Boy Erased is a film concerning the most timely topic of conversion therapy in regard to sexual orientation. There aren't any legitimate scientists on this planet who think that conversion therapy is possible or even desirable. But far too many still take their cues from a fundamentalist reading of the Bible. The consequences are devastating too many who have bought into it.
Our protagonist is Lucas Hedges son of preacher Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman. The two are from small town Arkansas and when Hedges confesses he has some unwanted sexual urges regarding men, at least Crowe's duty is clear. Got to get this kid into some kind of therapy, scare him straight if it be necessary. In Crowe's upbringing this is wrong, but this just can't be for a preacher's son. If thry thought about it Hedges was raised in a perfect Christian environment, was apparently never any kind of bad behavioral child, so how could two Christian parents raise a gay son?
It's a failure to think outside the box of fundamentalist religion. Kidman starts thinking outside the box pretty quickly, she's a mom first. But being the good Christian wife she defers on spiritual matters to her husband.
Crowe's an interesting character. He's not one of those preachers with the mega churches raking in the bucks. His day job is a car dealership and that is what he wants to pass on to his son. But if Hedges won't live a godly life as Crowe's been taught to see it, he can't live there. Like so many he won't think outside the box and that is why conversion therapy still grips the fundamentalist mind.
Director Joel Edgerton cast himself as Victor Sykes who heads the conversion therapy group that Hedges is sent to. What a snake oil salesman this guy is with a staff that would have felt at home in the Spanish Inquisition. The kids sent there are from home's like the one Hedges has and also are conditioned not to think outside the box.
I won't get into the practices that are supposed to convert, but considering some of the stories I have heard if anything Boy Erased was modest in their depiction.
Some years ago I corresponded with a gay man from Cullman, Alabama who in his 30s had just gotten sick and tired of trying to live his life to please his fundamentalist community and friends. While he was trying to "convert" he got the cluck clucks of sympathy for the struggle he was going through and that everyone was behind him. When he decided that what he was going through for other people was nonsense, the 'friends' he had in the town just turned on him overnight. Out and proud in Alabama is no mean feat.
This film will get some Oscars. With 10 nominations for Best Picture Boy Erased is sure to be in the running. Oscars could be in the offing for Hedges, Kidman, and Crowe, maybe even Edgerton pulling off Best Director and Best Supporting Actor.
One performance that will break your heart is that of Brittan Sear playing fellow teen getting the 'cure'. Hopefully big things are in store for this young man in his acting career.
This review is dedicated to two people. First off to Mathew Shurka who leads the fight state by state and locality by locality to ban this cruel and obnoxious practice. Secondly this goes out to my friend from Cullman, Alabama in the hopes he's healthy, happy and in a place he can be at peace with himself.
Boy Erased
2018
Biography / Drama
Boy Erased
2018
Biography / Drama
Plot summary
The son of a Baptist preacher unwillingly participates in a church-supported gay conversion program after being forcibly outed to his parents.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
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Here and queer
intriguing story but lacking
Jared Eamons (Lucas Hedges) is an all-American boy. He's on his high school basketball team and has a girlfriend. His father (Russell Crowe) is a Baptist preacher. His mother (Nicole Kidman) insists that he keeps his arm inside a moving car. In college, he is raped by his roommate. He goes home to be confronted by the incident. He admits to having feelings toward men. His father sends him to a gay conversion therapy program run by Victor Sykes (Joel Edgerton).
It's very odd that most of the big name actors come from Australia. They are so prevalent that the location does not feel American. I know it's based on real biography but it needs some feeling of a small southern religious community. Also the flashback construction does not help. It does not help to set up the parents son relationships which is desperately needed. There are some really compelling scenes about the therapy program. The ritualized beating with the bible is depressing. It's depressing in the religious sense where a Godly book is used as a literal weapon. The bathroom scene with the older man watching is rather creepy. The angry-with-your-dad scene almost saves Jared as a character. In general, he's a blank. He is clueless to the point that he lacks agency. The boy started college and I hope that he wasn't that naive. Basically, he needs to be set up as an all-American boy scout. This is where the flashback structure defeats the movie. He needs to be Superman but we're not told about Smallville or Krypton. By the end, the pieces fell into place and the story is fine. It doesn't make the movie good but the story is saved. Overall, there is an intriguing story within the pages. On screen, it's a bit lacking.
