BOY ERASED – Review

As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, families across the country will be getting together for that big meal and generally re-connecting. But what about those families that have split, those who are torn apart virtually at the seams? Many will be facing that reality over the next week, perhaps into the following holiday. At the heart of many of these rifts are religious beliefs about sexual orientation. But most faiths put family first? That’s the conundrum addressed in this new film about a young man who feels as though his parents are pushing him away and aside, making him a BOY ERASED. Surprisingly it’s based on a true story.

We first meet eighteen-year-old Jared Eamons (Lucas Hedges) as he’s attending church services on a warm Texas evening. Next to him is his adoring mother Nancy (Nicole Kidman), and at the pulpit, preaching to the congregation is his father Marshall (Russell Crowe). Cut to the Eamons family home as Jared and Nancy load up the Towncar and drive into the night. What caused this late night trek? We flashback to the previous months, as Jared pulls away from his school sweetheart Chloe, and retreats into his thoughts. At a local college, he strikes up a friendship with another track enthusiast named Henry (Joe Alwyn). But things are more serious for Jared as he realizes he’s attracted to the older student. Before he can profess his feelings, Henry sexually assaults him during a sleepover. Emotionally shattered and confused, Jared comes out to his parents who are devastated. Marshall calls over some of the church elders to the home, and after much praying asks Jared if he will attend a camp that will “cure” him of his leanings. He agrees and its decided that Nancy will accompany him to this “day camp” several miles away. She’ll stay at a hotel, drop Jared off at the camp early in the morning, then pick him up for dinner and back to the hotel. Arriving at the camp, Jared’s cell phone and other personal items are locked away. He meets the camp director, Victor Sykes (Joel Edgerton) who convinces him that his “therapy” methods will turn him away from the sin of homosexuality. Sykes is adamant that Jared does not discuss any of the camp activities with family or friends. He’s trained by counselors on how to stand, walk, and throw a ball in a masculine “straight” way. More importantly, Sykes wants Jared to trace his family tree to find the “weakness” that sent him on his path. Jared is soon horrified by the brutal treatment of some of his fellow “campers” and rebels against Sykes. But will his mother and father get him out of the conversation center, and eventually accept him as he is?

The story is firmly anchored by the compelling performance by Hedges in the title role. With a most impressive resume (including this past month’s MID90S and the upcoming BEN IS BACK), this young talent is on his way to being a leading star for the next wave of actors to watch. Through his brooding eyes, he conveys Jared’s inner conflict and turmoil, torn between his family and faith and his true nature. With his body language, we see Jared embracing his manhood, as he stands up to the destructive forces at the camp. Fortunately, Jared has the full unconditional love of his mother Nancy, as Hedges has a real chemistry with Kidman, whose character may be the film’s joyous beating heart. At first, Nancy is there just to make peace in the household, making sure that she doesn’t “make waves”. Though Jared tries to push her aside, Nancy is able to pick up on his mood. It’s then that Kidman shows us the formidable, fierce “mama Grizzly” that will protect her child at any cost. Crowe is her stubborn “papa bear”, though not nearly as intuitive as his missus. His Marshall is deeply committed to his faith, which blinds him to understanding his son’s struggles while convinced that the camp will work. The later scenes in which the patriarch slowly opens up his heart are quite moving. The real unmovable heart may belong to the camp’s chief played by Edgerton as an unyielding tyrant, unwavering in his devotion to his “tough love” tactic and therapy. Edgerton shows us his indifference as Sykes refuses to acknowledge anyone else’s opinions or thoughts. Red Hot Chilli Peppers frontman Flea is truly effective as the most intimidating of the camp instructors (basically an enforcer for Sykes). And there are effective supporting performances by fellow camp kids Troye Sivan (who gives Jared the mantra “fake it till you make it”), Xavier Dolan, and Britton Sear, heartbreaking as the abused, doomed Cameron.

Cast member Edgerton expertly wears several hats on the film as director, producer, and screenwriter adapting Garrad Conley’s memoir. Aside from getting wonderfully subtle work from his fellow actors, he maintains a mood of warm hazy melancholy echoing the quiet sadness in Jared. Edgerton knows just when to cut away for a flashback, doling out the information slowly. It’s a soft slow build-up to the story’s centerpiece, a therapy utilizing brutal violence, which adds to the horror of the sequence. And unlike another conversion camp film from last Summer, THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST, the focus is on both the subject and his parents, rather than just the other campers (who get plenty of time here). And the film ends on a note of hope while also being a rallying cry to action, telling us that far too many of these centers are still in operation, and filled with children barely in their teens. BOY ERASED is a compelling drama that will hopefully spur many family conversations.

4 Out of 5

BOY ERASED plays everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas