Netflix has released the first trailer for “Pray Away,” the Ryan Murphy- and Jason Blum/Blumhouse Television-produced documentary about the so-called “ex-gay” movement.
The Kristine Stolakis-directed film, which will premiere Aug. 3 on the streamer, chronicles the rise and fall of Exodus International, a group founded in the 1970s by five members of an evangelical church that claimed gay people could become straight if they “pray away” their homosexuality. Since then, many of the group’s most well-known and outspoken members have come out as Lgtbq and have gone public with how harmful conversion therapy is. Conversion therapy is discredited by the World Health Organization and LGBTQ activists have forged legislative and legal battles across the world to ban the therapies.
The 2:35-minute trailer shows Exodus members disavowing the practice after touting they’d been converted on various talk shows and news programs. A new poster features...
The Kristine Stolakis-directed film, which will premiere Aug. 3 on the streamer, chronicles the rise and fall of Exodus International, a group founded in the 1970s by five members of an evangelical church that claimed gay people could become straight if they “pray away” their homosexuality. Since then, many of the group’s most well-known and outspoken members have come out as Lgtbq and have gone public with how harmful conversion therapy is. Conversion therapy is discredited by the World Health Organization and LGBTQ activists have forged legislative and legal battles across the world to ban the therapies.
The 2:35-minute trailer shows Exodus members disavowing the practice after touting they’d been converted on various talk shows and news programs. A new poster features...
- 7/12/2021
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
In David Michod’s loose Shakespeare adaptation “The King,” Joel Edgerton plays Falstaff opposite Timothée Chalamet’s Hal. While the epic production marks Chalamet’s first Netflix project, it’s unlikely to be his last: He’s still gnashing his teeth over deciding to pass on a streamer deal for his 2018 Focus Features release, “Boy Erased.”
For years, Edgerton has shifted between acting, writing, and directing — he shares a screenplay credit on “The King” with Michod — and Focus released Edgerton’s sophomore effort “Boy Erased,” which the filmmaker adapted from Garrard Conley’s memoir about his experiences as a young man subjected to gay conversion therapy. Despite a prominent launch pad on the fall festival circuit, and solid reviews, “Boy Erased” only garnered $11.8 million at the box office. And while it boasted strong turns from Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, and Russell Crowe, it did not turn into the awards-season player...
For years, Edgerton has shifted between acting, writing, and directing — he shares a screenplay credit on “The King” with Michod — and Focus released Edgerton’s sophomore effort “Boy Erased,” which the filmmaker adapted from Garrard Conley’s memoir about his experiences as a young man subjected to gay conversion therapy. Despite a prominent launch pad on the fall festival circuit, and solid reviews, “Boy Erased” only garnered $11.8 million at the box office. And while it boasted strong turns from Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, and Russell Crowe, it did not turn into the awards-season player...
- 10/2/2019
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Strong and proud as it is, the Lgbtq community’s fight for equality needs allies — from loving and accepting families to galvanized colleagues and
corporations to the movie star you’ve never met calling for boycotts of a homophobic nation-state. Several of those queer supporters in Hollywood and music used the megaphones of social media, public protest and even the Oscar campaign circuit to advocate for human rights.
Here are some notables from the past year.
George Clooney
George Clooney is no stranger to activism, which has earned him near sainthood status in Hollywood and derision from right-wingers as the embodiment of a “limousine liberal.” But the star’s words and deeds are one and the same, such as lending his talents and support to the staging in 2012 of Dustin Lance Black’s play “8” in 2012, a look at the legal battle to overturn California’s gay marriage ban. This April,...
corporations to the movie star you’ve never met calling for boycotts of a homophobic nation-state. Several of those queer supporters in Hollywood and music used the megaphones of social media, public protest and even the Oscar campaign circuit to advocate for human rights.
Here are some notables from the past year.
George Clooney
George Clooney is no stranger to activism, which has earned him near sainthood status in Hollywood and derision from right-wingers as the embodiment of a “limousine liberal.” But the star’s words and deeds are one and the same, such as lending his talents and support to the staging in 2012 of Dustin Lance Black’s play “8” in 2012, a look at the legal battle to overturn California’s gay marriage ban. This April,...
