From Dirty Dancing to GLOW: How abortion on screen has changed

Nina Dobrev in The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Still image via Summit Entertainment

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

In Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the narrator Charlie has a turbulent relationship with his older sister Candace. He has a hard time understanding how so many boys like her, because she can be mean to Charlie and also their older brother. Throughout the book, Charlie witnesses Candace’s boyfriend hitting her, agrees to keep it secret, and then takes her to the clinic for an abortion when she finds out she is pregnant and her boyfriend breaks up with her.

In the 2012 film adaptation of Chbosky’s book, only part of Candace’s storyline is included in the final cut of the film. Charlie still witnesses her boyfriend hitting her. However, the abortion is not in the film. The scenes exist; they were released after the film.

Obviously, when books are adapted into movies, certain plot points have to be cut. Cutting this portion of the story makes sense in that it is does not really involve Charlie’s life with his friends. However, cutting this portion of the story also erases an important narrative for Candace and other young women like her. The fact that Charlie is supportive of her decision, even though she is not nice to him, and that he keeps it from their parents for her is great.

Furthermore, Candace’s abortion plot never goes into nitty-gritty details. It just shows a young girl in a bad relationship who manages to get out and get rid of any potential reminders. Her decision to get an abortion is the best one for her and she is able to move on and have a normal life after. It is disappointing that this plot was not included in the film.