'Boy Erased' Review: Dismantlg the Myth of Gay Conversn Therapy - Variety

Contents:

• TARON EGERTON CLARIFI HIS SEXUALY THE WAKE OF SPECULATN THAT HE’S GAY
• JOEL EDGERTON ON BOY ERASED: 'I WORRIED I WASN'T QUALIFIED TO TELL A GAY MAN'S STORY'
• GAY NVERSN FILM BOY ERASED LIFTS LID ON WHAT 'S LIKE TO BE FORCED TO 'THERAPY' BOOTMP
• HOW JOEL EDGERTON'S NEW MOVIE BOY ERASED TACKL GAY NVERSN NTROVERSY
• A 'HOPEFUL STORY' WH GAY CONVERSN THERAPY DRAMA 'BOY ERASED'
• ‘BOY ERASED’: DIRECTOR JOEL EDGERTON AND LUS HEDG REVEAL FIRST FOOTAGE OF GAY TEEN DRAMA AT CEMACON
• ‘BOY ERASED’ REVIEW: LUS HEDG AND NILE KIDMAN LEAD JOEL EDGERTON’S POWERFUL GAY CONVERSN DRAMA
• HOW THE GAY-NVERSN THERAPY MEMOIR BOY ERASED MA TO THE BIG SCREEN
• WH THE GAY NVERSN THERAPY DRAMA ‘BOY ERASED,’ JOEL EDGERTON HOP TO STIR HEARTS AND CHANGE MDS
• JOEL EDGERTON EXPLAS WHY LUS HEDG WAS RIGHT TO PLAY GAY TEEN ‘BOY ERASED’ (VIO)
• ‘BOY ERASED’ FIRST LOOK: JOEL EDGERTON’S OSR-READY DRAMA SENDS LUS HEDG TO GAY CONVERSN THERAPY
• REVIEW: BOY ERASED IS FELY ACTED, BUT FAIARJOEL EDGERTON’S FILM SPORTS GREAT PERFORMANC, BUT LEFT WANTG MORE.BY RICHARD LAWSONSEPTEMBER 1, 2018COURTY OF FOC FEATURSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVETEXTG WH A LLEAGUE AFTER THE WORLD PREMIERE OF THE GAY NVERSN DRAMA BOY ERASED HERE TELLURI, I TOLD HIM I LIKED THE MOVIE, BUT THAT DIDN’T TELL ME ANYTHG NEW. WHICH I IMMEDIATELY REALIZED WASN’T REALLY FAIR; WHO R, REALLY, WHAT TELLS ME—A LONG-OUT GAY ADULT DOG FE—PERSONALLY? JOEL EDGERTON’S EARNT, SOLIDLY MA FILM WILL BE MOST EFFECTIVE ON, AND MAYBE NECSARY FOR, THOSE IMMEDIATELY SUFFERG UNR THE CSH OF ANTI-GAY BIGOTRY, AND THOSE PERPETRATG . SCREENG THE FILM TO THE TELLURI DIENCE IS A B OF A PREACH TO THE CHOIR, SO TO SPEAK—SO I HOPE THE FILM WILL SOMEHOW REACH THOSE MIGHT TLY RATTLE, FORT, AND CHANGE.ADAPTED OM GARRAD CONLEY’S BT-SELLG MEMOIR, BOY ERASED FOLLOWS 18-YEAR-OLD JARED, SON OF A PASTOR, AS HE ENTERS AN OUTPATIENT NVERSN-THERAPY PROGRAM PERVERSELY LLED LOVE ACTN. JARED IS PLAYED BY LUS HEDG, A ROURCEFUL YOUNG ACTOR WHO HERE LOT THE QUIET NFN, YEARNG, AND PA OF THE CLOSET. ALL THAT TRMA IS PECIALLY ACUTE GIVEN JARED’S TENSELY RELIG UPBRGG, HIS LOVG AND (THEY THK) WELL-MEANG PARENTS FURTHER POUNDG HIS ANGUISH THEIR ATTEMPTS TO HELP HIM. THE PARENTS ARE PLAYED SENSIVELY AND WHOUT BIBLE-BELT RITURE BY A WET-EYED RSELL CROWE AND AN ORNATELY BEWIGGED NILE KIDMAN. THIS FE TR WORK RICH NCERT, ELEVATG THE FAIRLY STANDARD-ISSUE MATERIAL TO POIGNANT HIGHS.THERE’S STRONG ACTG WH THE LOVE ACTN FACILY AS WELL, PECIALLY OM EDGERTON HIMSELF, WHO PERFECTLY LIBRAT THE MENTOR-MONSTER