- 6/20/2019
- by Matt Donnelly and Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
‘Boy Erased’
Joel Edgerton’s gay conversion therapy drama Boy Erased was named outstanding film in limited release at the GLAAD Media Awards presented in New York on Saturday night.
Now in their 30th year, the awards recognise and honour media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the Lgbtq community and the issues that affect their lives.
Produced by Edgerton’s Blue-Tongue Films, Anonymous Content’s Steve Golin and Perfect World Pictures’ Kerry Kohansky-Roberts, Boy Erased faced stiff competition in its category.
The other nominees were 1985, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Disobedience, The Favourite, Hearts Beat Loud, A Kid Like Jake, The Miseducation of Cameron Post, Saturday Church and We the Animals.
Among the other honorees, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story was named outstanding TV movie or limited series, Pose outstanding drama series and Full Frontal With Samantha Bee’s Trans Rights Under Attack outstanding variety or talk show episode.
Joel Edgerton’s gay conversion therapy drama Boy Erased was named outstanding film in limited release at the GLAAD Media Awards presented in New York on Saturday night.
Now in their 30th year, the awards recognise and honour media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the Lgbtq community and the issues that affect their lives.
Produced by Edgerton’s Blue-Tongue Films, Anonymous Content’s Steve Golin and Perfect World Pictures’ Kerry Kohansky-Roberts, Boy Erased faced stiff competition in its category.
The other nominees were 1985, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Disobedience, The Favourite, Hearts Beat Loud, A Kid Like Jake, The Miseducation of Cameron Post, Saturday Church and We the Animals.
Among the other honorees, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story was named outstanding TV movie or limited series, Pose outstanding drama series and Full Frontal With Samantha Bee’s Trans Rights Under Attack outstanding variety or talk show episode.
- 5/5/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney does not mince words when it comes to his thoughts on conversion therapy.
Last week, the New York Congressman introduced a federal bill which would restrict attempts to treat the sexual orientation or gender identity of Lgbtq youth as a mental illness. Comparing conversion therapy to archaic medical practices like leeches and bleeding, Maloney calls it “medieval-style nonsense,” in addition to “outrageous,” “barbaric,” and “cruel.”
“It’s been thoroughly discredited by every professional organization of any repute,” he tells Rolling Stone. “It has no basis in science or in mental health.
Last week, the New York Congressman introduced a federal bill which would restrict attempts to treat the sexual orientation or gender identity of Lgbtq youth as a mental illness. Comparing conversion therapy to archaic medical practices like leeches and bleeding, Maloney calls it “medieval-style nonsense,” in addition to “outrageous,” “barbaric,” and “cruel.”
“It’s been thoroughly discredited by every professional organization of any repute,” he tells Rolling Stone. “It has no basis in science or in mental health.
- 4/2/2019
- by Nico Lang
- Rollingstone.com
Barry Jenkins’ ’If Beale Street Could Talk’ also opening.
Warner Bros’ animated sequel The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part opens wide at UK cinemas this weekend.
The story is set five years after the events of The Lego Movie, with the citizens of the Lego universe facing the threat of Lego Duplo invaders from outer space.
The first title opened with £8.1m and a strong £14,719 site average in February 2014 and went on to gross £34.4m. Since then, The Lego Batman Movie opened with £7.9m and finished on £27.4m in February 2017; while The Lego Ninjago Movie began with £3.6m and...
Warner Bros’ animated sequel The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part opens wide at UK cinemas this weekend.
The story is set five years after the events of The Lego Movie, with the citizens of the Lego universe facing the threat of Lego Duplo invaders from outer space.
The first title opened with £8.1m and a strong £14,719 site average in February 2014 and went on to gross £34.4m. Since then, The Lego Batman Movie opened with £7.9m and finished on £27.4m in February 2017; while The Lego Ninjago Movie began with £3.6m and...
