Wallflowering with Emma Watson

Photo: Jerod Harris/Getty Images

Sun Sep 9, 2012

BY: Paul Aguirre-Livingston

Dateline: Sept. 8, 8:30 p.m.

The invite: The vitaminwater-hosted post-premiere party for the cast of The Perks of Being A Wallflower

The place: 850 Richmond St. W., an off-the-beaten-path, former-auto-garage-hideaway that most recently housed an art exhibition of famous people drawn on dirty cars by Scott Wade. Though the venue was just steps away from Trinity Bellwoods, it took me three attempts and a few frantic Twitter DMs to find it. But a corner turn later and this non-descript patch of Richmond had a pile-up of SUVs, a carpet complete with a grass backdrop and flower buds, and a few confused lofters peering out their windows. Inside, it was prom magic. Keep reading.

Paparazzi:Fan ratio: Despite its hush-hush outside-the-festival-core enviro, there were photogs aplenty and television crews at the readyone videographer even made it inside, the first Ive seen all fest.

The noshing: Brassaii, creators of Friday nights Spring Breakers partying-in-Cabo diet, took lead on this one and went decidedly uptown: pretty floral-decorated sushi, jumbo shrimp, Filet-o-Fish-esque halibut sandwiches, watermelon puree, macarons, lollipop candy things, and blueberry cakes.

The sounds: Broken Social ScenesBrendan Canningwho seems to be, like, everywhereplayed the role of DJ on this one, spinning everything from old-sc! hool Pho enix (If I Ever Feel Better) to Aloe Blaccs Good Things. And The Verves Bittersweet Symphony. The tune selection was like a kiss from a dandelion, light and breezy. (Sorry Seal.)

Stargazing: More than Id expected. Director Stephen Chbosky held close to his cast. Of course, everyone was all where the eff is Em? Thats Emma Watson to youshes not a Spice Girl. Found her, sitting on a chair, in the corner, wearing a cardigan. I am missing the pixie cut, though. Canadian tartlet-turned-global sensation fangbanger Nina Dobrev knew, like, almost everyone on her former stomping grounds. And the films shy hero Logan Lerman? Well, he could easily look like just about any boy. Youd never guess he once played the son of a Greek god. But theres so much more delicious, under-age-y-ness happening: Ezra Miller, the 19-year-old sorta-bad boy looked like he was taking a break from filming a French period pieceor a pirate flick?with mutton chops and a French braid. But: I love him in this look of no conditioner or flat iron, an antithesis to his well-kept Wallflower character. Oddly sexy is when Miller smokes his cig in that hands-free way, while he lights one up for Alia Shawkat. Thats fucking right: Maeby Fnke (Arrested Development, hello!) was there, in a white dress/tights combo that read more Queen West than Hollywood. Girl, lets be friends.

The looks: Watson was wearing Canadian, in Erdem. Dobrev in strapless Monique Lhuillier, looking all glam and shit. More sightings: Glees former boy-band cute Chord Overstreet in Canada Goose and a bowl hat, taking pictures with a super-enthusiastic male fan donning a bleached blonde Mohawk (completely shaved, not faux). And, oh, its former co-star Darren Criss. They didnt speak, at least not that I saw. And theres a little girl running around. She must have great par! ents.

Fun factor: I cant deal with how much I want to slow dance. Its, like, the prettiest, sweetest teenage dream you could hope for that doesnt make you want to throw up from too much vodka. The new rule is that you should always take pictures (at least for your friends) of human-size shit, like the massive Lite-Brite. (No word yet on how I feel about the pins being bottles of vitaminwater.) The plastic coloured cups have little My name is nametags with # signs on them. (Maybe for Twitter hash-tagging or as part of a match-matching message-service party game.) Theres also a yearbook-esque photo station, where you get your Polaroidyes, no fakerytaken with props like signs marked we are infinite (a.k.a. the movies tagline). Apparently theyre going to end up on Facebook or something, but right now my Polaroid ended up beside Jason Reitmans, who posed with a flower. (Oh, did I put that there?Cos I did.) Outside, on the Astroturf, theres a whiteboard car, where you can leave your messages for #wallfowersmovie. (I got a little crazy and awful.) The only thing missing is a disco ball, though there are mirrored tables that let you see the bags under your eyes. (The tables also make you realize how much older you actually are than the entire cast, despite not being so old.) On the way out, party favours included a copy of the movie-branded original novel, and a soundtrack (that the director calls a mixtape in the liner notes).

Verbatim: Should I go ask Alia Shawkat about Michael Cera and the new Arrested?me to me