DUALY OF THE PROGRAM’S DIRECTOR. THE SUPPORTG ST IS ECLECTIC—ROCKER FLEA, NASCENT GAY POP IN TROYE SIVAN (WHO HAS A LOVELY ORIGAL SONG THE FILM), AND QUéBéIS ACTOR-DIRECTOR XAVIER DOLAN ALL APPEAR—AND EACH NTRIBUT A POWERFUL OR PERSUASIVE MOMENT OR TWO. EDGERTON HAS BUILT HIS MOVIE WELL, A KD OF PRTIGE VERSN OF THE ISSU DRAMAS WE ED TO ASSOCIATE WH BASIC BLE.BOY ERASED IS PRETTY BY-THE-BOOK THAT WAY. THERE ARE POTS WHEN THE FILM ALMOST DRIFTS TO SOMBER DREAMS, BUT THEN EDGERTON RES . THE FILM FLASH BACK ON OCSN, TO TWO ENUNTERS JARED HAD WH BOYS LLEGE, ONE TENR AND THE OTHER TERRIFYG. THERE’S AN OPPORTUNY THERE FOR EDGERTON TO BREAK OM THE FILM’S STOLID FORMALNS. I WANTED TO GET TO KNOW JARED’S NER LIFE A B BETTER, TO UNRSTAND WHERE THE STRENGTH HE DRAWS ON AT THE END OF THE FILM ME OM. THIS SUMMER’S SIARLY THEMED MISTN OF CAMERON POST HAD MUCH THE SAME PROBLEM: S PROTAGONIST WAS A B OF A BLANK, A CIPHER AROUND WHICH MORE TERTG, IDSYNCRATIC CHARACTERS ORBED.WHICH BRGS ME TO A TRICKY POT. OBVLY, CONLEY IS WHO HE IS, AND THIS IS HIS STORY. BUT WATCHG THE FILM, I ULDN’T HELP BUT WISH FOR THIS SAME KD OF NARRATIVE, BUT STEAD ABOUT A KID WHO N’T QUE PASS—WHO PRENTS A WAY THAT IS MORE, ANKLY, MONSTRABLY QUEER THAN HEDG’S JARED IS. WE SEE THOSE KIDS ON THE SIL BOY ERASED, AND CAMERON POST, BUT THERE IS STILL A SUPPOSEDLY MORE PALATABLE “LS GAY” PERSON AT THE CENTER.AH, WELL. BOY ERASED IS STILL A RPECTABLE EFFORT, SER AND SOBER, ABOUT A VERY REAL, VERY BAD PRACTICE. THE FILM’S HEART IS FIRMLY THE RIGHT PLACE. AS IS S HEAD: THERE’S A TERRIFIC SCENE TOWARD THE END OF THE FILM WHICH JARED LMLY, BUT WH A TREMBLE OF EMOTN HIS VOICE, LAYS OUT TO HIS FATHER WHAT A NTUED RELATNSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM WOULD HAVE TO LOOK LIKE. IT’S A SMART, EMPHATIC, DIRECT PIECE OF WRG. AND HEDG AND CROWE ARE TERRIFIC TOGETHER, AS TWO MEN—ONE YOUNG AND NEWLY EE WH SELF-DISVERY, THE OTHER OLD AND NEEDG TO RENSIR TOXIC, LONG-HELD IALS—TRYG TO LURCH THEMSELV FORWARD TOGETHER.MAYBE THAT IS THE SOMETHG NEW THAT BOY ERASED ACTUALLY DID SHOW ME: NOT ANOTHER G-OUT SCENE, BUT SOMETHG PAST THAT. IT’S AN ASSERTN OF STRENGTH AND PRCIPLE AND SELF-POSSSN THAT FEELS PRETTY HARD WON. THAT’S NICE TO SEE. AND WHEN THAT GEO SIVAN SONG CU UP AND THE MOVIE GLIS TO A CLOSE—JT AS JARED’S LIFE BTERSWEETLY YAWNS OPEN—THE TEARS ARRIVE. ANY ASSSMENT OF THIS FILM CERTALY SHOULDN’T ERASE THAT.MOST POPULARTHE 25 BT SHOWS ON NETFLIX TO WATCH RIGHT NOWBY TARA ARIANOWELE TO SALTBURN’S TWISTED GOTHIC TALEBY REBEC FORDWH MATRO, LEONARD BERNSTE’S LEGACY AND LOV FALLY H THE BIG SCREENBY REBEC FORDRICHARD LAWSON

