Boy Erased

"A mother knows when something isn't right"

Filmology Rating: 3.5 out of 4

"You cannot be born gay; it is a choice" This untruth is what Jared (Lucas Hedges), an Arkansas teenage boy is told when he is sent to conversion therapy by his parents when they find out he is gay in Boy Erased. His preacher father played by Russell Crowe cannot accept the fact that his son has gone against their fundamental beliefs and hopes the 12 day program will "fix" him. His mother played by Nicole Kidman goes along with it. But not for long!

Boy Erased is a biographical drama based on Garrard Conley's 2016 memoir of the same name. It is directed by Joel Edgerton who appears in the film as the lead therapist. On October 18, 2018, The San Diego International Film Festival announced the film won the Audience Choice Award for Best Studio Feature. It is likely that Boy Erased will draw attention this Oscar season.

The film opens with a video montage of Jared growing up as a "typical" little boy in a loving family. Then it jumps to the scene in which he checks into the Love In Action refuge facility for the first time. The film alternates between present day circa, 2004 and flashbacks to his teen and college years where it shows an awkward date with his high school girlfriend and an unwanted sexual encounter with a college roommate who "outs" him for being gay. Jared confesses that he has thoughts of men and willingly attends the refuge not wanting to be ostracized by his family and community.

The Love In Action Refuge Center is led by Victor Sykes, who literally "psyches" these kids out with his tough love techniques that are both psychologically and physically traumatizing. It is ironic that it is called "Love In Action" because it his mother who puts her love into action when she rescues her son before his spirit was broken. Everyone in the theater was clapping when Nicole Kidman walked in that door.

This film doubles as a #me too movement film because it is also about a woman who found her voice. She undergoes the biggest emotional transformation in the film as she refuses to put her religion before her love for her son. She will no longer play the role of dutiful wife. The family becomes stronger because of her.

The three leads give brilliant performances, especially Nicole Kidman. It is interesting that most of the actors are Australian. Their Southern accents are spot on. The real star is 21 year old Lucas Hedges, who was previously nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Manchester By The Sea. He portrays Jared with great nuance and complexity. It is obvious that he studied Garrard's mannerisms to get them just right. His best scene was opposite Russell Crowe when he said "I'm not going to change. You are going to have to be the one to change." He deserves a Best Actor nomination for this role as well. Director Joel Edgerton was downright scary as Victor Sykes, He was sort of a male Nurse Ratched. Australian singer Troye Sivan plays a small, but important role in the film. His song "Revelation" serves as the theme in the end credits as well as the backdrop in many scenes

Boy Erased is one of two films which came out during 2018 about conversion therapy. The other one is The Miseducation of Cameron Post , based on a YA fictional novel starring Chloe Grace Moretz. If you are wondering why they need two films on the same topic in the same year, it is because 70,000 individuals remain in conversion therapy today. Garrard Conley was lucky that he was able to reconcile with his parents. If you see Boy Erased, you will discover that not everyone was so lucky!

Don't erase this movie from your holiday list!

Rating: See It

-Margie