At the centre of Beautiful Boy is a father’s struggle as he tries to help his drug addicted son turn his life around. Starring Steve Carell, Timothée Chalamet and Maura Tierney, this one is a story as heartbreaking and inspiring as everyone said.

I wanted to see director Felix Van Groeningen’s Beautiful Boy because of my curiosity about the experience of a parent whose child is battling addiction. Another motivation was a desire to witness Carell deliver yet another notable dramatic performance, which he does, of course. Then there’s Chalamet. It really was about time that I understood the reason behind all the hype concerning his acting skills. I understand the hype now, and I have zero objections.

Besides being fifteen to twenty minutes longer than is preferable, Beautiful Boy is a well-told and moving story. I enjoyed the moment at the airport that conveyed the strong bond between father and son. The scene that moved me most, however, is the one with the vehicular pursuit near the family home. It’s a great scene that really brought to the fore the considerable suffering experienced by family members outside of the father/son relationship, one family member in particular.

Watch Beautiful Boy for the insight and a reminder of what a truly huge undertaking parenthood truly is. Praises be to all the great parents, who remain great especially when their children mess up. 

Happy Film Loving,

G