The Wonder Parent Guide

Anna O’Donnell (Kila Lord Cassidy) is considered the wonder of her poor Irish village. Four months ago, at the age of 11, Anna stopped eating. She has not starved, but remains bright eyed and rosy cheeked, assuring everyone that she isn’t hungry because she’s fed by “manna from heaven”. Drawn by the prospect of a miracle, visitors come from afar to meet the girl who smiles beatifically upon them, boosting their hope and faith.

Anna’s fast is not without controversy. Although lauded by many, others in the town consider her to be a fraud, being secretly fed by underhanded means. To solve the mystery, a local committee sets up a watch over the girl, to be carried out by a nun and an English nurse. When nurse Elizabeth Wright (Florence Pugh) assumes her task, she is stymied by the sight of a child who will not eat and a family who are prepared to let her starve. As she uncovers the facts of the matter, puzzlement changes to horror and she realizes that desperate measures are necessary to save her young patient…

The Wonder is a dark, brooding film with rare moments of light. It paints a bleak picture of an Irish countryside still traumatized by the Great Famine, which ended a decade prior in the early 1850s, leaving a residue of pain, loss, and bitterness against the English. Irish devotion to Catholicism provides comfort in the face of grief but in this town, it is also distorted into a weapon of fear, leaving a girl on a fatal journey while her family consoles themselves with heavenly rewards. Into this atmosphere, an English nurse is seen as an unwelcome alien whose attempts to uncover the truth are viewed with suspicion, even by those who hired her.

Director Sebastian Lelio deserves credit for so ably creating a movie that is deeply atmospheric. The empty landscape, shabby homes, and ramshackle graveyard provide a convincing backdrop for residents desperately hoping for a genuine miracle. The reliance on firelight and lamplight makes sets feel authentic to the period and the flickering light enhances the elusive nature of the truth.

Key to the film’s success are its lead actresses. Kila Lord Cassidy gives a moving performance as Anna, filled with faith, pain, and steadfast focus on her self-sacrificing journey. Florence Pugh is totally committed to her role, providing Elizabeth Wright with integrity, courage, and professional resolve despite the wounds of her past.

Skillful production aside, The Wonder is a difficult movie to recommend due to some of its content issues. There is a deeply disturbing plot element that I can’t elaborate on lest I spoil the ending. There are also two criminal acts and a sex scene which, despite involving fully clothed parties, provides some detail. Also troubling is repeated drug use on the part of Nurse Wright. In her off hours, the heartbroken young woman blots out her own painful losses by numbing herself with the contents of an unlabeled bottle. It is almost certainly laudanum, a suspension of opium in alcohol that was widely used and completely legal in the Victorian era.

Clearly unsuited for family viewing, The Wonder will find an audience with adult fans of brooding period dramas. The film might not be a wonder, but it is a solid adaptation of the novel on which its based and will effectively transport viewers to a painful period of history.