BEAUTIFUL BOY

US, 2018, 114 minutes, Colour.
Steve Carrel, Timothee Chalamet, Maura Tierney, Amy Ryan, Christian Convery, Oakley Bull.
Directed by Felix van Groeningen.

Watching this film is a demanding, indeed a sobering, experience. The title sounds gentle – and the familiar song is played throughout the film. However, it is a film about addictions, relapses and recovery, the relationship between a father and a son.

The film opens tellingly with a focus on David Shef, an impressive performance by Steve Carrel, proving that not only can he do comedy expertly, but he is a very serious actor as well. David Shef is talking about his bewilderment, his not understanding the son whom he thought he knew and loved so well, an 18-year-old who has become involved in drugs which have taken over his life. Audiences will immediately identify with him as a father driven to search for his son and will be remembering any friends or family in similar situations.

In fact, the film is based on books by David Shef himself as well as his son Nic. For those who do not know this, the final critical climax for Nic is all the more dramatic because the audience is uncertain as to what will happen.

The film goes back one year but, throughout the screenplay, many flashbacks are inserted, not necessarily signalled but the film leaving it to the audience to realise the shifts in time and memory for both father and son.

There are many photos of father and son, especially when he was a charming boy in his early teens. And, there are many glimpses and memories of this time throughout the film. However, during the main action, Nic is 18. He is played most convincingly by Timothee Chalamet (Call Me by Your Name, Lady Bird). The film lets the audience know that David has been long divorced from his wife, Vicki (Amy Ryan) but that he has custody of his son. There are tense moments and phone calls between mother and father as exasperation increases and there are growing awarenesses of responsibilities.

David has married again, and receives strong support from Karen (Maura Tierney) and they have children of their own who see Nic as their brother, devoted to him.

David seeks advice, researches addiction, especially crystal meth, appreciates the mood changes and their suddenness, is helped by an expert with diagrams of the brain and the effect of drugs, even prepared to experiment to appreciate what his son experiences. There is a scene where the father and son share pot, the father remembering his experimentation but not wanting his son to experiment at all.

And, as might be expected, there are many harrowing sequences, Nic at home and rebelling against his father’s control, leaving home, his father rescuing him in the rain at a dingy drug rendezvous, his going into rehab, relapsing. There are some moments of peace when Nic seems to have overcome the habit, works in the rehab, graduates from college. But, whatever the black hole that he declares is at the core of himself, his life is also one of relapse. He takes up with the girl who overdoses.

The film raises the question as to whether anyone is able to help an addict, whether it has to be the choice of the addict rather than a curer. And, by the end, David is desperate, a powerful scene where Karen pursues Nic in her car and stops angry but helpless. Nic goes into the depths.

The film is very powerful as drama. The performances are well worth seeing. Statistics are given at the end concerning the prevalence of drug suicides, the need for rehabilitation but it seeming difficult if not impossible. However, as noted, this film is based on actual stories and recovery.

1. The title? The song? The pictures of a young boy, the hopes? The story of father and son?

2. A California story, the home in the countryside and woods, the San Francisco settings, the contrast with Los Angeles? Rehabilitation centres, the drug scenes in the cities, hospitals, beach and surf? The California atmosphere?

3. The score, the variety of tones and accompaniments, moods? The songs from the past, Beautiful Boy, Sunrise- Sunset?

4. The film based on actual characters and their books? Audiences knowing this or not and the unfolding of the drama, especially Nic and his suicidal behaviour?

5. The introduction, David talking to camera, earnest and sincere, the mystery of his relationship with Nic and his change, trying to understand his son, find his son?

6. The return to the year earlier? The further flashbacks? The intercutting of momentary flashbacks and contrast throughout the film and the effect on our understanding David, his feelings and memories, Nic and his memories? The background of David and Vicky divorcing, David having custody, the visits to his mother, the hopes for the boy? David and his love for Karen, the wedding ceremony, Nic present? Their children, Daisy and her birth, Nic holding her, the bonds? Jasper and his interactions with Nic as a brother? Karen as the mother figure? Supporting Nic, hurt by his behaviour?

7. The changes in Nic, David and his concern, wanting to control and cure Nic, the range of drugs and drug taking, Nic and his lies? The scene with sharing pot in the car with his father, his father talking about past experimentation, but wanting Nic to be experimenting? Nic and his declaration that there was a black hole in him? The feeling of getting high and never feeling better? His writing, sketching, the pessimistic diary and its illustrations and comments, especially about drugs? No ambitions to go to college?

8. Steve Carrel is David, a complex character, a nice man, a good man, the effect of the divorce, the phone calls to Vicky, his anger with her, wanting her to be responsible, his own responsibilities? The growing not understanding of his son? The arguments? Blaming yet loving? Wanting to fix Nic, wanting to cure him? His going to the expert, explaining the situation, getting more information, the diagrams about drugs in the brain, his own experimenting with drugs to comprehend Nic?

9. Nic, the argument with his father, going to rehabilitation, the experience, his leaving? Motivations? The role of the rehab staff, the regimes and responsibilities on not? The theme of relapse including recovery?

10. Nic becoming clean, going to college, his studies, friends, success, at home?

11. His falls, his father on the phone calls, going out in the car, finding him, bringing him come, Nic said, despair?

12. The long period without drugs, his speech, his job at the rehab centre, his sponsor, Spencer? Vicky and her participation in his rehabilitation?

13. At home, things improving, going to the surf with his father, going to the beach with the family, the rough surf and Karen forbidding Jasper to go in? His suddenly leaving, his motivations, the encounter with the girl, the consequences, sharing the drugs, the sexual relationship? The coming to the house, breaking the door and getting in? Karen and her reaction, pursuing him in the car? Her stopping, desperate?

14. The girl, the overdose, Nic contacting the hospital, the ambulance, left by himself? His phoning his father? His father admitting that he could not do anything to help? His father’s grief?

15. The reality of responsibility, parents and others not being able to cure, the role of the experts, opportunities for experts and yet the addicts walking out? Nic, the desperation, going to the toilet, the overdose, his wounded arm?

16. His surviving, with his family, with his father, walking with his father, sitting with him – hope?

17. The final information about addiction, overdose suicides, possibilities for help? The story about Nic and his rehabilitation, writing the books?