Boy Erased (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
Lucas Hedges is excellent as Jared Eamons, the son of a small town pastor & his devout wife, who is outed at the age of 19, & pressured into attending faith-based gay conversion therapy in 'Boy Erased' (directed & co-written by Joel Edgerton, who also has a role in his film). Based on the 2016 memoirs of Garrard Conley, this somber, but sensitive & enlightening drama doesn't 100% villainize anyone, but it also doesn't sugar-coat the trauma of trying to change people from homosexual to straight. Jared leads a comfortable life over in rural Arkansas. He's the only child of Nancy (Nicole Kidman) & Marshall Eamons (Russell Crowe), a Baptist minister who also owns a car dealership. Jared is popular in school, plays sports & even has a girlfriend.
But in college, things change a bit for him. He meets Henry (Joe Alwyn) & they click. But a night spent in a dorm room ends in a distressing act of sexual assault upon Jared. And when nervous Henry calls Jared's parents to expose him, Jared realizes the truth about himself all along ... and tells his folks {"I think about men"}. Marshall, along with church elders, decides that the way to 'save' Jared is to enroll him in said conversion therapy. Nancy goes with their son to the facility where Jared spends his days with 'therapist' Victor Sykes (Edgerton) & other afflicted 'patients'. At night, he & his mom share a motel room until Sykes decides the next step for Jared. Initially, Jared is on board with the program {'praying the gay away' surely must alleviate his guilt/confusion}. But after intimidation, psychological bullying & a violent session involving fellow student, Cameron (Britton Sear), Jared becomes disturbed by their methods & decides that he's HAD it.
There is something so gentle about how this film approaches its main character, but also subtle & complex when it deals with the film's main conflict. Joel Edgerton has assembled the perfect cast, here. While he is solid as the sycophantic, self-righteous Sykes, it's Hedges, Kidman & Crowe which render this story so agonizingly real. Nicole Kidman is quietly superb as the protective mama. At first, she is submissive to both her Baptist pastor husband & to her religious beliefs about homosexuality -- but a child's love wins-out. She lashes-out at Sykes in one pivotal scene. And when she tells Jared that she will "take care" of his father, we realize how she is changed and will look to appease any family/religious stresses that may ensue. I love her in this role and, though it's small, she is SO effective throughout.
I really liked Russell Crowe here, as well. Though his Marshall has staunch anti-homosexual beliefs & wouldn't want to disappoint his like-minded parish, he is a man of flesh & blood with a big beating heart that longs to connect with his son and hopes that he can - over time - allow himself to "accept" Jared. There's a great poignant scene near the end where he simply listens to his son -- it's something else. But most affecting IS Lucas Hedges as the kind, smart, loving, but conflicted teen who struggles to reconcile his sexual identity with his faith. He is so tender in this role; so heartrending, nuanced & indelible. You just hope that he {and all the teens in the program} can come out of his dire situation in one piece.
Performances by Troye Sivan, Xavier Dolan, Flea (as a come-to-Jesus ex-con), & Cherry Jones (as a doctor who is religious, but knows there's nothing 'wrong' with Jared) are effective, too. 'Boy Erased' explores - and without preachiness - the absurd process of trying to convert young people into something they are not. At the end of the film, we learn that 700,000 people in 36(!) states have been subjected to this monstrous 'therapy'. Rates of suicide are highest among religious young homosexuals due to the hardship of reconciling innate feelings with something they're told is sinful by God. Ultimately, though 'Boy Erased' is tinged with sadness, it also inspires; stressing the importance of accepting people as they are and encouraging honesty & acceptance btwn. parents & children no matter what.
But in college, things change a bit for him. He meets Henry (Joe Alwyn) & they click. But a night spent in a dorm room ends in a distressing act of sexual assault upon Jared. And when nervous Henry calls Jared's parents to expose him, Jared realizes the truth about himself all along ... and tells his folks {"I think about men"}. Marshall, along with church elders, decides that the way to 'save' Jared is to enroll him in said conversion therapy. Nancy goes with their son to the facility where Jared spends his days with 'therapist' Victor Sykes (Edgerton) & other afflicted 'patients'. At night, he & his mom share a motel room until Sykes decides the next step for Jared. Initially, Jared is on board with the program {'praying the gay away' surely must alleviate his guilt/confusion}. But after intimidation, psychological bullying & a violent session involving fellow student, Cameron (Britton Sear), Jared becomes disturbed by their methods & decides that he's HAD it.
There is something so gentle about how this film approaches its main character, but also subtle & complex when it deals with the film's main conflict. Joel Edgerton has assembled the perfect cast, here. While he is solid as the sycophantic, self-righteous Sykes, it's Hedges, Kidman & Crowe which render this story so agonizingly real. Nicole Kidman is quietly superb as the protective mama. At first, she is submissive to both her Baptist pastor husband & to her religious beliefs about homosexuality -- but a child's love wins-out. She lashes-out at Sykes in one pivotal scene. And when she tells Jared that she will "take care" of his father, we realize how she is changed and will look to appease any family/religious stresses that may ensue. I love her in this role and, though it's small, she is SO effective throughout.
I really liked Russell Crowe here, as well. Though his Marshall has staunch anti-homosexual beliefs & wouldn't want to disappoint his like-minded parish, he is a man of flesh & blood with a big beating heart that longs to connect with his son and hopes that he can - over time - allow himself to "accept" Jared. There's a great poignant scene near the end where he simply listens to his son -- it's something else. But most affecting IS Lucas Hedges as the kind, smart, loving, but conflicted teen who struggles to reconcile his sexual identity with his faith. He is so tender in this role; so heartrending, nuanced & indelible. You just hope that he {and all the teens in the program} can come out of his dire situation in one piece.
Performances by Troye Sivan, Xavier Dolan, Flea (as a come-to-Jesus ex-con), & Cherry Jones (as a doctor who is religious, but knows there's nothing 'wrong' with Jared) are effective, too. 'Boy Erased' explores - and without preachiness - the absurd process of trying to convert young people into something they are not. At the end of the film, we learn that 700,000 people in 36(!) states have been subjected to this monstrous 'therapy'. Rates of suicide are highest among religious young homosexuals due to the hardship of reconciling innate feelings with something they're told is sinful by God. Ultimately, though 'Boy Erased' is tinged with sadness, it also inspires; stressing the importance of accepting people as they are and encouraging honesty & acceptance btwn. parents & children no matter what.