- 2/8/2019
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe play a couple who send their son to a sinister camp designed to ‘pray away’ his sexuality
An open, generous performance from Lucas Hedges carries this earnestly intended movie from writer-director Joel Edgerton, who has adapted the memoir by Garrard Conley about his painful experiences in a Christian anti-gay conversion camp for teenagers in Arkansas. Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe play the deeply upset Christian parents of 18-year-old Jared (Hedges) and Edgerton himself plays the unspeakable camp director, Victor Sykes.
This is a movie without the comedy and lightness that Desiree Akhavan brought to her own recent movie on the subject, The Miseducation of Cameron Post, about a young woman. The contrast may have something to do with gender difference. Just like that film, though, Boy Erased has a similarity to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, with one character here very much in...
An open, generous performance from Lucas Hedges carries this earnestly intended movie from writer-director Joel Edgerton, who has adapted the memoir by Garrard Conley about his painful experiences in a Christian anti-gay conversion camp for teenagers in Arkansas. Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe play the deeply upset Christian parents of 18-year-old Jared (Hedges) and Edgerton himself plays the unspeakable camp director, Victor Sykes.
This is a movie without the comedy and lightness that Desiree Akhavan brought to her own recent movie on the subject, The Miseducation of Cameron Post, about a young woman. The contrast may have something to do with gender difference. Just like that film, though, Boy Erased has a similarity to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, with one character here very much in...
- 2/6/2019
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Boy Erased
Joel Edgerton's Boy Erased, which tells the story of a young man who undergoes gay conversion therapy, has had its expected opening in Brazil this month cancelled amid accusations of censorship. The film is based on the memoir of American Garrard Conley, who now lives openly as a gay man, and has been widely praised by critics.
"I felt that this could happen and I am very sad that this kind of thing happens in an incredible country," tweeted Conley after the announcement, referring to the decision as 'censorship', but he has since deleted the tweet. Universal Pictures has released a statement saying that the decision was purely "a commercial issue based on the cost of the launch campaign versus the estimated box office in theaters." It has pointed out that it is also cancelling the Brazilian release of Welcome To Marwen, which stars Steve Carell as a victim.
Joel Edgerton's Boy Erased, which tells the story of a young man who undergoes gay conversion therapy, has had its expected opening in Brazil this month cancelled amid accusations of censorship. The film is based on the memoir of American Garrard Conley, who now lives openly as a gay man, and has been widely praised by critics.
"I felt that this could happen and I am very sad that this kind of thing happens in an incredible country," tweeted Conley after the announcement, referring to the decision as 'censorship', but he has since deleted the tweet. Universal Pictures has released a statement saying that the decision was purely "a commercial issue based on the cost of the launch campaign versus the estimated box office in theaters." It has pointed out that it is also cancelling the Brazilian release of Welcome To Marwen, which stars Steve Carell as a victim.
- 2/6/2019
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The actor-director talks about being under scrutiny as a straight man telling and appearing in a story about gay-conversion therapy
Are straight directors qualified to tell gay stories on screen? The Australian actor-director Joel Edgerton didn’t think he was. At least, not when first reading Boy Erased: A Memoir, Garrard Conley’s account of his childhood experiences in gay conversion therapy. He knew it would make a compelling film, but he didn’t believe he was best placed to do it.
“I was like: fuck, this would be a great movie and I would love to be the one to do it. But I don’t think I can, simply because I’m not of the Lgbtq community,” he says. “I’d really started to think in the last couple of years a lot about representation – mainly in front of the screen.”...
Are straight directors qualified to tell gay stories on screen? The Australian actor-director Joel Edgerton didn’t think he was. At least, not when first reading Boy Erased: A Memoir, Garrard Conley’s account of his childhood experiences in gay conversion therapy. He knew it would make a compelling film, but he didn’t believe he was best placed to do it.
“I was like: fuck, this would be a great movie and I would love to be the one to do it. But I don’t think I can, simply because I’m not of the Lgbtq community,” he says. “I’d really started to think in the last couple of years a lot about representation – mainly in front of the screen.”...
- 1/31/2019
- by Chris Godfrey
- The Guardian - Film News
18-year old Jared Evans (Lucas Hedges) is heading off to college, unsure of who is is and most pertinently, where his sexual preferences lie. Growing up in a small town in Arkansas, he’s the son of the local reverend, with a cute girlfriend he’s expected to marry and a job at his dad’s car dealership waiting for him when he graduates.