TARON EGERTON CLARIFI HIS SEXUALY THE WAKE OF SPECULATN THAT HE’S GAY

Are straight directors qualified to tell gay stori on screen?

At least, not when first readg Boy Erased: A Memoir, Garrard Conley’s acunt of his childhood experienc gay nversn therapy. The film is largely set Memphis at the real-life Love Actn, an “ex-gay” Christian mistry, n on screen by Edgerton as chief therapist Victor Syk (a portrayal of the mistry’s former director, John Smid) is not Edgerton’s first film behd and ont of mera (four years ago, he ma a psychologil thriller lled The Gift).

”Instead, he swung the other way, wrg Troye Sivan’s character, Gary: a posed, seemgly well-adjted young gay man, savvy enough to tell the nversn therapists what they want to hear.

JOEL EDGERTON ON BOY ERASED: 'I WORRIED I WASN'T QUALIFIED TO TELL A GAY MAN'S STORY'

Although you wonr how a gay director would have tackled the same issu, the fact that Edgerton is some ways sanisg Conley’s memoir – rather than sensatnalisg – perhaps monstrat the creasg sensivi straight directors have about how they tell queer stori. But by Edgerton’s own admissn, his eagerns to avoid feedg to gay trop or g offence limed his wrg. ”Born New South Wal, Edgerton was raised a vout Catholic – a “Ned Flanrs kid” – a town he scrib as homophobic.

Now agnostic (asi, he says, om some Catholic guilt), he ternalised the town’s attus and had to learn to accept homosexualy later Kidman and Rsell Crowe as the parents Boy Erased. And I don’t thk anybody, or certaly I, never really knew what homosexualy was and yet we would all e the words, the slurs and the rogatory ways of teasg people.

I was never aware of what any of that meant until I met my first gay man when I was 16. ”It wasn’t until he began drama school Sydney that he veloped meangful relatnships wh gay men and acquired a “real eper unrstandg of sxaly and s spectm.

GAY NVERSN FILM BOY ERASED LIFTS LID ON WHAT 'S LIKE TO BE FORCED TO 'THERAPY' BOOTMP

This at a time when the bate over whether straight actors should portray gay characters rag anew, followg Darren Criss’s announcement that he would no longer take on gay rol, and awards acclaim for Rami Malek and Olivia Colman playg LGBTQ characters. ”Regardls, he’s happy wh the Boy Erased stg this regard, and fairly so: Hedg (who has prevly stated he’s “not totally straight”) the ma role, while Xavier Dolan and Sivan (both out gay men) are st sendary rol as gay men.

Taron Egerton Clarifi His Sexualy the Wake of Speculatn That He’s Gay"We are all secure who we are. Egerton has now given an official answer, tellg Rad Tim per Metro, “One of the lads was at my London flat and I Instagrammed a picture of him and said ‘Look at this cutie’, and a ln outlets reported I was g out as gay…I’m not gay but two of my mat me out when I was 15 and was a joy to support them bee, as a group, we are all secure who we are.

HOW JOEL EDGERTON'S NEW MOVIE BOY ERASED TACKL GAY NVERSN NTROVERSY

His parents rpond to the revelatn by sendg him to “gay nversn therapy.

