Beautiful Boy (2018)

At the end of January 2019.

I’m really looking forward to this one as well. I’ve always been a fan of Felix van Groeningen, and Steve Carell has proven he can be truly exceptional when tackling more serious roles...

Just finished watching the movie—it was great. Honestly, I’m pretty bummed Timothée Chalamet didn't snag an Oscar nomination... Anyone else seen it yet? What did you guys think?

The movie is alright—nothing groundbreaking compared to other family addiction dramas out there. Timothée Chalamet was great, though I felt Steve Carell overplayed his scenes a bit too much. I’ve always loved how Timothée Chalamet can make crying look so real, just totally raw and messy 😁

For me, the most heartbreaking part was when Maura Tierney starts driving away with the kid and his girlfriend; for some reason, that hit home perfectly, even without a huge blowout happening. You could just see the desperation on her face—she was trying with everything she had to fix things and set them straight, even if she didn't quite know how. It felt like she was fighting to save her son, her husband, and her marriage all at once before finally just giving up. Part of me wishes we saw a big confrontation, but honestly, I’m glad the film avoided getting too sappy.

It’s honestly pretty mid—you’re probably only sitting through it for Timothée Chalamet. I kept mixing this one up with Boy Erased for the longest time, though if I'm being real, Boy Erased is actually a bit better even if they aren't exactly the same thing. People say this movie is similar to Ben is back...

Ashley Grant66 said:I’ve always thought Timothée Chalamet is incredibly convincing when he cries—he really leans into that raw, messy, tear-streaked look. It feels authentic rather than staged. 😁

Ovo.

Grace Sanchez50 said:Honestly, you should watch it just for Timothée Chalamet.

And this one too.

To be honest, the first half of the movie is way stronger than the second. It starts off with so much momentum, but then it kind of loses its footing halfway through.

Honestly, I really feel that Steve did his part as a father.
It was genuinely refreshing to see him tackle a dramatic role. It doesn't even
surprise me anymore—how often these comedians turn out to be such powerhouse
dramatic actors.

The only real drawback to this gorgeous film is that it’s based on a true story.
If it were fiction, it might have had that gut-punching ending—one without a
happy ending—that you just felt brewing for a while. Especially during those final
scenes. But instead, we get a bit of a "resurrection" at the end.

Still, watching his downward spirals is absolutely harrowing.
It’s wild how a kid who has been handed so much by life
can possess such an incredible flaw. I think the film feels a bit elitist because of that, too.
Since the dad actually has the money to bail him out, in addition to all the love.
There are plenty of kids out there who are struggling financially; they fall into these patterns and they're basically done for.
They don't have that kind of safety net.

That said, there are a few truly great, haunting scenes.
Like the one where he talks about his addiction, when someone asks him:

"What is your problem?"
And he responds—"I am an alcoholic and an addict."
To which the other person replies— "That isn't your problem; that is just how you
are coping with your problem" —the way you deal with it.

The actual cause lies somewhere much deeper...
And through his conversation with his dad early in the movie, you can start to uncover exactly where.