Beautiful Boy (2010 film)

Last updated

Beautiful Boy
Beautiful Boy (2010 film).jpg
Directed by Shawn Ku
Written byMichael Armbruster
Shawn Ku
Produced byLee Clay
Eric Gozlan
Starring Michael Sheen
Maria Bello
Alan Tudyk
Moon Bloodgood
Kyle Gallner
Cinematography Michael Fimognari
Edited byChad Galster
Music by Trevor Morris
Distributed by Anchor Bay Entertainment [1]
Release dates
  • September 2010 (2010-09)(San Sebastián)
  • June 3, 2011 (2011-06-03)(United States)
Running time
100 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Beautiful Boy is a 2010 drama film starring Michael Sheen and Maria Bello. It premiered at the San Sebastián International Film Festival in September 2010 and was given a limited release in North American theaters on June 3, 2011.

Contents

Plot

The film opens up with home videos of a husband and wife at the beach with their young son. A young man reads a short story to a small group about a boy and girl; saying that they didn't know it, but their lives would one day irrevocably change. But he finds that none of the group are paying attention to him. Bill and Kate are a married couple who are tightly wound and devoted to their work. Bill is a businessman, and Kate proofreads books for a living. The only thing keeping them together is their eighteen-year-old son Sam, who is having trouble adjusting to college.

One morning, it is reported on the news that there has been a shooting spree at Sam's school. They are then visited by the police who inform them that Sam is not only dead, but that he was the gunman. Kate refuses to believe that their son would do something so horrible, and spends the night tidying up Sam's room which had been searched by the police. As the news media descends upon the couple the following day, Bill and Kate decide to stay with Kate's brother Eric and his wife Trish. The next morning, Eric and Trish's son Dylan turns on the television to see a video made by Sam about the impending massacre. Bill then decides to issue a public statement, saying that they are both deeply sorry over what has happened, and ask for their privacy as they endeavor to get their lives back on track. They have a small funeral with only family present.

Trish soon becomes agitated at Kate's nit-picking, and her attempts to mother Dylan, but Eric says that she has to be sensitive to their situation since Sam was her only child. They eventually leave, saying they are going to visit a friend, but check into a motel instead. The manager not knowing who they are, makes a comment about Sam and his "monster family". Bill and Kate spend the night together seeming to rekindle their romantic feelings. Then Bill goes back to the house where he finds a teenage boy in Sam's room going through his belongings. They have a short scuffle where Bill cuts his hand, and the boy calls him a "psycho". He returns to the motel with their laptop, and finds a video from Sam. He and Kate view it together; Sam only says "mom and dad , I'm sorry, please don't hate me".

Bill and Kate get into an argument about what could have caused Sam to kill all those innocent people. Bill lashes out at Kate for always critiquing every decision that Sam ever made, but she says that he was never there for them because he was always so busy working. Bill ends up yelling that he wishes that Sam was never born, and Kate leaves.

Kate goes back to their house for the first time since the shooting, and looks through Sam's room. Bill meets with his boss Harry, who reluctantly agrees that he can return to work next week. While grocery shopping, Kate runs into her young co-worker Cooper. They go back to the house, after sharing a sad memory he excuses himself for the bathroom. Kate then discovers Cooper is actually researching Sam when she finds Cooper's notebook. She catches him in Sam's room looking through Sam's stories. He explains that he is writing a piece about the shooting, but that he wanted to portray Sam in a more human light by learning more about him. Saddened, Kate asks him to leave. Bill finally returns to work, but feels alienated by the rest of the staff who keep staring at him. After Bill furiously demands what their problem is, Harry tells Bill to take more time off to see a therapist, so he quits.

Bill later visits the cemetery to find Sam's gravestone vandalized, with the word killer written on it. He breaks down both physically and emotionally as he tries to scrub the word off with his bandaged hand. Kate reads all of Sam's stories, and goes to Sam's gravestone as well. She gets a call from the motel manager about Bill, and finds him curled up and depressed in their old room. Kate embraces the emotionally distraught Bill, and takes him home.

Sam's voice is heard again as he ends his short story about the boy and girl. He says that no matter what they do, their lives will never be the same.

