Boy Erased Review: A Gay Conversn Drama that Foc on the Fay – IndieWire

Contents:

• HOW BOY ERASED FAILS ITS CENTRAL GAY CHARACTER AN APPEAL TO STRAIGHT AUDIENC
• GARRARD CONLEY SHAR THE TERRIFYG TE STORY OF 'BOY ERASED' AND GAY CONVERSN THERAPY
• BOY ERASED REVIEW – DARK TALE OF A TEENAGER'S 'GAY NVERSN' ORAL
• STAR-STUDD FILM 'BOY ERASED' TAK ON 'GAY NVERSN THERAPY'
• ‘BOY ERASED’ REVIEW: LUS HEDG AND NILE KIDMAN LEAD JOEL EDGERTON’S POWERFUL GAY CONVERSN DRAMA
• TROYE SIVAN HOP GAY CONVERSN THERAPY FILM ‘BOY ERASED’ REACH PARENTS
• 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 POPULARAND JT LIKE THAT… PREPAR FOR ITS LAST SUPPERBY CHRIS MURPHYRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHTHE TV MOVIE IS MAKG A WEIRD, WONRFUL COMEBACKBY DAVID CANFIELDRICHARD LAWSON
• GAY CONVERSN THERAPY MA ME SUICIDAL: THE POWERFUL TE STORY BEHD THE FILM 'BOY ERASED'
• KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH A US MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY

HOW BOY ERASED FAILS ITS CENTRAL GAY CHARACTER AN APPEAL TO STRAIGHT AUDIENC

Cast & crewUser reviewsTrivia2018R1h 55mThe son of a Baptist preacher unwillgly participat a church-supported gay nversn program after beg forcibly outed to his son of a Baptist preacher unwillgly participat a church-supported gay nversn program after beg forcibly outed to his son of a Baptist preacher unwillgly participat a church-supported gay nversn program after beg forcibly outed to his productn, box office & pany Vios42More like thisReview Such a powerful filmAs a parent of a gay man, I believe that this is a mt-see film for all parents. It's a stark remr of what was once wily believed (and sadly still is by too many) about homosexualy. Garrard Conley's memoir of growg up as the gay son of a nservative Baptist preacher has been ma to a movie.

And he told her that I had nfsed that I was gay. And when dad took me to his bedroom and closed the door, he said, do you swear to God that you're not gay? If you grow up an environment where people say that beg gay is evil or they make you feel that you n't live your life that way, you're gog to say Can you scribe what is about this experience that phed you to the brk?

GARRARD CONLEY SHAR THE TERRIFYG TE STORY OF 'BOY ERASED' AND GAY CONVERSN THERAPY

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. 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.

BOY ERASED REVIEW – DARK TALE OF A TEENAGER'S 'GAY NVERSN' ORAL

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.

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.

So you recently watched Boy Erased about gay nversn therapy and you wanted to know more about Victor Syk — the Executive Director of the Love In Actn center. Not only was he ccial to LIA, but Syk was another ex-gay anizatn; stg on the Board of Directors for the Exod Internatnal for a .

STAR-STUDD FILM 'BOY ERASED' TAK ON 'GAY NVERSN THERAPY'

In the movie, was directly mentned that Syk was gay, but allud to that all the unselors all stggled wh homosexualy. Was Syk able to hold off his “homosexual mons” and live a life, straight and narrow – so to speak? “But at the same time, I do experience homosexualy… ’s a part of the life that I live.

“Now, as I look back, there really is no change orientatn… and yet at the time, we really believed we were somehow gog to rcue the kids om a life of homosexualy…so we set them up, really, for a fa, we set them up for a false image of what life would be like. Smid now heads an anizatn lled Grace Rivers which is a monthly Christian group for “those who ll themselv gay and want to seek a relatnship wh God a place where they’re ee to do that. But as a director, he has a different was the se on Boy Erased, the Atralian filmmaker’s sophomore feature about the experience of a male teen and gay nversn therapy, based on Garrard Conley’s memoir of the same Hedg plays Jared Eamons whose character suffers a terrible sexual asslt a scene that is particularly hard to watch, though Edgerton says that he ma sure both actors volved felt they were performg a safe space.

