A TRUE STORY OF ADDICTION, SURVIVAL AND FAMILY.
Belgian director Felix van Groeningen’s first English-language film is a drama inspired by a real story, combining two perspectives in one script. The Sheff family’s struggle with drug addiction was chronicled in two books, written by the young man who goes through this hell, and his father who is tortured by a different kind of hell. Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet are both very touching as a man who tries to understand his son’s troubles and a kid who is deeply loved but frequently falls victim to his inner darkness. Their special, loving bond elevates this familiar but convincing, heart-wrenching drama.
2018-U.S. 120 min. Color. Produced by Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Brad Pitt. Directed by Felix van Groeningen. Screenplay: Luke Davies, Felix van Groeningen. Books: David Sheff (”Beautiful Boy”), Nic Sheff (“Tweak”). Cast: Steve Carell (David Sheff), TimothĂ©e Chalamet (Nic Sheff), Maura Tierney (Karen Barbour), Amy Ryan, Kaitlyn Dever, Andre Royo… Timothy Hutton.
Last word: “[Carell] has this incredible ability to make any character he plays relatable. He’s also, in real life, an incredibly sincere and earnest person. I really fell for him. It took a long time to find the right person; we never attached it to anybody. I was going over names for a long time, and as soon as his name came up, I was like ‘That would be amazing.’ I was re-reading my script, sitting on a train in Belgium, thinking, ‘What would this be if Steve played this?’ and I just started crying. I knew this was it. And his performance is incredible; he crafted it masterfully, I believe. He’s a very precise actor, which is funny because he’s also a master of improv, and how he juggles the two together is really impressive.” (van Groeningen, Slashfilm)
