This One Stays With You

Especially when you read the closing credits and realize this is all true.  For that authenticity alone, "Boy Erased" will be a memorable movie for you.

These are the memoirs of New York writer Garrad Conley who, in the film is the character of Jared Eamons.   Living in Arkansas, Jared is the only child of a Southern Baptist minister/Ford Motor dealer and his long suffering wife.  When Jared confesses prior to going to college that he has feelings for men, the strict Dad elicits the counsel of some other ministers who feel that Jared is now damaged goods and desperately in need of conversion therapy.   Apparently these places exist and the one in this story is helmed by a super creepy Dr. Sykes, played by the movie's director and writer Joel Edgerton.

To say that Jared's experience at this place is harrowing is an understatement.  The basis of being gay, according to Sykes, is that you hate your parents.   The treatment there is so inhumane and horrific that you want to take a rifle and shoot up the place.  Admittedly, that's another problem but you get my drift.

Jared is played expertly by young Lucas Hedges who seems to be in one Oscar contender after another.   I certainly think this one will be up for screenplay as well as acting.   Nicole Kidman plays Mom and, although I've never been a fan, her work here is amazing.  The scene where she stands up and attempts to break her son out of the facility is Oscar worthy all by itself.   It's quite reminiscent of the "Terms of Endearment" scene where Shirley McLaine pleads to the nurses for her daughter to get a pill.   Over the top, for sure.  But powerful nonetheless.

An oddly bloated Russell Crowe plays Reverend Dad and he is suitably villainous.   The character is unbelievably evil but, when you realize there are lots of ministers all over the South just like this, you'll want to avoid that entire part of the country on your next road trip.

You'll want to make sure you don't run out of the theater prior to the post script epilogue which has some delicious ironies baked in.   But I really can't imagine anybody running out of a showing of "Boy Erased."   If you're like me, you'll be staring at the screen and wondering about how religion in America can get so conflicted and corrupt.   

Put this one on your end-of-the-year movie viewing list.

LEN'S RATING:  Three-and-a-half stars.

Dinner last night:  Ravioli.