'Boy Erased' Film Review: Gay Conversn Drama Has Powerful Moments But Also Rote On - TheWrap

Contents:

• BOY ERASED AND THE LOUD SPECTACLE OF GAY TRMA
• HOW BOY ERASED FAILS ITS CENTRAL GAY CHARACTER AN APPEAL TO STRAIGHT AUDIENC
• ‘BOY ERASED' TELLS THE TE STORY OF A GAY CONVERSN THERAPY SURVIVOR
• ‘BOY ERASED’ FILM REVIEW: GAY CONVERSN DRAMA HAS POWERFUL MOMENTS BUT ALSO ROTE ON
• 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 ELVIS PRLEY WE DIDN’T SEE ELVISBY KATEY RICHRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE: THE 6 BIGGT CHANG FROM BOOK TO MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSHRICHARD LAWSON
• GAY CONVERSN THERAPY DRAMA ‘BOY ERASED’: WHY ‘IT’S CCIAL THAT IT PLAYS EVERYWHERE’
• ‘BOY ERASED’: DIRECTOR JOEL EDGERTON AND LUS HEDG REVEAL FIRST FOOTAGE OF GAY TEEN DRAMA AT CEMACON

BOY ERASED AND THE LOUD SPECTACLE OF GAY TRMA

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.

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 Erased uld've easily been a serly impactful & powerful film - nsirg the subject matter & s foc on the horrors of nversn therapy the US - but sadly lacks the emotnal punch s trailers seemed to suggt posss; if anythg, they were far more movg than the actual movie self...

If gay shame is afeng, how do gay, and queer, trma sound?

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

In Joel Edgerton’s Boy Erased— which he stars, directg and adaptg om Garrard Conley’s memoir of the same name—gay trma sounds like a batn of Danny Bensi and Snr Jurriaans’ mdl, overbearg sre, or Troye Sivan’s anachronistic track “Revelatn”: always there, yet strangely non-specific.

Jared Eamons (Lus Hedg) is the son of a succsful Baptist pastor (Rsell Crowe) and a ferential Southern belle (Nile Kidman); the film am his experience at Love Actn, a gay nversn therapy program lead by Edgerton’s charmls fake therapist Victor Syk, as a seri of back-and-forths between Jared’s prent and past.

‘BOY ERASED' TELLS THE TE STORY OF A GAY CONVERSN THERAPY SURVIVOR

In this film, gay nversn therapy exercis are the weapons.

The film is only gay trma porn. There is a lany of queer films and gay films by straight directors (Ang Lee, Mike Nichols, Bob Fosse, Park Chan-wook) that serve as important ntributns to the history of queer cema, and I am personally of the opn that artists n make work outsi of their own experience very well.

The prence of Troye Sivan and Xavier Dolan exist like a cheap way to thentite the film’s gayns. (Another aspect of spectacle, here the guise of irony, is that an end tle rd reveals the fx-pastor Edgerton plays is livg wh his gay partner. Sometim tentn is not enough—pecially when the trma of homophobia swirls pennt of the walls of the mp, an ia the film is tac to adm.

‘BOY ERASED’ FILM REVIEW: GAY CONVERSN DRAMA HAS POWERFUL MOMENTS BUT ALSO ROTE ON

Why do feel like so many movi about gay trma have trouble terrogatg and unearthg the badns through lens beyond the obv? 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.

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 ELVIS PRLEY WE DIDN’T SEE ELVISBY KATEY RICHRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE: THE 6 BIGGT CHANG FROM BOOK TO MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSHRICHARD LAWSON

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.

Michael, the bchy "ex-gay" employee, tells him journalg isn't allowed and Victor will have to evaluate the material to see if 's suable to have wrten. At night, she jok that she was once prison bee of her gang affiliatn and dg problems, showg her sense of humor and relatnship wh her next day Love Actn, Victor is mockg the term LGBT (Lbian Gay Bisexual Transgenr) and the ia of cln for people wh var sexual orientatns.

He says that all the unselors there were once like them and that's when Jared learns that Victor was actually an "ex-gay" (shockg bee he off so homophobic). So Henry lls Nancy, pretendg to be a unselor at the school, and tells her that her son seems to be a homosexual and she should have e for is forced to e home while Marshall nonts him about this and Nancy stands by. There is still the lgerg qutn of whether or not Jared has had homosexual feelgs.

GAY CONVERSN THERAPY DRAMA ‘BOY ERASED’: WHY ‘IT’S CCIAL THAT IT PLAYS EVERYWHERE’

One of them, a pastor, has had a son the same exact suatn - over 10 years earlier - and they suggt Marshall rpond the same fashn, to put Jared to a gay nversn therapy.

When Jared is asked if he wants to change (his homosexualy), he se his mom's speratn and repli, "Y. He was always expectg the gay nversn therapy to be a very short term thg but he starts to realize he might be forced to stay at the hog stead of returng to go to the bathroom by himself and se Victor outsi the wdow, sneakg a cigarette while nervoly lookg around, aaid he'll be ught. Jared ni he had any other "gay" experienc but Victor tells him his father had told him about Henry.

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

He don't drop the subject and says 's important for his father to read about his experience wh the gay nversn therapy. Marshall is rdial but fely don't exhib any signs of unndnal love - 's clear he still wants his son to "choose" not to be gay night, Nancy to the room wh Marshall and giv him a folr - he opens up and fds the article.

" Jared tells him he's gay and that will never change and he thks they should stop forcg a relatnship if rults only small talk and no nnectn.

It also rms the dience that 36 stat the untry, is still legal to force a mor to gay nversn therapy and this has affected 700, 000 people. BOY ERASED is based on Garrard Conley's same-named memoir about growg up as the son of a Baptist mister Arkansas and beg sent to Christian nversn therapy after g out to his parents as gay. This powerful drama benefs om movg performanc and a thoughtful script that tells the heartrendg story of a young gay man who's tacklg fah and inty.