So Jared being gay would throw a major spanner in the works of the life he has planned out for him.
When we join the story, Jared is already at what appears to be some sort of rehabilitation centre. He’s shorn of his personal belongings and taken to meet a group, mostly young men, who, we soon realise, are about to embark on the process of gay conversion therapy.
As ludicrous as the notion is, this is a true story. For Jared is based on Garrard Conley,...
So Jared being gay would throw a major spanner in the works of the life he has planned out for him.
When we join the story, Jared is already at what appears to be some sort of rehabilitation centre. He’s shorn of his personal belongings and taken to meet a group, mostly young men, who, we soon realise, are about to embark on the process of gay conversion therapy.
As ludicrous as the notion is, this is a true story. For Jared is based on Garrard Conley,...
- 1/18/2019
- by Richard Phippen
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The academy often loves movies about social justice issues, like “Milk” and “Spotlight” in recent years, so can “Boy Erased” have a strong showing at the Oscars as well? Based on the memoir by Garrard Conley, the film centers on a young gay man (Lucas Hedges) sent to conversion therapy by his devoutly religious parents (Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman). The film was written and directed by Joel Edgerton, who co-stars as the program’s instructor. Gold Derby recently spoke with Kidman, Edgerton and songwriter Brett McLaughlin about their work.
See Nicole Kidman movies: 14 greatest films, ranked worst to best, include ‘Boy Erased,’ ‘Moulin Rouge,’ ‘The Hours’
Edgerton was taken with the story after his agent gave him the book. “I grew up with a deep fear of institutions and I had heard a little bit about gay conversion therapy, so my morbid curiosity led me to read it,” he explains.
See Nicole Kidman movies: 14 greatest films, ranked worst to best, include ‘Boy Erased,’ ‘Moulin Rouge,’ ‘The Hours’
Edgerton was taken with the story after his agent gave him the book. “I grew up with a deep fear of institutions and I had heard a little bit about gay conversion therapy, so my morbid curiosity led me to read it,” he explains.
- 1/17/2019
- by Zach Laws
- Gold Derby
“As three gay men coming from different parts of the world and having different experiences growing up, we each identified with this movie and with this song in different ways,” explains Brett McLaughlin about his original song “Revelation” from “Boy Erased.” Watch our exclusive video interview with McLaughlin above.
Based on a memoir by Garrard Conley, this Focus Features drama centers on Jared (Lucas Hedges), a young man sent to conversion therapy by his conservative religious parents (Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman). The film was written and directed by Joel Edgerton, who co-stars as the program’s dubiously qualified leader.
See Interview with Nicole Kidman (‘Boy Erased’ and ‘Destroyer’)
McLaughlin, also known by his stage name Leland, co-wrote “Revelation” with Troye Sivan, a recording artist in his own right who plays one of the camp’s unwilling participants, and Jon Thor Birgisson of the Icelandic band Sigur Ros. Thus far...
Based on a memoir by Garrard Conley, this Focus Features drama centers on Jared (Lucas Hedges), a young man sent to conversion therapy by his conservative religious parents (Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman). The film was written and directed by Joel Edgerton, who co-stars as the program’s dubiously qualified leader.
See Interview with Nicole Kidman (‘Boy Erased’ and ‘Destroyer’)
McLaughlin, also known by his stage name Leland, co-wrote “Revelation” with Troye Sivan, a recording artist in his own right who plays one of the camp’s unwilling participants, and Jon Thor Birgisson of the Icelandic band Sigur Ros. Thus far...
- 12/27/2018
- by Zach Laws
- Gold Derby
From superheroes to super nannies, 2018 was a year full of memorable characters — and memorable movies. Whether you’re a big film buff, an avid follower of a popular franchise, or have a couple movie fans in your life, here are nine gifts that capture the fun of some of this year’s biggest films.
