This resource includes four film analysis packs covering context, ideas and background; character, symbolism and key scenes; cinematic language and narrative voice; and writing, discussion and assessment.

Students explore:
• Stephen Chbosky’s adaptation of his own novel, its epistolary source structure, and the film’s 1990s setting
• Themes of mental health and trauma, self-worth (“we accept the love we think we deserve”), found family, and adolescent identity
• Character analysis of Charlie, Sam and Patrick and their differing coping strategies
• Symbolism, motifs, film techniques (voiceover narration, fragmented flashback editing, soundtrack) and visual storytelling
• Scene analysis, discussion and analytical writing, approached with sensitivity given the film’s content

Includes rich learning activities such as debates, scene analysis, collaborative tasks, visual literacy activities, retrieval practice, exemplar analysis and essay planning. All discussion and creative tasks are framed to invite general reflection rather than personal disclosure.

Content note: This unit is designed for senior/mature secondary classes due to themes including childhood sexual abuse, suicide, self-harm references and substance use. Please preview before use and consider your cohort carefully.

File information
• Non-editable PDF
• Not an editable PowerPoint
How to use
• Upload to your LMS for digital learning
• Print selected pages for classroom use
• Display pages to guide discussion and activities
• Adapt in presentation or design platforms if desired (formatting may vary)