By Michael Colford
Rating: 3.9
Director: Joel Edgerton
Starring: Cherry Jones | Frank Hoyt Taylor | Joel Edgerton | Lucas Hedges | Madelyn Cline | Nicole Kidman | Russell Crowe | Xavier Dolan
Country: australia, united_states
Year: 2018
Running time: 115
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7008872/reference
Thom says: “This is a very good achievement by director Joel Edgerton, the Australian actor, in this his second feature after THE GIFT (2015) which was just OK. I loved how he used his compatriots Kidman & Crowe in this largely American story. Canadian wunderkind director Xavier Dolan also makes a small but terrific acting contribution. Lucas Hedges. who received an Oscar nomination for his supporting role in MANCHESTER BY THE SEA, here plays a teenage sports star Jared Eamons (this is a true story) just off to college. His dad (Crowe) is an ultra-conservative Baptist preacher & his mother (Kidman) is a docile milquetoast who usually demurs to her abrasive husband.. Jared’s high-school sweetheart offers herself to him but he puts her off, actually because he is a very secret homosexual, although he is a virgin. While at college he is brutally raped by a dastardly classman who then anonymously outs him to his parents. His father is so horrified by this revelation that he meets with church elders and they decide to send him for conversion therapy. Since the therapy is supposedly of short duration his mom takes him there and stays in a nearby motel to be with him whenever he gets a free spell. The bulk of the rest of the film takes place at the conversion institution and while not exactly a horror-fest it is deeply disturbing and brutally stupid. A variety of young people are housed there and they are all bullied into recriminating confessions that degrade the human condition. I really was heartened by the audience I attended the film cheering at two very dramatic moments of defiance (although this is San Francisco). The film meanders on for a bit too long but basically this is lovely production that is heartfelt and affirming. Bravo to Edgerton for taking on this telling project and writing the screenplay as well. 4.5 cats”
Peter says: “The film was well scripted and acted, and I agree with your rating.. However, I had one major beef with BOY ERASED. The story takes place in the ultra-conservative Bible Belt of Arkansas. Why was it deemed more appropriate to use Australian actors (Kidman, Edgerton, Crowe) in 3 major roles than American actors who had more of a background in the subject matter? I’m sure we have that American talent. Even the director is Canadian.”
Chris says: “I liked and admired this film, but I didn’t quite love it. It seems to check off all the right boxes: terrific lead performance from Lucas Hedges (and good work from Nicole Kidman), firm handling of sensitive, timely subject matter, a rewarding, effective narrative arc…. but it comes across as a little numb at times–much like THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST, which I rated higher because it had a stronger, more deeply felt point of view. I don’t want to begrudge straight actor Joel Edgerton for his decision to adapt this particular real-life story, but it feels like the stakes aren’t as crucial as they should be. Everything plays out exactly as you’d expect and almost hope for it to, so it’s a crowd pleaser but alas, nothing revelatory. 3.25 cats”