1. Funko Pop! Mister Rogers Collectible Figurine
“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” was one of the best-reviewed films of 2018, with Variety‘s Owen Gleiberman calling it “the most glorious documentary of the year”. Directed by Morgan Neville, the film focused on the life and quiet impact of Fred Rogers, the affable host of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Get this Mister Rogers vinyl figure from Funko Pop! as a fun stocking stuffer this year. Holding his iconic “Neighborhood Trolley,” the Mister Rogers figure stands just under 4″ tall and comes in a window display box that’s ready for gifting.
1. Funko Pop! Mister Rogers Collectible Figurine
“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” was one of the best-reviewed films of 2018, with Variety‘s Owen Gleiberman calling it “the most glorious documentary of the year”. Directed by Morgan Neville, the film focused on the life and quiet impact of Fred Rogers, the affable host of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Get this Mister Rogers vinyl figure from Funko Pop! as a fun stocking stuffer this year. Holding his iconic “Neighborhood Trolley,” the Mister Rogers figure stands just under 4″ tall and comes in a window display box that’s ready for gifting.
- 12/14/2018
- by Tim Chan
- Variety Film + TV
Stars: Nicole Kidman, Lucas Hedges, Russell Crowe, Madelyn Cline, Victor McCay, David Joseph Craig, Troye Sivan, Emily Hinkler, Devin Michael, Matt Burke, Lindsey Moser, Jesse Latourette, Britton Sear, David Ditmore, William Ngo | Written and Directed by Joel Edgerton
Jared Eamons, the son of a small-town Baptist pastor, must overcome the fallout after being outed as gay to his parents. His father and mother struggle to reconcile their love for their son with their beliefs. Fearing a loss of family, friends and community, Jared is pressured into attending a conversion therapy program. While there, Jared comes into conflict with its leader and begins his journey to finding his own voice and accepting his true self.
Director Joel Edgerton follows on from his thrilling and incredibly underseen directorial debut The Gift with Boy Erased, brought to the screen by Edgerton and based off of Garrard Conley’s book by the same name.
Jared Eamons, the son of a small-town Baptist pastor, must overcome the fallout after being outed as gay to his parents. His father and mother struggle to reconcile their love for their son with their beliefs. Fearing a loss of family, friends and community, Jared is pressured into attending a conversion therapy program. While there, Jared comes into conflict with its leader and begins his journey to finding his own voice and accepting his true self.
Director Joel Edgerton follows on from his thrilling and incredibly underseen directorial debut The Gift with Boy Erased, brought to the screen by Edgerton and based off of Garrard Conley’s book by the same name.
- 12/6/2018
- by Jak-Luke Sharp
- Nerdly
Nicole Kidman picked up the prize for best supporting actress for her performance in Joel Edgerton's Boy Erased at the 2018 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta) awards, held Wednesday night in Sydney.
Kidman plays a religious woman who forces her gay son (Lucas Hedges) to undergo church-supported gay conversion in the film, adapted from Garrard Conley's memoir. Edgerton also picked up the Aacta award for best adapted screenplay for Boy Erased.
But the big winner in Sydney was Warwick Thornton's Australian western Sweet Country, which picked up six Aacta awards, including best film, best director and ...
Kidman plays a religious woman who forces her gay son (Lucas Hedges) to undergo church-supported gay conversion in the film, adapted from Garrard Conley's memoir. Edgerton also picked up the Aacta award for best adapted screenplay for Boy Erased.
But the big winner in Sydney was Warwick Thornton's Australian western Sweet Country, which picked up six Aacta awards, including best film, best director and ...
- 12/5/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Nicole Kidman picked up the prize for best supporting actress for her performance in Joel Edgerton's Boy Erased at the 2018 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta) awards, held Wednesday night in Sydney.
Kidman plays a religious woman who forces her gay son (Lucas Hedges) to undergo church-supported gay conversion in the film, adapted from Garrard Conley's memoir. Edgerton also picked up the Aacta award for best adapted screenplay for Boy Erased.
But the big winner in Sydney was Warwick Thornton's Australian western Sweet Country, which picked up six Aacta awards, including best film, best director and ...
Kidman plays a religious woman who forces her gay son (Lucas Hedges) to undergo church-supported gay conversion in the film, adapted from Garrard Conley's memoir. Edgerton also picked up the Aacta award for best adapted screenplay for Boy Erased.
