Boy Erased (2018)

[baumer]

Discuss

[YLF]

Great movie. Excellent performances by Nicole kidman and the lead actor. I never heard of this story before and apparently it is a true story. It made me glad my parents are not zealots and would have never thought to send me to one of these “camps” or “centers.”

SPOILER: The scene where he was raped was really hard to watch and jarring. If it happened like that in real life what a weird way to make a move on someone? They both genuinely seemed into each other to go to raping him.... just no. 

 

B/B+

Edited November 25, 2018 by YLF

[filmlover]

Very effective and surprisingly even-handed movie about a repugnant "practice" (conversion therapy). A film like this could've easily been a maudlin mess, but Joel Edgerton wisely avoids histrionics and easy characterization of its individuals. In just two years, Lucas Hedges has skyrocketed to the top of the list as rising young actors to watch out for. Jared could've easily been turned into a cipher but Hedges makes him a sympathetic individual and allows audiences to feel for his plight. Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe are also excellent, finding the humanity in roles that could've easily been portrayed as one-dimensional villains (Crowe in particular gives his best performance in more than a decade). It's also a hopeful movie despite how disturbing it gets at times. Is it perfect movie? No. But it is an important one on account that it sheds light on a heartbreaking and angering topic that is somehow still considered legal in nearly 3/4ths of the country. B+

[That One Girl]

Revels in the pain that the characters suffer while at the conversion camp.  There’s very few moments of relief for the characters.  Oh and that rape scene made me actively angry (not in the way the filmmakers intended), especially because it’s the only sexual encounter that’s depicted throughout the film.

[Webslinger]

While not an easy sit by any means, Boy Erased provides a deeply moving examination of the horrors of conversion therapy and the marvelous resiliency of the individuals who survive it. Writer, director, and co-star Joel Edgerton crafts a film that highlights the danger of a practice that might seem well-intentioned in theory but inflicts lasting pain in practice, and he does so in a manner that does justice to both the source material and the people whose lives have been upended by attempts to “cure” their sexual orientation. Though this film is somewhat clinical in its approach and keeps the audience at arm’s length through most of its running time, its emotionally-charged moments cut deep and may be liable to bring viewers who are part of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies – two groups that will presumably comprise most (if not all) of the audience – to tears. In the title role, Lucas Hedges delivers another impressive performance. He doesn’t dig quite as deep as he did in his Oscar-nominated performance in Manchester by the Sea, but he still proves skillful in earning audience empathy through a studied, authentic performance whose emotional honesty registers at every turn. Hedges also nails his character arc, believably taking Jared from a place of grudging trust of the adults in his life to a more self-assured demeanor by the end of the film. Nicole Kidman also makes the most of her few scenes as Jared’s mother; she expertly toes the line between her role as a dutiful conservative wife who obeys her husband’s will and a mother who cannot bear to see her child in a state of distress. The film’s depictions of conversion therapy are not as visceral as one might imagine, but therein lies their horror: while physical abuse is mostly absent, the insidious psychological abuse is omnipresent and takes a clear, devastating toll upon its targets – and, by extension, viewers. Edgerton always makes it abundantly clear that the recipients of this “care” suffer on a profound psychological and spiritual level, thus making a clear and unequivocal case against the practice of conversion therapy. While it’s just a little too cold to join the upper ranks of the queer cinema canon of the 2010s, Boy Erased is nevertheless a powerful experience that affirms the strength of its title character and communicates a resonant message that survivors of the abhorrent practice of conversion therapy can rise above the pain they have endured.

 

B+

 

Stray Thoughts:

- In the name of much-needed levity, I thought of But I'm a Cheerleader a good many times while watching this film. I wanted the counselors to demand that the guys drink Gatorade and call one another "dude" to "overcome" their gayness so so so badly, and the batting practice scene came pretty close to fulfilling that wish.

 

- I loved Cherry Jones's cameo here. In addition to how effortlessly she packs a ton of meaningful character work and thematic significance into just a few minutes of screentime, her cameo features a brilliant deconstruction of the tendency to conflate sexuality and gender. Jared's father has heard his son claim to have gay thoughts, so his reaction is to have his son's blood tested to see whether he needs more testosterone. Yes, there are plenty of gay men who act effeminately, but the implication is that Jared's father mistakes his son's attraction to men for a state of femininity.

