A Father Seeks Help for His Son, Before it’s Too Late

Timothée Chalamet and Steve Carell in "Beautiful Boy"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Movies about drug addiction can be some of the most harrowing to watch because we see characters who become victims of a habit that’s often difficult to shake and can consume one’s life.  We’ve seen this issue in such movies as Darren Aronofsky’s “Requiem for a Dream,” Danny Boyle’s “Trainspotting,” Otto Preminger’s “The Man with the Golden Arm,” among others.

We now have another film about the impacts of drug addiction with director Felix Van Groeningen's biographical drama, “Beautiful Boy,” a movie that’s saved from its flaws by the strength of its two searing central performances.

The story follows David Sheff (Steve Carell), a father who does whatever he can to help his son, Nic (Timothée Chalamet), end his meth addiction.

Carell showcased another side to his acting abilities when he took on the lead role in Bennett Miller’s 2014 drama, “Foxcatcher,” and with his performance in “Beautiful Boy,” he continues to prove that he’s one of the most multitalented actors working today.  The desperation that he exhibits as his character tries to get through to his son is heartrending and shows more of the new levels of serious acting of which Carell is capable.  While Carell shows a couple of emotional outbursts of panic, what makes his performance so captivating is how composed he makes his character seem, even though you can tell that he’s crumbling underneath as time seems to be running out for his son.  His performance is shattering, but at the same time, hopeful because of how unwavering his love for his son is and how far he will go to make him better.

Chalamet is harrowing to watch as Nic.  While David shows the desperation of getting his son back to normal, Chalamet matches that with the desperation of trying to get his next fix.  It’s a performance that shows the full impacts of what drugs can have on an addict, and you can’t help but wince whenever Nic relapses and seems to be getting closer to the point of no return.  The power of Chalamet’s performance brings us through a tough journey as his character risks his life for his addiction and has a future that becomes more out of reach as the drugs become within that reach.  This is stunning work that makes you feel the emotional turmoil that Nic experiences, and you won’t soon forget this performance.

The father-son bond between David and Nic has an abundance of realism to it.  The scenes that they share are heartbreaking in how you’re watching the strong connection of these characters’ begin to dissolve as a result of Nic’s drug use, and each interaction between Carell and Chalamet brings a raw power that holds your eyes to the screen. 

Van Groeningen and Luke Davis’ screenplay, which is based on the memoirs “Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction” by David Sheff and “Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines” by Nic Sheff, goes back and forth between the past and present, on occasion.  But, in the end, this structure isn't necessary and sometimes disrupts the flow of the movie.  The sequences that occur in the past are short enough that they all could have been edited together to be in the beginning of the movie.

While there are some instances of melodrama throughout the film, Van Groeningen is able to keep the emotions grounded as the film exhibits the effects of drug addiction and the emotional toll that this ordeal takes on Nic and his family.

Although Van Groeningen's direction with the film’s drama is fine, his use of music offers some odd choices that tend to get in the way of some of the film’s important moments, with the songs and music overemphasizing what’s clear to you.  An example is where, in an early scene, David looks at troubling writings and drawings in Nic’s notebook that hint at his growing drug dependency, and the music that plays over this sequence sounds like something that you would hear in a slow-burn horror movie.  Yes, it’s meant to be a frightening moment of realization for David, but the music doesn’t work for the scene.

Given the movie's timeliness to the national opioid crisis, it's too bad that “Beautiful Boy” couldn't have been a little better, but the heart of the narrative is within David and Nic's characters, so it was important that the movie at least had Carell and Chalamet build a dynamic to make you feel the urgency of the situation, and they excel in doing so.  This movie might not be perfect, but the bond between Carell and Chalamet is the main reason why this movie works, as it shows the extents to which their talents can go.
     
Grade: B