Hitting close to home with settings in Marin County, and based off of two award-winning memoirs by father and son Nic and David Sheff, the film “Beautiful Boy” exposes the shocking reality that rehabilitation efforts in Marin face: trying to get loved ones, suffering with drug use, back on track.
The film “Beautiful Boy” showcases both “Beautiful Boy” written by David Sheff and “Tweak: Growing up on Methamphetamines” written by his son, Nic Sheff, two people who have experienced the problems faced throughout the movies in their own lives. By bringing these two memoirs together, both of their perspectives were intertwined and successfully formed into one narrative. Having two different sides of the story added substance and conflicting viewpoints, constantly giving the audience something to ponder.
The creators of the film (Felix Van Groeningen, Brad Pitt, Jeremy Kleiner, Dede Gardner and Luke Davies) did an admirable job of incorporating the mental aspect that goes along with addiction which is commonly overlooked. The film sends an important message that focuses on how addiction can easily be mistaken as a choice when in reality it is a disease.
Breakout actor Timothée Chalamet has taken hard-hitting roles in the past, in films such as “Call Me by Your Name,” “Lady Bird” and “Hot Summer Nights,” all placing Chalamet in difficult situations that portray a raw and real outlook on the world. Stepping into yet another sophisticated role, Chalamet plays 17-year-old, Nic Sheff, who becomes addicted to methamphetamines. After Nic graduates from high school, his plan is to attend college and pursue a writing career. However, the obstacles Sheff faces along the way with drug addiction make his dreams more of a challenge to attain. Alongside Chalamet is widely-known actor, Steve Carell who is most famously known for playing Michael Scott in the classic comedy show, “The Office.” Carell steps away from comedy in this role, taking on the character of David Sheff: a worried father who devotes years of his life trying to steer his son back in the right direction after he falls into the tragic downward spiral of addiction. Going into the theater, it was difficult to leave behind the role I had most commonly seen Carell play in the past. Seeing him play David Sheff helped me see him in a new light, realizing I had underestimated his acting ability.
The film opens up to David Sheff (Carell) in a San Francisco doctor’s office. He is speaking to a professional about the concerns he has for his son’s health. Without giving much context as to what they are talking about, the film quickly rewinds to one year prior, tracing the journey of Nic Sheff’s addiction. This unique approach to the beginning of the film made me more intrigued and curious to see how Nic Sheff (Chalamet) got to this point.
Throughout the film, short snippets of Nic’s childhood are incorporated in order to highlight the disappearance of his innocence and the lack of control David now has over his son's life. Although he sees his son grow up and mature quickly through his drug use, David tries to maintain the strong connection he has built with his son throughout Nic’s childhood, and lets these memories serve as a reminder of the little boy that still remains in Nic, hence the title of the film.
The movie is set in Marin County where Nic Sheff grew up in Olema, Point Reyes with his father, step mom (Karen Barbour) and half siblings. Some of Northern California's beauty is featured with shots of grassy hills and beaches of Point Reyes and bustling sidewalks of Haight Street, San Francisco. These stand-alone shots of nature contributed to the tranquility in the film. The visual appeal and calm mood displayed in these shots contradicted the somber storyline. Having this movie shot so close to home made the film even more relatable, and puts the prevalence of addiction in Marin into perspective. It confronts the false reality many people who attend high schools in Marin believe when it comes to drugs. In Nic’s situation, his substance abuse started off with the pressure he received from his peers at school and the casual nature in which drug use was talked about in his environment. This attitude towards drugs is one that I have commonly seen with students, which led Nic down the wrong path.
This movie is not easy to watch. The movie includes graphic scenes of Nic shooting meth and experimenting with other substances that were shocking to picture a boy my age doing. Although this visual was difficult to watch, it was even harder to see a young adult grapple with a disease impacting his life forever. The movie left me on the edge of my seat, worried for what might happen next as he spiraled farther down the path of addiction. Some situations in the film were a perfect example of dramatic irony, as the audience knew exactly what Nic was getting himself into. In the film we see Nic struggling to resist the temptation of relapsing, but in the end of the day his decisions were predictable. Other parts left me unaware and worried for Nic as each time he relapsed it was a step closer to his breaking point. As an audience member, it was frustrating to see him return back to square one repeatedly. However, these relapses were another accurate portrayal of addiction and how addicts fight for sobriety.
Overall, the performances from Chalamet and Carell exceeded my expectations. The combination of their acting and the way they worked together on screen was the greatest and most effective source of emotion in this film. Getting to observe their relationship develop and unfold throughout the movie was the most interesting part for me. While Chalamet is young and still jump-starting his career, the acting he demonstrated in the film was not that of an amateur. Although I have only seen a few films with Chalamet, I have noticed that he is skilled at provoking emotion.
“Beautiful Boy” brings a serious problem in Marin to attention. Focusing on the terrifying truth of addiction and how one's background and lifestyle can be completely separate from the source of one's addiction. In Nic’s case, he was a bright young boy from an affluent family that gave him all the care in the world. His addiction grew from an eagerness to fill the emptiness inside of him and chase a high he could not get from smoking marijuana. Although this movie conveys the destruction of a young boy’s innocence as he becomes introduced into the world of substance abuse, the movie gets its name from the beauty that remains within Nic, despite having gone through this difficult journey. The breathtaking sceneries and the loving family that surrounds Nic in this film demonstrates the irrelevant connection affluence and comfort has with drug addiction. Drug addiction is a frightening and self realizing journey and the film “Beautiful Boy” does an exquisite job in displaying this.
Photos courtesy of Rolling stones, Bustle, Deadline, Filmfestival.be and Study Breaks Magazine