Cast

Production

Filmmaker Shawn Ku first conceived of the film as being about a married couple in a strained relationship, but decided to add in the school shooting element and focus on the parents of the perpetrator as that particular scenario had not been depicted on screen before. Of his preparations for the script, Ku said, "So often the parents in a situation like this just completely disappear from the discussion. They’re forced into hiding. So it’s hard to do research about what it’s like to go through such a horrific tragedy. You don’t even have a home to hide in. So [co-writer Michael Armbruster and I] just wanted to shed some light, our light on these two people who’ve been both ignored within and blamed for these terrible tragedies." [2]

Critical reception

The performances of Bello and Sheen were roundly praised, but critics found fault with the storytelling. Stephen Holden of The New York Times wrote the film is "so high-mindedly determined to avoid sensationalism that it sidesteps critical dramatic content and sabotages its own ambitions". [3] Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post commented, "As accomplished as Bello and Sheen are in underplaying their characters’ extreme emotions, Beautiful Boy begins to feel less like a taut character study and more like a maudlin melodrama. Its weaknesses are only heightened by inevitable comparisons with recent, much better movies that touched on the similar themes, especially last year’s Blue Valentine and Rabbit Hole ." [4]

Critic Roger Ebert awarded the film 3 out of 4 stars. [5] He wrote, "A film like this can end honestly in only one way, and Ku is true to it. Life will go on, one baffling day after another. There can be no release, only a gradual deadening. So it must be with most parents of children who commit horrible deeds. People do things for which there are no reasons, and if they don't kill themselves, they must live…in the debris of their madness." [5]

On review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, Beautiful Boy has an approval rating of 71% based on 68 reviews. [6]

Accolades

At the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival, the film won the Prize of the International Critics (FIPRESCI) for the Discovery program. [7] [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Sheen</span> Welsh actor

Michael Christopher Sheen is a Welsh actor, television producer and political activist. After training at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), he worked mainly in theatre throughout the 1990s with stage roles in Romeo and Juliet (1992), Don't Fool with Love (1993), Peer Gynt (1994), The Seagull (1995), The Homecoming (1997), and Henry V (1997). His performances in Amadeus at the Old Vic and Look Back in Anger at the National Theatre were nominated for Olivier Awards in 1998 and 1999, respectively. In 2003, he was nominated for a third Olivier Award for his performance in Caligula at the Donmar Warehouse.

<i>Feeling Minnesota</i> 1996 film by Steven Baigelman

Feeling Minnesota is a 1996 American crime comedy film written and directed by Steven Baigelman. It stars Keanu Reeves, Vincent D'Onofrio, Cameron Diaz, Tuesday Weld, Dan Aykroyd, and Delroy Lindo.

<i>Drugstore Cowboy</i> 1989 film by Gus Van Sant

Drugstore Cowboy is a 1989 American crime drama film directed by the American filmmaker Gus Van Sant. Written by Van Sant and Daniel Yost and based on an autobiographical novel by James Fogle, the film stars Matt Dillon, Kelly Lynch, Heather Graham and William S. Burroughs. It was Van Sant's second film as director.

<i>The Cooler</i> 2003 film by Wayne Kramer

The Cooler is a 2003 American crime drama film directed by Wayne Kramer, from a screenplay by Frank Hannah and Kramer. The film stars William H. Macy, Maria Bello, Shawn Hatosy, Ron Livingston, Estella Warren, Paul Sorvino, and Alec Baldwin. It follows a casino "cooler" whose mere presence at the gambling tables usually results in a streak of bad luck for the other players.

<i>Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter</i> 1984 film by Joseph Zito

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter is a 1984 American slasher film directed by Joseph Zito, produced by Frank Mancuso Jr., and starring Kimberly Beck, Corey Feldman, Crispin Glover, and Peter Barton. It is the fourth installment in the Friday the 13th franchise. Picking up immediately after the events of Part III, the plot follows a presumed-dead Jason Voorhees who escapes from the morgue and returns to Crystal Lake to continue his killing spree. The film marks the debut of the character Tommy Jarvis (Feldman), who would make further appearances in two sequels and related media, establishing him as Jason's archenemy.

<i>The Believers</i> 1987 film by John Schlesinger

The Believers is a 1987 Canadian-American crime thriller horror film directed by John Schlesinger, starring Martin Sheen, Robert Loggia and Helen Shaver. It is based on the 1982 novel The Religion by Nicholas Conde.

<i>Psycho</i> (franchise) American horror franchise

Psycho is an American horror franchise consisting of six films loosely based on the Psycho novels by Robert Bloch: Psycho, Psycho II, Psycho III, Bates Motel, Psycho IV: The Beginning, the 1998 remake of the original film, and additional merchandise spanning various media. The first film, Psycho, was directed by filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock. Subsequently, another film related to the series was made: an Alfred Hitchcock biopic, and two new novels, by Takekuni Kitayama and Chet Williamson, were released. Also, an independent documentary called The Psycho Legacy was released on October 19, 2010. It mostly focused on Psycho II, Psycho III and Psycho IV: The Beginning, but did cover the impact and legacy of the original film.

<i>Vacancy</i> (film) 2007 American horror film by Nimród Antal

Vacancy is a 2007 American horror film directed by Nimród Antal and starring Kate Beckinsale and Luke Wilson. It was released April 20, 2007, by the distributor Screen Gems.

<i>Eye of the Needle</i> (film) 1981 film by Richard Marquand

Eye of the Needle is a 1981 British spy film directed by Richard Marquand and starring Donald Sutherland and Kate Nelligan. Written by Stanley Mann, it is based on the 1978 novel of the same title by Ken Follett.