But the big winner in Sydney was Warwick Thornton's Australian western Sweet Country, which picked up six Aacta awards, including best film, best director and ...
- 12/5/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Joel Edgerton directed and co-starred in the new film “Boy Erased,” based on the real-life story of Garrard Conley, whose parents sent him to conversion therapy after coming out as gay. The film stars Lucas Hedges as Jared Eamons (based on Conley), Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe as his parents, and Edgerton as chief therapist of the conversion camp Victor Sykes. This is Edgerton’s second directorial effort following 2015’s thriller “The Gift.”
Edgerton sat down with Gold Derby contributing writer Charles Bright at the Middleburg Film Festival for a chat about why he became interested in “Boy Erased,” how the film draws on elements of horror, and what it will take to get religious people who believe in such practices to see the film. Watch the exclusive video chat above and read the complete interview transcript below.
SEENicole Kidman Interview: ‘Destroyer’ and ‘Boy Erased’
Gold Derby: So Joel, here...
Edgerton sat down with Gold Derby contributing writer Charles Bright at the Middleburg Film Festival for a chat about why he became interested in “Boy Erased,” how the film draws on elements of horror, and what it will take to get religious people who believe in such practices to see the film. Watch the exclusive video chat above and read the complete interview transcript below.
SEENicole Kidman Interview: ‘Destroyer’ and ‘Boy Erased’
Gold Derby: So Joel, here...
- 12/2/2018
- by Kevin Jacobsen
- Gold Derby
Before Troye Sivan took pen to paper to write "Revelation," the love song underscoring Joel Edgerton's Boy Erased, he first aimed to nab an acting role in the film inspired by Garrard Conley's memoir about surviving gay conversion therapy.
"Music has been so crazy [for me] for the last few years, but it was just about waiting for the film that ticked all of the boxes. It was immediately clear to me that this was the thing that I wanted to do," says the South Africa-born, Australia-raised performer, who had taken a hiatus from acting ...
"Music has been so crazy [for me] for the last few years, but it was just about waiting for the film that ticked all of the boxes. It was immediately clear to me that this was the thing that I wanted to do," says the South Africa-born, Australia-raised performer, who had taken a hiatus from acting ...
- 11/30/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Before Troye Sivan took pen to paper to write "Revelation," the love song underscoring Joel Edgerton's Boy Erased, he first aimed to nab an acting role in the film inspired by Garrard Conley's memoir about surviving gay conversion therapy.
"Music has been so crazy [for me] for the last few years, but it was just about waiting for the film that ticked all of the boxes. It was immediately clear to me that this was the thing that I wanted to do," says the South Africa-born, Australia-raised performer, who had taken a hiatus from acting ...
"Music has been so crazy [for me] for the last few years, but it was just about waiting for the film that ticked all of the boxes. It was immediately clear to me that this was the thing that I wanted to do," says the South Africa-born, Australia-raised performer, who had taken a hiatus from acting ...
- 11/30/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Nicole Kidman is entering the awards race with two films and two drastically different roles in Joel Edgerton’s Boy Erased and Karyn Kusama’s Destroyer.
“Both of the roles that I play I did very close together, and even though they’re diametrically opposed in terms of the way they look and behave as women, they’re still on a similar path because they’re both looking to heal what they’ve done to their child,” Kidman said during The Hollywood Reporter's Actress Roundtable.
In Boy Erased, based on Garrard Conley’s memoir, the actress plays a religious mother ...
“Both of the roles that I play I did very close together, and even though they’re diametrically opposed in terms of the way they look and behave as women, they’re still on a similar path because they’re both looking to heal what they’ve done to their child,” Kidman said during The Hollywood Reporter's Actress Roundtable.
In Boy Erased, based on Garrard Conley’s memoir, the actress plays a religious mother ...
- 11/29/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Nicole Kidman is entering the awards race with two films and two drastically different roles in Joel Edgerton’s Boy Erased and Karyn Kusama’s Destroyer.
