A little competition pervades the IC office. At month’s end, the person who gets the most people into a theater to see “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” wins.

A coming of age story, the film follows the intensely introverted Charlie through his freshman year of high school. New found friends — his advanced English teacher and a pair of seniors — take him under their wing as they foster his inspiration to become a writer, stoke his love for good music, and help him battle the demons of his rocky past.

It’s a classic high school movie through and through, on par with “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “The Breakfast Club.”

Staring Emma Watson, Ezra Miller and Logan Lerman, “Perks” is based on the novel of the same name. The novel’s author, Stephen Chobosky, directed and adapted the book for film.

Whether high school was (or is) a hell or a heaven for you, the trio’s journey never fails to delight. This movie grabs and shakes you, awakening dusty high school memories — in a good way. If you’re still in high school, it validates the culture you’re in.

The film has been open to the public in select cities since Sept. 17, but is now released in theaters nationwide.

Feel free to join in our competition. It may be easier to win than you think.

And for that extra push, here’s the trailer:

— Stew

(Photo Credit: NPR)