Page 2 October 18, 2018
There is such heart brought to this adaptation
by director Felix van Groeningen. It’s
felt in the chemistry of its stars, who also
include Maura Tierney and Amy Ryan as
Nic’s worried step-mother and mother (whose
contributions in the film are effective but
largely underutilized, being a story of father
and son grief). The flashbacks of Carell as
David with the younger Nic (Kue Lawrence,
Jack Dylan Grazer) paint the entire picture
of this family’s story as even more affecting.
Beautiful Boy is a powerful, heart-wrenching
story that offers the most sympathetic portrait
of addiction that I’ve seen in recent times.
David and Nic’s stories of recovery, relapse
and the hope for redemption paint a poignant
picture of what makes life so beautiful.
120 min. Beautiful Boy is rated R for drug
content throughout, language and brief sexual
material. Now playing at ArcLight Hollywood
and The Landmark. •
By Ryan Rojas
for www.cinemacy.com
It’s a heartbreaking thing to sit helpless
watching a loved one struggle with inner
turmoil and grief. And short of that person
being oneself or a family member, watching
two of the big screen’s most beloved stars –
Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet – play
out this heart-wrenching story as father and
son is a not easy to watch without letting
your emotions surface.
Carell and Chalamet star in Beautiful Boy,
the new film based on the pair of memoirs
written by David and Nic Sheff -- a father
and son whose stories show the painful
perspectives of a son’s ongoing struggle
with drug addiction. Beautiful Boy depicts
David’s desperate determination and Nic’s
recurring relapses, revealing there may be
no escape from rescuing someone from
something as merciless and addictive as
harrowing chemical dependencies.
It’s nothing short of expert casting to see
these actors inhabit these real-life roles. You
might even wish Carell and Chalamet were
part of your own family. Few other actors
could make you feel as crushed as seeing a
heartbroken Steve Carell playing a forlorn
father figure. And which other young actors
could make you feel as torn up inside
as Hollywood’s latest heartthrob, Timothée
Chalamet, throwing his promising life away?
There have been other films about the
consuming nature of drugs and addiction,
and there are familiar notes to Beautiful
Boy that don’t exactly differentiate themselves
from those other films. But what
Entertainment
Film Review
Beautiful Boy: A Son Gone Astray
Beautiful Boy, Courtesy of Amazon Studios.
distinguishes Beautiful Boy, making it so
moving and impactful, is its ability to show
how addiction affects more than just the drug
user, but also the user’s larger circle as well.
Other stories of addiction might have focused
solely on Nic and his journeyof substance
abuse --but in seeing his father David, meandering
around his son’s empty bedroom
Nic’s reliable absence signals that he is no
longer missing, but altogether lost.
What distinguishes Beautiful Boy further
is that we see the moments where Nic
momentarily recovers, rather than in a total
downward spiral. Short-term stints of sobriety
are an honest part of the experience. Nic rides
the waves as best he can until he is all but
swallowed up by the sea. Seeing a strungout
consumed in thought and worry, we see the
fractures from all sides. David calls the police
Nic at the end of the film at his absolute
to report his son as a missing person early
worst stands as one of the most tear-jerking
on, but eventually is resigned to accept that moments I’ve had this year.
Ryan Rojas.
C e r t i f i e d a n d L i c e n s e d P r o f e s s i o n a l s
painting
PAINTERS PLUS
INTERIOR • EXTERIOR
PLUS
IMPROVEMENTS • REPAIRS
FREE ESTIMATES
LOWEST PRICES • GUARANTEED QUALITY
5 YEAR FREE MAINTENANCE
SERVING THE BEACH CITIES
FOR OVER 20 YEARS
CALL DON 310-798-0450
LIC # 726089
handyman
BILL’S
HOME & APARTMENT
MAINTENANCE
CONTRACTOR QUALITY
at Handyman Prices.
We cover everything from A-Z.
Bill Henrichon
Cell: 310-890-7531
Office: 310-542-3470
billhenrichon@sbcglobal.net
Henrichon & Associates Inc.
CA ST LIC# 1011547 / Licensed & Insured
2011 2012 2013
Serving the South Bay for 25 years
FREE ESTIMATES
plumbing
FOR ALL YOUR PLUMBING NEEDS
We offer
Senior Discounts • We match any pricing • Open 24/7 • Free Estimates
License # 537357
1-310-782-1978
roofing
NICK’S ROOFING
SERVICE
Small jobs OK!
310-697-9147
CA License # 1009097
painting
CERTIFIED BUSINESS AND
PROFESSIONAL (B&P) ADS
SIX MONTHS – $450 • ONE YEAR – $800
We will create your B&P ad for you, at no additional cost.
For information or rates, call 310-322-1830.
Interested parties email:
marketing@heraldpublications.com
PICK YOUR NEWSPAPER!
All Four (or Pick And Choose)
For One Price!
Herald Publications newspapers: El Segundo Herald,
Hawthorne Press Tribune, Inglewood Daily News
and Lawndale Tribune. We take Visa and MasterCard.
Please always include your phone number with
your submission. Payment must be received
before ad is published.
gardening
EL SEGUNDO
GARDENER
Licensed/Bonded
All E.S. Crew, Lawn Service Clean Ups,
Tree Trim, Sprinklers, Handyman, etc.
CALL OR TEXT BRIAN
310-493-7811 310-322-7396
Lic# 100085424
RICH’S PAINTING
Specializing in exterior
Quality interior work
Reliable • Reasonable Rates
310-640-9465
handyman
TOUCHSTONE
PAINTING • PLASTERING
HANDYMAN
Reasonably Priced – Referrals Upon Request
310-517-9677
30 Year Business and Resident in the South Bay
SENIOR
DISCOUNTS
ContraCtor
Kitchen and Bathroom Specialist,
Room Additions, Plumbing,
Electrical, Painting
we do it all with our own crew!
licensed, Bonded and insured
cleaning services
Honest & Dependable
Residential, commercial, construction
Thousands of our papers are delivered within miles of your home or business.
YOUR
AD
HERE
YOUR
AD
HERE
handyman
Craftsmanship
Call Manny 310-729-9612
YOUR
AD
HERE
Email to reserve your space
marketing@heraldpublications.com
YOUR
AD
HERE
Email to reserve your space
marketing@heraldpublications.com
Cleaning w/a
Woman’s Touch
310-397-5488