“Both of the roles that I play I did very close together, and even though they’re diametrically opposed in terms of the way they look and behave as women, they’re still on a similar path because they’re both looking to heal what they’ve done to their child,” Kidman said during The Hollywood Reporter's Actress Roundtable.
In Boy Erased, based on Garrard Conley’s memoir, the actress plays a religious mother ...
“Both of the roles that I play I did very close together, and even though they’re diametrically opposed in terms of the way they look and behave as women, they’re still on a similar path because they’re both looking to heal what they’ve done to their child,” Kidman said during The Hollywood Reporter's Actress Roundtable.
In Boy Erased, based on Garrard Conley’s memoir, the actress plays a religious mother ...
- 11/29/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Box office blockbusters such as “Black Panther” and “Crazy Rich Asians” and small screen series including “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “One Day at a Time” and “This Is Us” are among the finalists for the 44th annual Humanitas Prize, Humanitas executive director Cathleen Young and president Ali LeRoi announced Tuesday.
“It’s always an honor and a privilege to lift up writers who are passionate about telling stories that entertain us, but also deeply explore what it means to be a human in a way that promotes peace and love,” Young said.
A total of 58 writers are nominated for their work in the 30-minute comedy, 60-minute drama, children’s teleplay, independent feature film, drama feature film, comedy feature film, family feature film and documentary categories. The prize was created to celebrate writers “whose work inspires compassion, hope, and understanding in the human family.”
“Humanitas enjoyed an embarrassment of riches this year,...
“It’s always an honor and a privilege to lift up writers who are passionate about telling stories that entertain us, but also deeply explore what it means to be a human in a way that promotes peace and love,” Young said.
A total of 58 writers are nominated for their work in the 30-minute comedy, 60-minute drama, children’s teleplay, independent feature film, drama feature film, comedy feature film, family feature film and documentary categories. The prize was created to celebrate writers “whose work inspires compassion, hope, and understanding in the human family.”
“Humanitas enjoyed an embarrassment of riches this year,...
- 11/27/2018
- by Rachel Yang
- Variety Film + TV
Disney/Marvel’s blockbuster Black Panther and NBC’s This Is Us are among the nominees for the 44th annual Humanitas Prize. Winners will be revealed in a ceremony February 8 at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
The prize was created to honor film and TV writers whose work inspires compassion, hope, and understanding in the human family.
The February ceremony will also also honor Marta Kauffman with The Kieser Award and Kenya Barris
with the Voice For Change Award.
Here are the nominees:
60-minute Drama
God Friended Me, “Pilot” Written by Steven Lilien & Bryan Wynbrandt
Orange Is The New Black, “Be Free” Written by Brian Chamberlayne
The Good Doctor, “More” Written by David Shore and Lloyd Gilyard Jr.
This Is Us, “This Big, Amazing, Beautiful Life” Written by Kay Oyegun
30-minute Comedy
Dear White People, “Volume 2: Chapter VIII” Written by Jack Moore
One Day At A Time, “Hello, Penelope” Written...
The prize was created to honor film and TV writers whose work inspires compassion, hope, and understanding in the human family.
The February ceremony will also also honor Marta Kauffman with The Kieser Award and Kenya Barris
with the Voice For Change Award.
Here are the nominees:
60-minute Drama
God Friended Me, “Pilot” Written by Steven Lilien & Bryan Wynbrandt
Orange Is The New Black, “Be Free” Written by Brian Chamberlayne
The Good Doctor, “More” Written by David Shore and Lloyd Gilyard Jr.
This Is Us, “This Big, Amazing, Beautiful Life” Written by Kay Oyegun
30-minute Comedy
Dear White People, “Volume 2: Chapter VIII” Written by Jack Moore
One Day At A Time, “Hello, Penelope” Written...
- 11/27/2018
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Gay conversion therapy survivors describe how participants were told to change their behavior in “UnErased: The History of Conversion Therapy in America,” an upcoming podcast series co-created by the filmmakers behind the upcoming film “Boy Erased,” starring Nicole Kidman and Lucas Hedges.
“Boy Erased” is based on the true story of a son of a Baptist pastor (Lucas Hedges) in a small American town who is outed to his parents (Nicole Kidman and Joel Edgerton) and must either go to conversion therapy or be shunned by his family.