<i>Psycho</i> (novel) 1959 novel by Robert Bloch

Psycho is a 1959 horror novel by American writer Robert Bloch. The novel tells the story of Norman Bates, a caretaker at an isolated motel who struggles under his domineering mother and becomes embroiled in a series of murders. The novel is considered Bloch's most enduring work and one of the most influential horror books of the 20th century.

<i>Underworld: Rise of the Lycans</i> 2009 film directed by Patrick Tatopoulos

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is a 2009 American action horror film directed by Patrick Tatopoulos, in his directorial debut, and starring Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy, Rhona Mitra, Steven Mackintosh, and Kevin Grevioux. It is the third installment in the Underworld franchise and a prequel to the 2003 film Underworld. The film focuses primarily on the origins of the characters and the events that lead up to the Vampire–Lycan war. Kate Beckinsale, who starred in the previous Underworld films, appears briefly at the end of the film.

Norma Bates (<i>Psycho</i>) Fictional character

Norma Bates is a fictional character created by American author Robert Bloch in his 1959 thriller novel Psycho. She is the deceased mother and victim of serial killer Norman Bates, who had recreated her in his mind as a murderous alternate personality.

<i>Little Boy Blue</i> (film) 1997 American film

Little Boy Blue is a 1997 independent drama film directed by Antonio Tibaldi about a dysfunctional Texas family. The father, Ray is a Vietnam War veteran who was left impotent from a war injury. His teenage son Jimmy West tries to protect his two younger brothers from their abusive father, but the story ends in violence and the revelation that Jimmy was abducted by Ray as an infant.

<i>V/H/S</i> 2012 American horror anthology film

V/H/S is a 2012 American found footage horror anthology film and the first installment in the V/H/S franchise created by Brad Miska and Bloody Disgusting and produced by Miska and Roxanne Benjamin. It features a series of found footage shorts written and directed by Adam Wingard, David Bruckner, Ti West, Glenn McQuaid, Joe Swanberg, and the filmmaking collective Radio Silence.

<i>Stuck in Love</i> 2012 American film

Stuck in Love is a 2012 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Josh Boone in his directorial debut. The independent film stars Jennifer Connelly, Greg Kinnear, Lily Collins, Nat Wolff, and Logan Lerman. It focuses on the complicated relationships between a successful novelist, played by Kinnear, his ex-wife (Connelly), their college daughter (Collins), and their teenage son (Wolff). The film began a limited theatrical release in the United States on July 5, 2013.

<i>A Dogs Best Friend</i> 1959 film

A Dog's Best Friend is a 1959 American Drama Western film directed by Edward L. Cahn and written by Orville H. Hampton. The film stars Bill Williams, Marcia Henderson, Roger Mobley, Roy Engel, Charles Cooper and Harry Dean Stanton. The film was released on December 20, 1959, by United Artists.

<i>Coming Through the Rye</i> (film) 2015 American drama film

Coming Through the Rye is a 2015 American coming-of-age drama film written and directed by James Steven Sadwith. It stars Alex Wolff and Stefania LaVie Owen as two teenagers who set out to find author J. D. Salinger, played by Chris Cooper. The film is based on Sadwith's own quest to find Salinger. It is Sadwith's directorial debut.

<i>Can You Keep a Secret?</i> (film) 2019 film by Elise Duran

Can You Keep a Secret? is a 2019 American independent romantic comedy film directed by Elise Duran and stars Alexandra Daddario and Tyler Hoechlin. It is based on the 2003 novel of same name by Sophie Kinsella, with the screenplay adapted by Peter Hutchings.

<i>Disappearance at Clifton Hill</i> 2019 Canadian thriller film

Disappearance at Clifton Hill is a 2019 Canadian thriller film, directed by Albert Shin. The film stars Tuppence Middleton as Abby, a young woman who returns home to Niagara Falls, Ontario, when she inherits a family-owned motel in the city's Clifton Hill tourist district following her mother's death, and becomes obsessed with reconstructing inchoate childhood memories of witnessing a kidnapping.

References

  1. ↑ "Beautiful Boy: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter . October 14, 2010. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  2. ↑ Harris, Brandon (June 1, 2011). "Beautiful Boy". Filmmaker Magazine. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  3. ↑ Holden, Stephen (June 2, 2011). "Alone to Face the Fallout From a Son's Horrific Crime". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  4. ↑ Hornaday, Ann (June 17, 2011). "Beautiful Boy". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Ebert, Roger (June 8, 2011). "The puzzle of a downfall child". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Beautiful Boy". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  7. ↑ Riley, Jenelle. "The Buzz Out of Toronto". Backstage. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Beautiful Boy: The sins of the son". Toronto Star . June 16, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.