A 'HOPEFUL STORY' WH GAY CONVERSN THERAPY DRAMA 'BOY ERASED'

” He do not last long the Edgerton, who has ma a reer out of playg the kd of broad-shoulred, stoic male his homeland has exported to Hollywood sce the days of Errol Flynn, might seem the last person to make a film about gay nversn therapy, had he been set that story gripped him immediately and refed to let go. Conley and to Glaad, an anizatn that tracks reprentatn of lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr people the media. As a straight man, director Joel Edgerton says he was ially reluctant to lead a film tellg a gay man's Erased is based on the real-life teenage experienc of wrer Garrard Conley, who, while growg up Bible Belt Ameri, was sent by his God-fearg parents to unrgo "nversn therapy" to "cure" his homosexualy.

‘BOY ERASED’: DIRECTOR JOEL EDGERTON AND LUS HEDG REVEAL FIRST FOOTAGE OF GAY TEEN DRAMA AT CEMACON

India's first openly gay prce says parents wanted him to have 'nversn bra surgery'. Referencg two other 2018 films wh gay central characters - pelled to hi their sexualy om the world - Edgerton says: "The Mistn Of Cameron Post is a drama and perhaps a romance. "I jt felt like I wasn't the right guy to make bee should a straight guy make a movie that is so much about a young gay man's experience?

‘BOY ERASED’ REVIEW: LUS HEDG AND NILE KIDMAN LEAD JOEL EDGERTON’S POWERFUL GAY CONVERSN DRAMA

Not Joel 44-year-old wr, directs and stars Boy Erased, about so-lled gay nversn therapy - which volv treatg people to try to turn them practice has been wily nmned, but remas legal many plac.

"Edgerton explas shows "parents gettg somethg wrong terms of how to accept and love their child", and dienc see "whether they're willg to acknowledge that mistake" the US, nversn therapy is favoured by often relig parents who enlist their children the hope of turng them source, Getty ImagImage ptn, Boy Erased stars (left-right) Lus Hedg, Joel Edgerton, Troye Sivan and Nile KidmanThe film is sightful for anyone who has ever wonred what kd of methods might be participants are seen beg given stctns on posture - for example, beg enuraged to stand a certa way or not s wh their legs repeat l dictated by the ach apologisg for their ss, are not allowed accs to their phon and have to be acpanied durg bathroom nversn therapy is beg outlawed many parts of the world but remas a ntroversial issue - pecially the US, where is legal 41 the UK, was announced last year that such therapi are to be banned as part of a ernment plan to improve the liv of gay and transgenr people.

HOW THE GAY-NVERSN THERAPY MEMOIR BOY ERASED MA TO THE BIG SCREEN

Equali Mister Penny Mordnt told the BBC at the time that the aim of this "very extreme so-lled therapy" was to "try and 'cure' someone om beg gay - of urse you n't cure someone om beg gay.

WH THE GAY NVERSN THERAPY DRAMA ‘BOY ERASED,’ JOEL EDGERTON HOP TO STIR HEARTS AND CHANGE MDS

However, there exists a strand of opn that so-lled gay nversn therapy is 2017, Good Morng Bra ran an terview wh an advote of the practice, which beme the most plaed about TV moment of that year. "I believe people are not born gay, that they e to homosexual feelgs, and that is somethg that some s is reversible for people who want to make that the trajectory of their liv, " Dr Michael Davidson told the school of thought is one Edgerton is hopg to help eradite wh the release of Boy Erased, which has received broadly posive reviews.

"Conley has repeatedly shied away om attackg his parents for their actns - and has been cricised by some rears who said he has humanised them too source, Col Boyd ShaferImage ptn, Garrard Conley was forced to go through "gay nversn therapy" as a teenager"My parents ma a terrible mistake which uld have st me my life. And they went mimal, yet no ls experimental, for Edgerton’s send feature, “Boy Erased, ” the poignant drama about ristg gay nversn therapy, based on Garrard Conley’s fluential memoir.

What's a straight Atralian man dog makg a film about gay nversn therapy Ameri? Edgerton was hooked when he read Garrard Conley's 2016 memoir Boy Erased, which reunted his experienc of livg as a gay teen a Baptist fay, beg outed aged 19 agast his will, and enrolled by his parents a program lled Love In Actn — a mix of boot mp and mistry that claimed to "cure" homosexualy.

