Beautiful Boy

New York Times writer David Sheff discovers his teenage son Nicholas is missing, and two days later, he reappears in their home. Seeing obvious signs of drug use, David takes Nic to a rehab clinic. Progress is made, and Nic requests to be transferred to a halfway house, where there is less security, and free time is given outside of a facility, to which David and Nic’s doctors agree. Days later, however, Nic does not return home, and David finds him in the streets.

Back at the rehab facility, Nic reveals that he has been consuming not only marijuana and alcohol, but other drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy and, most recently, crystal meth. Time goes by and Nic has made a full recovery, and seeing his improvements, David sends him to school to become a writer. Nic’s newfound freedom and sobriety start off great as he becomes a good student and starts a relationship with his classmate. However, at his girlfriend’s parents’ house, he finds a bottle of pills and slowly relapses, and eventually he purchases heroin using money David sent him. Later, David finds Nic’s diary, in which Nic colorfully describes his growing addiction. On one of the last filled pages, he mentions that it is difficult to obtain meth in college, but that he managed to score some heroin. Nic is then shown researching techniques for safe injection online.

Returning home, David senses that Nic is using again, and Nic leaves of his own accord, feeling claustrophobic from his dad’s behaviour. David and Nic finally meet up, and Nic asks his dad for money, so he can go to New York. Knowing the money will almost certainly go towards drugs, David declines, and Nic angrily leaves. David later gets a call from a New York hospital saying Nic has overdosed. David flies there to retrieve him, and after talking to his ex-wife and Nic’s mother Vicki, he decides Nic should be sent to live with his mom in Los Angeles.

Nic has a fresh start in Los Angeles. He lives with his mom, attends rehab sessions, and with the help of his mentor Spencer, works at a drug clinic to help newer patients overcome their addiction. Fourteen months sober, Nic drives to visit David and his family. Seeing Nic interact more with his two younger siblings, David is proud of his son’s newfound sobriety, as is his wife Karen. As he departs from their home however, Nic has a sudden surge of depression and fears relapsing. Spencer gives Nic moral support over the phone, but to little avail. Later that night, Nic drives into San Francisco, where he runs into Lauren, a drug addict from his past, and confesses his desire to “party”, despite having been clean for quite some time. The two buy heroin in the streets, which they proceed to consume together at Lauren’s place, where they also have sex.

When he learns Nic has gone missing again, David attempts to look for him, but Karen protests that he has done everything he can for Nic, and he cannot do anything to fix his addiction, which David heartbrokenly accepts. One day Nic and Lauren break into the home while David and his family are not there, and retrieve some valuable items. The family come home, and the two quickly depart. At first they go undetected, but David’s other son Jasper notices Nic, and both David and Karen go to find them. Karen chases them in their car but stops and lets them drive off.

Lauren becomes unconscious after overdosing, but is revived by Nic and is sent to the hospital. Nic tearfully calls David and asks for permission to come home, which his father declines. Nic continues to plead, but David hangs up mid-conversation and breaks down in tears afterwards. Despairing, Nic overdoses, but miraculously, he survives. David and Vicki visit him in the hospital, and David and Nic tearfully embrace. Closing titles reveal Nic has been sober for eight years, and it would not have been possible without the love and support of his family and friends.

Classification: 15