Boy erased - good story created
"Boy Erased" (not the greatest tite in my opinion as it feels not fitting to describe what is going on, unless you define the "boy" as the love interest, but this surely wasn't meant) is an Australian/American co-production from 2018 that runs for almost two hours and was directed by Joel Edgerton, who is just one of many successful actors that try to make an impact as directors these days and surely he is among the top tier you can say. This was a really good movie and it also speaks for him that in addition, he plays a crucial character and was also in charge of adapting the memoir of the man this film is based on. Edgerton is Australien and he plays the main antagonist and also Australian are Oscar winners Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman and it took really long for them to finally appear in a movie together. They play husband and wife and mother and father to Lucas Hedges' character. Hedges is the only lead actor here. He managed to score a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal in a year where he actually had two strong performances in the awards race. The other is the film in which he plays Julia Roberts' drug-addicted son (Ben is Back). But we talked about that one already, so now let us take a look at this one. By the way, it scored another Golden Globe nomination for a song featured in the movie, but at the Oscars it came short. Edgerton will be okay with it. His film here is about a young man who is sent to an organization that tells people that it will turn homosexual men into straight men again and lead them back on the right path to (religious) righteousness. So yeah, you know what to expect already. I must say the scenes there are really only interesting thanks to Edgerton. And thanks to the reactions of these young men. One talks to his parents about what is going on there and they take him back home. Another eventually commits suicide. Another acts as if their methods are working.
But none of them is Jared (who has to find his own way). It is also interesting how initially he was perfectly fine with going there, with having his mind changed because he realized he was different. Of course, this also has a whole lot to do with his upbringing and with being the son of a priest and an almost equally religious mother. He was mesmerized by the "guru"s charisma early on, but absurd messages change his mind relatively quickly. And rightfully so you can say. I am frequently critical when it comes to talking about films that feel just for the sake of pleasing liberal Hollywood, but this is not one of these movies. The story feels way below the surface frequently (if we ignore the slightly clumsy idea of holding your arm out of the car to feel freedom) and I was at the edge of my seat for quite a while. Towards the end, I even considered giving it 4 out of 5 stars, but eventually I stayed at 3, even if there were some really good moments. One reason may be the talk between the protagonist and his dad near the end. This scene felt so right, so interesting content-wise and it could have been great, but sadly I must say that Hedges while being solid for almost the entire film messed this one up. He has one particularly bad moment of line delivery, but he is absolutely not on par with Crowe for the entire scene and that disappointed me so much. Crowe is really good, you see he is getting older and chubbier now in his mid50s, but still has it all range-wise. Kidman was fairly good too, even if it was a really thankful role with how likable her character is, especially at the end, but also before that, even if she won't stand up against her husband. I must say I did not like her one bit in her younger years, but I have seen several good films and performances from her recently. I hope it stays that way.
And finally, maybe the funniest thing about this film, still somewhat tragically funny, is when we read the information at the end that Edgerton's character's real life equivalent left his organization and lived again with a man. Which shows basically that it is really all about suppressing these homosexual feelings and not "curing" them. You could say it like that. All in all, this was a pretty good film I would say and I recommend checking it out. There are several pretty heavy moments, most of all a rape scene that is unrelated to the core plot, but still may feel heavy to watch, even if it is over fairly quickly. So perhaps don't take your young children with you when you decide to check this one out. But the latter you should certainly do. I give it a thumbs-up. Positively recommended and it also felt shorter than it actually was, which at this running time is always a success.