motif:
- Eating and starvation. Elizabeth is introduced and frequently shown eating. In contrast, Anna has renounced food and eventually seems to be dying of starvation. The Irish characters frequently mention the Great Famine that killed many Irish people through starvation.
- Stories. The film opens and closes by the narrator talking about the importance of stories, including the film itself. Elizabeth disparages the Bible as simply stories, while Kitty rebuts that Elizabeth's journal is just as much a story. Elizabeth is also critical of William's job telling stories as a journalist.
- The Nicknamer: Anna keeps trying to discover what nickname Elizabeth goes by, which turns out to be "Lib." Elizabeth turns it around and starts giving nicknames to Anna, who accepts "Nan."
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Sean Ryan, a local publican, is the only one who doubts Anna's story and urges Elizabeth to prove their doubts. He's generally ignored by the more senior town elders.
- The Reveal: Anna's mother is revealed to be behind the deception, helping to feed Anna through her mouth. She's willing to keep up the charade even at the cost of Anna's life, believing that it will ensure both her children will go to heaven.
- That Man Is Dead: Elizabeth manages to convince Anna to start eating again by convincing her that "Anna" has died and gone to heaven, while "Nan" will live on.