 

- I was basically a human exclamation mark during the rape scene, the scene depicting Cameron's "fall" (I definitely thought he had killed himself when the camera fixated on the coffin before showing him), and Jared being notified of Cameron's suicide near the end. But at least Cameron gets a major moment of character development by standing up for Jared - and also arguably for himself - in his final onscreen appearance.

 

- I'll second filmlover's comment elsewhere on the board (in the Classic Conversation Thread, I think) that the R rating is bullshit. As upsetting as the film's content is, it tackles important territory that teenagers should be able to see without restriction.

[Webslinger]

On 11/25/2018 at 10:52 AM, That One Guy said:

Oh and that rape scene made me actively angry (not in the way the filmmakers intended), especially because it’s the only sexual encounter that’s depicted throughout the film.

Very fair point. I felt like the scenes where Jared went back to Xavier's apartment were going to lead to something sexual, but alas. I'll agree that it's problematic that Jared (and the film, by extension) emphasizes the chasteness of this encounter, as if to unintentionally back the "gay thoughts are okay but gay actions are inherently sinful" line of thinking that some religious denominations apply in the guise of appearing progressive relative to their more stridently bigoted counterparts. The film would have done well to counteract this critique by showing more physical intimacy between Jared and his boyfriend (I assume) in the "four years later" coda than just a kiss in the darkly-lit kitchen.

[Rorschach]

I liked the performances a lot and it kept me invested throughout. However, I do wish there was a bit more of an emotional push that really would've made it resonate with me more.

 

Also, the constant use of slo-mo was cheesy as fuck.

 

7/10

Edited December 3, 2018 by Rorschach

[LonePirate]

I finally watched this film and it was slightly disappointing, tbh. The characters were a bit too cold and distant for me. While that worked in some scenes, it completely ruined others. The scenes at the conversion therapy center, apart from the beating scene, didn't really flesh out how horrific those places truly are. In fact, the film came far too close to legitimizing that disgusting practice by making Jared seem indifferent to being there, up until the rock throwing scene. I needed more resistance from him which was mostly absent in the early going and once it finally arrived, it was rushed and concluded far too quickly. I think the story could have been told much better over a 5-6 episode miniseries on television than in a two hour movie.

 

One of the most pleasantly surprising elements of the film was the performance by Flea from The Red Hot Chili Peppers. He was amazing in his brief role and all of his scenes were terrific. He should think about acting more in the future if he can find the right roles.

 

I also appreciated the contrast we saw in Jared's relationships with Henry and Xavier. Granted, the rape scene and the immediate aftermath were bizarre given how it was completely unnecessary. Jared and Henry were clearly into each other and they seemed aware of the other's attraction, so the rape scene made no sense apart from showcasing Henry as the criminal he obviously was. That experience certainly explained the slow and soft scenes with Jared and Xavier, who was one hell of a mind reader to realize that approach was the best one to take with Jared given how little they interacted prior to that point.

 

Hedges. Kidman, Crowe and Edgerton were all good in their roles even though I felt all of them needed more to do, including Hedges despite him being on screen for almost every minute of the film. Hedges definitely proved his Oscar nomination for Manchester By the Sea was no fluke.

 

I may change my mind after I have had a day or two to ruminate on the film, but I am giving it a 7/10 grade mostly due to the presence of a framework for a great film that was marred by some odd execution and possibly expectations that were too high on my part.

[dxmatrixdt]

Get to know conversion therapy in this boring movie.  Our human trial as we learn to re-direct our appetites and starve our habits so we can die with a healthy soul on our way to heaven.  Running a person is running a business and self-destruction shouldn’t be an option for teenagers.  Surviving sex seems to be a form of self-destruction in teens.  The problem with this being a religious based gay conversion movie, is that in this boot-camp, the strength comes from God.  The teenage boy is enrolled in a behavior rehab program where they re-develop his personality to make him self-sustainable in the real world.   One of the camp counselors was from prison and looked like he had a tattoo that was older then he was.

The educational lessons are based around folding chairs, a bunch of crazy people who get into groups and live together, speeches, and holding your hands for prayer.  I liked most of the movie, but it is just speech and talk therapy.  I’d give it a C+ because I liked it, but I might fall asleep if I watch it again.

79/100

Edited May 24, 2019 by Clubs Are Trash

[DAJK]

This was probably my #10 or #9 movie of 2018. I was absolutely floored by it, especially because I was debating whether or not to even see it (trailers were fine, but I was busy that night and it wasn't really on my radar). Everything about this worked for me; the script, the direction, and especially the acting. Powerful movie. 

 

A