The bittersweet reality of a meth addict: Can ‘Beautiful Boy’ win Timothée Chalamet an Oscar?

With such gifted actors, it has all the makings of that emotionally-inspiring tear-jerker the trailer makes it to be.

Based on the harrowing memoirs of David Sheff (Steve Carell) and his son Nic Sheff (Timothée Chalamet), Beautiful Boy chronicles the bittersweet real life story of a father trying to help his troubled son overcome an addiction to methamphetamine, something that threatens to bring ruin to both their lives.

The official summary describes the film as,

“A heartbreaking and inspiring experience of survival, relapse and recovery in a family coping with addiction over many years.”

Judging by the trailer and the film’s fall release date, it’s not hard to see that Beautiful Boy is intended to be an Oscar contender. But the trailer also offers glimpses of a potentially inspiring story about addiction, with the relationship between Nic and his father David at the heart of the film, as evident by quite a few emotionally moving scenes between Chalamet and Carell in the trailer.



Chalamet’s breakout roles in 2017 saw him establish himself as one of the most promising young actors in Hollywood, with strong performances in Hostiles, Lady Bird, as well as his critically acclaimed, Oscar-nominated turn in Call Me By Your Name.





Carell, on the other hand, known mostly for his comedic talents, has also proven himself as an actor with serious dramatic range with Foxcatcher. With these two gifted actors at the centre, Beautiful Boy has all the makings of that emotionally-inspiring tear-jerker the trailer makes it out to be. But even if it isn’t, it will almost certainly be worth watching for the performances.

Apart from Chalamet and Carell, Maura Tierney (The Affair) and Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone) are also part of the stellar cast.



The film also happens to be directed by Belgian director Felix van Groeningen (The Broken Circle Breakdown, Belgica), an unknown entity to most, but an immensely talented filmmaker whose films often deal with a similar subject matter of family drama. And anyone who has seen The Broken Circle Breakdown knows he’s an expert at balancing emotionally distressing moments with an earnest sincerity, something that makes him the perfect filmmaker to take on this story.

Beautiful Boy releases on October 12, 2018.

All photos: IMDb