”Nile Kidman plays the mother to Hedg’ Jarred the gay nversn therapy drama (Foc Featur via AP)The director believ that this attu is bee of the public nversatn of sexual harassment and asslt that has expand the wake of the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements as well as other work that lv to the subject. ”Boy Erased is cemas this More Chloe Moretz talks gay nversn therapy drama Joel Edgerton fends Red Sparrow photoll Richard E. Rather, ’s aimed at the Nancys: those nflicted, ostensibly liberal people who want to ngratulate themselv on their heroic abily to see gays as people.

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

We barely know what he thks about all this, other than that he is tth, perhaps there wasn’t a way to make this film for queer dienc — or a way to appeal to both queer dienc and homophob simultaneoly, for that matter. Garrard Conley knew he was gay when he veloped a csh on his third gra teacher, Mr.

TROYE SIVAN HOP GAY CONVERSN THERAPY FILM ‘BOY ERASED’ REACH PARENTS

The son of a preacher, Conley was raised a vout Baptist muny Arkansas where evolutn is nsired fake, and homosexualy is more than a s—'s evil. His rapist then lled Conley's mom and told her Conley was openly gay. Immediately, Conley's parents sought treatment to cure his homosexualy.

After unrgog several months of therapy, Conley spent two weeks at Love Actn (LIA), a Memphis-based ex-gay mistry n by Program Director John Smid. LIA's "Refuge" program claimed to help people wh a variety of sex-based "addictns, " cludg homosexualy.

In 2008, Smid rigned om (LIA), and later admted that gay nversn therapy is wrong. C., have laws rtrictg licensed mental health practners om g gay nversn therapy on mors, but relig groups are not rtricted om g the methods.

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 POPULARAND JT LIKE THAT… PREPAR FOR ITS LAST SUPPERBY CHRIS MURPHYRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHTHE TV MOVIE IS MAKG A WEIRD, WONRFUL COMEBACKBY DAVID CANFIELDRICHARD LAWSON

I had a moment where I was leang agast the wall, and I gus I was leang a “gay way, ” bee someone me up to me and rrected my stance and said went agast the l for me to stand like that.

GAY CONVERSN THERAPY MA ME SUICIDAL: THE POWERFUL TE STORY BEHD THE FILM 'BOY ERASED'

We were supposed to be addicted to beg gay or beg a lbian. Those were supposed to show why we were gay. We were asked to s across om this empty chair and image our fathers the chair, bee of the stereotyp that gay men always hate their fathers or have a bad relatnship wh them.

KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH A US MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY

She said, "Well, I would rather have a livg gay son than a ad gay son bee the gay part is not gog to change. [Edor's note: Conley helped tablish a llectn of news clippgs, pamphlets and documents about the gay to straight nversn therapy program, Love Actn, at the Natnal Mm of Amerin History.

It be clear the clic, lled Love Actn, is a gay nversn Syk (Joel Edgerton, also wrer/director) giv a sermon to the group. He nsirs their homosexual feelgs to be ss and a choice they ma. He gtur towards a robt teen, Cameron, and pots out he plays football and he wasn't born a football player - he chose to play football - and likewise he chose to have homosexual thoughts.

There is also a young woman named Sarah who seems very shy and nervo about beg group is told that they have to make a sort of fay tree and list all the hardships people their fay have faced which is a direct le to why they are havg homosexual thoughts. Among the list is homosexual/same sex attractn, dgs, alholism, gang affiliatn, crimal behavr, e of pornography. Given his fay's lack of viant behavrs, he wonrs how Jared end up havg gay flashback to Jared high school.