JOEL EDGERTON EXPLAS WHY LUS HEDG WAS RIGHT TO PLAY GAY TEEN ‘BOY ERASED’ (VIO)

(Supplied: Universal Pictur)An Amerin story — wh Atralian ronancThe day that Boy Erased premiered Sydney, La Trobe Universy and the Human Rights Law Centre released a report tailg the extent of gay nversn therapy Atralia and the experienc of survivors.

‘BOY ERASED’ FIRST LOOK: JOEL EDGERTON’S OSR-READY DRAMA SENDS LUS HEDG TO GAY CONVERSN THERAPY

But what pelled the Atralian actor and director most to adaptg Boy Erased — wrer Garrard Conley’s 2016 memoir about his time gay-nversn therapy — was the opportuny to explore the thor’s relatnship wh his voutly Christian parents. ” BOY ERASED Boy Erased follows Conley’s experience at Love Actn, a California-based Christian ex-gay program where his Baptist parents sent him after he was outed durg his first year at llege.

REVIEW: BOY ERASED IS FELY ACTED, BUT FAIARJOEL EDGERTON’S FILM SPORTS GREAT PERFORMANC, BUT LEFT WANTG MORE.BY RICHARD LAWSONSEPTEMBER 1, 2018COURTY OF FOC FEATURSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVETEXTG WH A LLEAGUE AFTER THE WORLD PREMIERE OF THE GAY NVERSN DRAMA BOY ERASED HERE TELLURI, I TOLD HIM I LIKED THE MOVIE, BUT THAT DIDN’T TELL ME ANYTHG NEW. WHICH I IMMEDIATELY REALIZED WASN’T REALLY FAIR; WHO R, REALLY, WHAT TELLS ME—A LONG-OUT GAY ADULT DOG FE—PERSONALLY? JOEL EDGERTON’S EARNT, SOLIDLY MA FILM WILL BE MOST EFFECTIVE ON, AND MAYBE NECSARY FOR, THOSE IMMEDIATELY SUFFERG UNR THE CSH OF ANTI-GAY BIGOTRY, AND THOSE PERPETRATG . SCREENG THE FILM TO THE TELLURI DIENCE IS A B OF A PREACH TO THE CHOIR, SO TO SPEAK—SO I HOPE THE FILM WILL SOMEHOW REACH THOSE MIGHT TLY RATTLE, FORT, AND CHANGE.ADAPTED OM GARRAD CONLEY’S BT-SELLG MEMOIR, BOY ERASED FOLLOWS 18-YEAR-OLD JARED, SON OF A PASTOR, AS HE ENTERS AN OUTPATIENT NVERSN-THERAPY PROGRAM PERVERSELY LLED LOVE ACTN. JARED IS PLAYED BY LUS HEDG, A ROURCEFUL YOUNG ACTOR WHO HERE LOT THE QUIET NFN, YEARNG, AND PA OF THE CLOSET. ALL THAT TRMA IS PECIALLY ACUTE GIVEN JARED’S TENSELY RELIG UPBRGG, HIS LOVG AND (THEY THK) WELL-MEANG PARENTS FURTHER POUNDG HIS ANGUISH THEIR ATTEMPTS TO HELP HIM. THE PARENTS ARE PLAYED SENSIVELY AND WHOUT BIBLE-BELT RITURE BY A WET-EYED RSELL CROWE AND AN ORNATELY BEWIGGED NILE KIDMAN. THIS FE TR WORK RICH NCERT, ELEVATG THE FAIRLY STANDARD-ISSUE MATERIAL TO POIGNANT HIGHS.THERE’S STRONG ACTG WH THE LOVE ACTN FACILY AS WELL, PECIALLY OM EDGERTON HIMSELF, WHO PERFECTLY LIBRAT THE MENTOR-MONSTER DUALY OF THE PROGRAM’S DIRECTOR. THE SUPPORTG ST IS ECLECTIC—ROCKER FLEA, NASCENT GAY POP IN TROYE SIVAN (WHO HAS A LOVELY ORIGAL SONG THE FILM), AND