‘Beautiful Boy’ examines a family’s battle with drug addiction
LONDON— A family battling drug addiction is the focus of the new drama starring Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet, “Beautiful Boy,” with the duo portraying a father and son struggling with the problem for years.
Known for comedies like “Anchorman” and “The 40Year-Old Virgin,” Carell plays real-life American writer David Sheff in the movie, which is based on the memoirs of Sheff and his son, Nic.
The tough and tear-jerking film sees Carell’s character struggle to come to terms with the problem, as teenage Nic, a keen reader and writer with a promising future, gets addicted to drugs including crystal meth, goes to rehab, but repeatedly relapses.
Any parent’s fear
“I identified with the fear of any parent,” Carell, who has two children, said at the movie’s UK premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on Saturday.
“It’s relevant and timely; it’s an epidemic. I hope that people realize addiction has all sorts of stigmas applied to it, which it shouldn’t have.”
Chalamet, who was nominated for an Oscar this year for “Call Me by Your Name,” plays Nic, vividly portraying the character as he moves between highs and aggressive lows.
“There are many videos on YouTube, or go to a rehab and ask people about their experiences,” he said, when talking about preparing for his per- formance.
“There’s a comfort in thinking that drug addicts or addiction can’t affect your family or yourself when the reality is that it’s a very human disease—it doesn’t discriminate.”