Boy Erased Movie Review: Lucas Hedges Shines As A Harrowed Gay Teenager Alongside Celebrated Actors Nicole Kidman And Russell Crowe

We’ve seen movies talk about sexuality. Be it about a summer romance between a teenage boy and his father’s intern in Call Me By Your Name or about a lawyer fighting against all odds to be treated and respected just as the rest of his contemporaries for being gay and having AIDS in Philadelphia, movies have often spoken about the fight for rights to acknowledge and accept the LGBTQ community. The 2017 Oscar-Winning film by Barry Jenkins, Moonlight, further stresses on learning about oneself and accepting it instead of fighting back.

Time and again, battles have been fought regarding sexuality in Hollywood as filmmakers have chosen this sensitive subject. Joel Edgerton’s Boy Erased discusses a similar battle, one that is fought by a teenager who has recently come out of his closet and is trying to understand and accept himself while standing up against institutions that promise to “straighten” out kids questioning their own sexuality.

Jared Eamons, played by Lucas Hedges, is a teenager who has been sent to a conversion facility to return home as a heterosexual, by his ardent Catholic father Marshall (Russell Crowe) and mother Nancy (Nicole Kidman). As Jared stays in the institution that schools teenagers to be more manly or feminine depending upon their sex. Basically, the facility just wants their candidates to act their gender and follow the norms of the society’s ideology of what makes a man who he is, a woman who she is and what their union means.

The story is based on Garrard Conely's 2016 memoir going by the same name, Boy Erased highlights the concerns of what parents of teenagers go through with regard to their sexuality and how the teenagers themselves cope with the outcomes of their sexual orientation. To make his parents happy, Jared even lets himself be one of the guinea pigs of the institution run by pseudo-therapist Victor Sykes (Joel Edgerton).

At the camp though, he discovers the lies, deception, pretence and abuse, physical and emotional that comprises the so-called prestigious Bible-thumping organisation. There is only one theory that Sykes must prove, the cause of same sex attraction is because of the parents. There are punishments ranging from being sermoned in public, shamed by family and camp mates, bullying and even a tattooed ex-convict serving as a professor of 'masculinity'.

Here's something everyone must be vary of. Lucas Hedges is a force to reckon with as he has proven to be one of the best actors of bis generation. Be it his role in Ladybird as the meek and closeted gay teenager or his performance alongside Frances McDormand as his son in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Hedges has come and quite frankly, conquered a niche audience that match the sensibilities of his films! Add his entourage of strong supporting lead that includes Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Joel Edgerton, Troye Sivan, Joe Alwyn, Xavier Dolan and Britton Sear.

Yays

- Lucas Hedges as a harrowed gay teenager

- ‎Nicole Kidman's gradual change in personality

- ‎Russell Crowe as the believer who finds himself in conflict with his beliefs and his son's beliefs

- ‎Joel Egerton's performance as the hypocritical face of the 'Love in Action' institution

- ‎Strong supporting lead which enables Hedges to showcase the different shades of his character

- ‎Interesting way of setting the background for the film

Nays

- As an actor, Edgerton nails but as a screenwriter and director, he lacks the punch.

- ‎The editing is not commendable as certain scenes lack the effect it would've otherwise had, if there were an apt flow.

- ‎The track with Xavier could have been more in-depth for better understanding

Final Word

At a time when the Indian Supreme Court has finally scrapped off the 377 clause making love win, it is necessary for individuals, especially parents, to go watch the film. It speaks about what a recently accepted gay teenager and his parents undergo. It also pictures the functioning of institutions that assure to turn your gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender/transsexual into a heterosexual.

Don't get conned by the belief that something as sensitive as a sexuality can be twisted and turned into ways that best suit your sensibilities. That's not how it works. The movie also beautifully showcases how a child, ashamed of his sexuality, tries to and even believes that he is capable of changing, for his parents' sake. Beautifully performed the movie definitely deserves to be heard by everyone.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 15, 2018 08:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).