‘Beautiful Boy’ a raw look at drug addiction
Brian Truitt: Exceptional performances help film rise above narrative flaws
The effects of drug addiction on a family are blisteringly, emotionally raw in the drama “Beautiful Boy,” with exceptional performances from Steve Carell and Timothee Chalamet, who make a father and son’s struggles feel all too real.
“Beautiful Boy” ( ★★★☆; rated R; in theaters Friday in New York and Los Angeles; expands through October, goes nationwide Nov. 9) tracks the downward spiral of a teenage boy’s addiction to meth, the vicious cycle of recovery and relapse, yet also the hope and love waiting on the other side. While the sometimes confusing non-linear narrative keeps the whole package from coming together, the first-rate acting more than makes up for it in the film based on the true experiences of David and Nic Sheff.
Nic (Chalamet) is a San Francisco kid who’s going places, accepted to colleges and surrounded by his loving journalist dad David (Carell) and supportive stepmom Karen (Maura Tierney). On the surface, he’s happy-golucky, but inside there’s emotional turmoil and pain, which is stymied by doing drugs that “take the edge off stupid everyday reality.” Smoking joints with his dad turns into experimenting with other drugs, though it’s meth that leads Nic down a road where he disappears for days at a time and a cooking spoon puts his future on hold.
Meanwhile, David quietly paces around the house, calls area hospitals to ask if his son has been admitted and waits for the phone to ring. His emotions run the gamut: He’s desperate to help Nic and find out more about the
disease of addiction (“Know your enemies”) but also frustrated and guilty, and David focuses almost all his energy on his son. His ex-wife Vicki (Amy Ryan) is at wit’s end from afar, with David often arguing with her to help more, while Karen understands her husband’s predicament yet also is concerned that David is neglecting her and their younger children.
Director Felix Van Groeningen uses flashbacks of Nic as a kid – and even his earlier teenage years – to track the closeness of father and son, from shared musical tastes to a love of surfing. (One metaphorical scene finds David losing him in the water, shouting every which way to see if he’s safe, only to then see Nic confidently ride by on his board.)
However, the storytelling choices leave the audience sometimes wondering where the characters are in the plot – for example, is Nic in school or not? The varying degree of gray hair in Carell’s beard usually assists but not all the time, and the effect is an unfortunate undermining of the film’s impressively honest and authentic narrative.
For Chalamet, “Beautiful Boy” is a worthy followup to his Oscar-nominated breakthrough in last year’s “Call Me By Your Name.” He gives Nic thoughtful complexity while navigating the dangers and extreme pull of addiction: There’s humility when he’s sober and coming back home to reconnect with loved ones, but also jittery rage at his dad when trying to get money for his next score.
Carell’s dramatic chops (see: “Foxcatcher”) are about as strong as his well-known comedic ones, though he has never been this relatable. Much of the movie unfolds from David’s point of view, and you feel every bit of exasperation and hurt but also undying adoration for his boy.
“Beautiful Boy” undoubtedly will connect for those dealing with addiction or the nation’s opioid epidemic. But it also speaks to parents feeling out of control when it comes to their children and the sacrifices made to be there by their side, no matter what.