Beautiful Boy

i dont think i have ever completely broken down to a movie like i did this one. i knew it would wreck me, which is why i put off viewing it for multiple years. But alas, the time had come for me to sit through this masterpiece.It doesn't shy away from the true brutality of addiction or the choke-hold it has on the lives affected by it. Steve Carrell's performance was perfect. He isn't a perfect father, in fact, I often found myself begging him "please just say this, please just let him know this". But what person could ever know how to perfectly guide their loved one through something as tragic as depression and addiction?Timothée unsurprisingly acted superbly. There was never a moment of "oh this is timothée playing a man struggling with addiction". No, his portrayal easily allows the viewer to see him as Nic himself. Additionally, all of the supporting actors, particularly Amy Ryan, Maura Tierney, Jack Dylan Grazer, Stephanie Scott, and Kaitlyn Dever all played their characters wonderfully. Every moment of the film was heartbreaking and brilliant, and I cannot recommend it enough. But before you begin, truly make sure you're in the right headspace to see the film. It's a horribly difficult subject and you should be prepared for the inevitable melancholy it will make you feel. If you or a loved one are struggling with anything related to these topics, please know that you're loved and supported and cared for.Additional notes that contain spoilers!!!!!!:I want to speak explicitly to how much I appreciate the overall moral that the film tells and how eloquently it can be seen through the characters' developments. They intentionally chose to end the movie on an unsure note rather than a beautiful triumphant one (though it could be considered that way I suppose). But you see the characters go on a journey from breaking themselves down trying to save Nic to having to make the gut-wrenching decisions that come with the truth: none of us can save anyone. We must save ourselves.I'm very grateful for this, and extremely proud of both the actors, the crew, and the real people who inspired this movie. When you've had to struggle with things like this, I think each person should be proud of themselves for making it through another day. I'm incredibly proud of all of them, and so happy that at the moment, they're getting to experience somewhat pleasanter days. My love goes to Nic, I hope that the endless fight will somehow become easier overtime.🖤🖤

This was one of the most difficult movies to get through for me in a long time because the depths its emotive nuances plunge to.In the USA alone, we lost 3000 young ones to opiod overdoses in one year, some of them children of my friends, or friends of my daughter. So this was personal.The story, I believe is facr based which isn't a surprise. Daily my dy daughters' friends, all in their 20's from 20 to 29 are expeiencing their own battles and justifications for use. The explanation of what crystal meth actually does to a healthy human brain, the damage it causes was one of the most enlightening pieces of information shared with the viewers. It wasn't information I was privy to. Decades ago, I was a straight edge, arrogant fool who didn't believe in in "addiction" until my friend died in France, and another down the block and yet another, all with needled in their veins, and this was in the 80's. It has gotten much worse. MUCH MUCH worse.I'm terrified for the young ones in 2019 the most because these new brands of drugs are instant highs and instant killers. I watched them struggle against the excessive, manic need to use after the very first use if they survive that. I watch one whole athletes after an injury get that first hit of dilaudid in the ER, and the road it takes a significant percentage down trying to recreate that high, until they make the conscious choice of sober living , or overdose and die.I pray this tale of devastation, of enabling, of pulling back, of being there, of saying yes, saying no, helps the parents and addicts out there see both perspectives. Oh when you come to the scene where you realize Nic is looking for house keys under pots in futility because they have been removed by his father, its a big hurt.You can not watch this movie as an entertainment piece. It is a heart reflection. It is the world today. It is happening every second of every day to someone you know, wether intimately or removed. Drug addiction, opiod addction,are terrifying beasts. What do we do? If you are experiencing this , please, watch it together if at all possible. Because the first thing we all need to learn is that addiction is a disease, NO ONE choses to be an addict, chosing sober living is the hardest choice those afflicted with addiction will ever commit to. So support your community rehabs, sober living homes, anyplace that is in the fight for those who are gripped in the talons of addiction. This film is heart breaking, shattering. But above all it is about a beautiful boy who fell and soared and fell and soared until he chose to fall no more. Bless his soul.

This movie is gorgeous to look at, the music is outstanding, and it is very well acted by all. Addiction can be so loud, so misunderstood, and so unsupported. This movie shows the moments of compassion, of steeling oneself for an endless battle, of cherishing the infrequent feasts of memory and love, of making hard choices and working with others to get an entire family system healed from the scourge of addiction.This is an educated, fairly health family with access to wealth and resources and a united front of support. It only presented what addiction looks like to others without that privilege; glimpses of the young runaway sex worker that David helps; the wide age range of people in Nic's recovery centers that he observes. I'd be interested in reading the books each author wrote on their experiences, because there is so much here that the film got me thinking about. There is a lot referenced here in the conversations that the characters have with each other, and this film made me feel invested for their well-being and praying for their success. I am an alcoholic in recovery, so this movie also touched me on a level that is difficult to describe. I highly recommend this film.