by John Zenoni
There have been so many movies around drug addiction - some good, some bad, with the majority being bad in my opinion - but one that definitely is well done and has some great performances is the 2018 film, ‘Beautiful Boy’, starring Steve Carell and Timothee Chalamet. I read this book in the last year or so and loved it so was hoping that the movie would not disappoint and I'm glad to say it did not. Don’t get me wrong, the book is still much better, as there is more depth and details in it, but the film is good as well. In particular is the outstanding performance - nominated in fact for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar that year for his performance - by Chalamet as the son, Nic Sheff. Steve Carell plays the father, David Sheff, who absolutely adores his son. He and Nic’s mother are divorced and share joint custody but he manages to keep a close relationship with Nic. Even being remarried with two other children, who adore Nic, the relationship appears to be solid. Nic himself appears to be well adjusted and excels in school, sports and has a lot going for him. It's his slow slide into the horror of drug addiction that takes David and his family by surprise and begins their nightmare.
The book - as well as the movie - really enlightened me more about crystal meth, which they say is the strongest addictive drug that exists. It's absolutely terrifying to see how people’s lives - not just the addict but family members as well - are totally destroyed by this horrible drug. Nic stole, lied, robbed and who knows what else to feed his addiction. They say the rate of recovery from meth addiction is very low. Chalamet gives a stunning, believable performance in his role as an addict and I can see why he was nominated. Carell is also great as the father and it's heart-wrenching watching what he goes through.
This is an important film to watch as the message is still relevant today.
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