Beautiful Boy, the name inspired by the John Lennon song, which is sung in the film as a lullaby, is a bittersweet adaptation of David Sheff’s memoirs about a family affected by the fallout of meth addiction. It received a standing ovation at TIFF 2018 and you’ll understand why.
Nic Sheff (played by Timothée Chalamet) is a talented writer, just like his father, David (Steve Carell). We see through flashbacks how close David and Nic are, with past scenes featuring IT‘s Jack Dylan Grazer, as Nic aged 12. However, that father-son bond is tested when Nic’s hidden foray into methamphetamines changes their unique and idyllic status quo. The film begins with David worrying about Nic’s whereabouts, as he goes missing for 2 days before reappearing in a drug-induced state.
What follows is a series of relapses and stints in rehab, which is explained to be “part of the process”. We feel David’s fear and frustration when the professionals claim the high-end of the success rate for meth addicts is approximately 80%, only later to learn that the real statistics of recovery is in the single digits.
Throughout the course of the film, desperate promises are made and good intentions wear thin, as David endeavours to do the right thing, before he realises he can actually do nothing. Nevertheless, the word “everything” prevails. And it is this word that David says in place of a farewell salutation to his son. We soon find out what the meaning behind it is:
“Do you know how much I love you? I love you more than everything,” says David to a petulant 6-year-old Nic, not wanting to leave David and stay with his mother. Because there are not enough words in the language to describe the extent of his love, “everything” ends up being the simple epitome that speaks volumes.
Beautiful Boy stars Steve Carell, Timothée Chalamet, Maura Tierney, and Amy Ryan.
A Beautiful Boy and A Beautiful Man
Father-son relationships are guaranteed to give me a lump in my throat and a glistening gaze if they resemble that of Tom Hanks and Tyler Hoechlin in Road to Perdition, or even Michael Stuhlbarg and Timothée Chalamet in Call Me By Your Name. In Beautiful Boy, Carell plays a father who is trying to understand how to help his son. He doesn’t get aggressive or violent; instead, he is calm and rational. He makes an incredible effort to be a supportive rock. He takes the matter seriously – chatting to a teenage meth addict and scoring on the streets to sample some himself (in the safety of his own home, of course).
That degree of care and research makes the movie stand out, in my opinion. I loved the film’s perspective from the father (as it was based on his book), which shifted to Nic’s to create a balance. Also, did you know that Chalamet lost 25lbs and had an on-set doctor to consult on his acting to effectively bring Nic’s character to life? Whatever he did, I was sold.
Oh, and that final scene… You could hear the audience sniffling in the screen at Cineworld Leicester Square. In natural surround sound.
Don’t miss the monologue towards the end of the credits. While you wait, you’ll also see that Jasper Sheff was involved as an “Office PA” and that permission was given for Nic’s journals to be shared in the film. The credit sequence monologue is Chalamet reciting poetry (mentioned earlier in the movie), which can be related to Nic’s book, Tweak. Something for us all to contemplate long after the fade-out.
We are also told with closing captions (and by the cast and crew themselves at BFI LFF 2018) that up to 50% of deaths in America are the result of drugs, with the CDC reporting that deaths from drug overdoses rose by 7% in 2017.
Find out more here: www.beautifulboyinfo.com
At BFI LFF 2018
Take a look at that suit. Chalamet stole the show by stepping out in his hypnotically swanky threads. Not only did he look stunning – he also performed a jaunty jump when Steve Carell sauntered onto the stage. The closeness of their friendship was perfectly palpable, mirroring the pair’s onscreen intimacy.
Love these two.
Watch the Headline Gala intro from the cast and crew here:
On another note – as a big fan of The Office: An American Workplace – I was happy to see Carell and Ryan back together, playing Nic’s divorced parents. I can’t imagine Mark Wahlberg and Will Poulter as David and Nic, who were originally cast in the lead roles. Not after witnessing the chemistry of Carell and Chalamet – plus, they look like they’re related, right?
Go see Beautiful Boy in UK cinemas when it’s released nationwide on 18th January 2019
Fourth Wall Breach 