QUéBéIS ACTOR-DIRECTOR XAVIER DOLAN ALL APPEAR—AND EACH NTRIBUT A POWERFUL OR PERSUASIVE MOMENT OR TWO. EDGERTON HAS BUILT HIS MOVIE WELL, A KD OF PRTIGE VERSN OF THE ISSU DRAMAS WE ED TO ASSOCIATE WH BASIC BLE.BOY ERASED IS PRETTY BY-THE-BOOK THAT WAY. THERE ARE POTS WHEN THE FILM ALMOST DRIFTS TO SOMBER DREAMS, BUT THEN EDGERTON RES . THE FILM FLASH BACK ON OCSN, TO TWO ENUNTERS JARED HAD WH BOYS LLEGE, ONE TENR AND THE OTHER TERRIFYG. THERE’S AN OPPORTUNY THERE FOR EDGERTON TO BREAK OM THE FILM’S STOLID FORMALNS. I WANTED TO GET TO KNOW JARED’S NER LIFE A B BETTER, TO UNRSTAND WHERE THE STRENGTH HE DRAWS ON AT THE END OF THE FILM ME OM. THIS SUMMER’S SIARLY THEMED MISTN OF CAMERON POST HAD MUCH THE SAME PROBLEM: S PROTAGONIST WAS A B OF A BLANK, A CIPHER AROUND WHICH MORE TERTG, IDSYNCRATIC CHARACTERS ORBED.WHICH BRGS ME TO A TRICKY POT. OBVLY, CONLEY IS WHO HE IS, AND THIS IS HIS STORY. BUT WATCHG THE FILM, I ULDN’T HELP BUT WISH FOR THIS SAME KD OF NARRATIVE, BUT STEAD ABOUT A KID WHO N’T QUE PASS—WHO PRENTS A WAY THAT IS MORE, ANKLY, MONSTRABLY QUEER THAN HEDG’S JARED IS. WE SEE THOSE KIDS ON THE SIL BOY ERASED, AND CAMERON POST, BUT THERE IS STILL A SUPPOSEDLY MORE PALATABLE “LS GAY” PERSON AT THE CENTER.AH, WELL. BOY ERASED IS STILL A RPECTABLE EFFORT, SER AND SOBER, ABOUT A VERY REAL, VERY BAD PRACTICE. THE FILM’S HEART IS FIRMLY THE RIGHT PLACE. AS IS S HEAD: THERE’S A TERRIFIC SCENE TOWARD THE END OF THE FILM WHICH JARED LMLY, BUT WH A TREMBLE OF EMOTN HIS VOICE, LAYS OUT TO HIS FATHER WHAT A NTUED RELATNSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM WOULD HAVE TO LOOK LIKE. IT’S A SMART, EMPHATIC, DIRECT PIECE OF WRG. AND HEDG AND CROWE ARE TERRIFIC TOGETHER, AS TWO MEN—ONE YOUNG AND NEWLY EE WH SELF-DISVERY, THE OTHER OLD AND NEEDG TO RENSIR TOXIC, LONG-HELD IALS—TRYG TO LURCH THEMSELV FORWARD TOGETHER.MAYBE THAT IS THE SOMETHG NEW THAT BOY ERASED ACTUALLY DID SHOW ME: NOT ANOTHER G-OUT SCENE, BUT SOMETHG PAST THAT. IT’S AN ASSERTN OF STRENGTH AND PRCIPLE AND SELF-POSSSN THAT FEELS PRETTY HARD WON. THAT’S NICE TO SEE. AND WHEN THAT GEO SIVAN SONG CU UP AND THE MOVIE GLIS TO A CLOSE—JT AS JARED’S LIFE BTERSWEETLY YAWNS OPEN—THE TEARS ARRIVE. ANY ASSSMENT OF THIS FILM CERTALY SHOULDN’T ERASE THAT.MOST POPULARTHE 25 BT SHOWS ON NETFLIX TO WATCH RIGHT NOWBY TARA ARIANOWELE TO SALTBURN’S TWISTED GOTHIC TALEBY REBEC FORDWH MATRO, LEONARD BERNSTE’S LEGACY AND LOV FALLY H THE BIG SCREENBY REBEC FORDRICHARD LAWSON

Kidman and Crowe spent time wh their real-life Conley unterparts to unrstand the nuanc of their relatnship wh their gay son, whom they raised Arkansas.