In a four-part podcast series, “UnErased” tells the various stories of survivors and those who have long criticized such therapy.
“Boy Erased” tells a deeply personal story; “UnErased” tells the whole story. Combining one of the most comprehensive conversion therapy histories to date, survivors’ accounts, and exclusive interviews, “‘UnErased’ picks up where the memoir and film leave off,” said “Boy Erased” memoir...
“Boy Erased” is based on the true story of a son of a Baptist pastor (Lucas Hedges) in a small American town who is outed to his parents (Nicole Kidman and Joel Edgerton) and must either go to conversion therapy or be shunned by his family.
In a four-part podcast series, “UnErased” tells the various stories of survivors and those who have long criticized such therapy.
“Boy Erased” tells a deeply personal story; “UnErased” tells the whole story. Combining one of the most comprehensive conversion therapy histories to date, survivors’ accounts, and exclusive interviews, “‘UnErased’ picks up where the memoir and film leave off,” said “Boy Erased” memoir...
- 11/25/2018
- by Omar Sanchez
- The Wrap
Joel Edgerton‘s latest project is Boy Erased, which he directed and starred in alongside Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe and Lucas Hedges. Its story is based on the real-life experiences Garrard Conley endured during his time at a gay conversion therapy program. Edgerton recently sat down with uInterview to discuss conversion therapy as well as some of the more personal […]...
- 11/21/2018
- by Matt Reisine
- Uinterview
With each passing year, Lucas Hedges multiplies his awards season filmography. First there was Manchester by the Sea, for which he was Oscar nominated. Then, last year, much-garlanded turns in Lady Bird and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. This year he’s back with no fewer than three films: Joel Edgerton’s Boy Erased, in which Hedges takes the lead as a teenager coerced into conversion therapy; his father Peter Hedges’ Ben is Back, in which he plays an addict struggling to reconnect with his mother; and Jonah Hill’s Mid90s, as Ian, a bullying older brother.
You’ve made so many excellent films already, do you just go with your gut when you pick a project?
Well, I just listen for the thing that’s actually really exciting, whether that comes in the form of a filmmaker I think is really special, I really just try to pick...
You’ve made so many excellent films already, do you just go with your gut when you pick a project?
Well, I just listen for the thing that’s actually really exciting, whether that comes in the form of a filmmaker I think is really special, I really just try to pick...
- 11/21/2018
- by Antonia Blyth
- Deadline Film + TV
Don Kaye Nov 19, 2018
Boy Erased star and New York City native Lucas Hedges explains how he related to a Baptist kid from Arkansas.
Lucas Hedges is, as they say, having a moment. Following his breakout, Oscar-nominated performance two years ago in Kenneth Lonergan’s brilliant Manchester by the Sea (which itself came on the heels of small roles in films like Kill the Messenger and The Grand Budapest Hotel), the 21-year-old New York-based actor has been on something of a tear. After appearing last year in Lady Bird and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, he’s showing up this fall in three already acclaimed films, two of them as the lead: Boy Erased, Mid90s and the upcoming Ben is Back.
In Boy Erased, directed by Joel Edgerton (also an actor himself), Hedges plays Jared Eamons, a character inspired by Garrard Conley, who wrote the memoir the film is based on.
Boy Erased star and New York City native Lucas Hedges explains how he related to a Baptist kid from Arkansas.
Lucas Hedges is, as they say, having a moment. Following his breakout, Oscar-nominated performance two years ago in Kenneth Lonergan’s brilliant Manchester by the Sea (which itself came on the heels of small roles in films like Kill the Messenger and The Grand Budapest Hotel), the 21-year-old New York-based actor has been on something of a tear. After appearing last year in Lady Bird and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, he’s showing up this fall in three already acclaimed films, two of them as the lead: Boy Erased, Mid90s and the upcoming Ben is Back.
In Boy Erased, directed by Joel Edgerton (also an actor himself), Hedges plays Jared Eamons, a character inspired by Garrard Conley, who wrote the memoir the film is based on.
- 11/19/2018
- Den of Geek
Oscar nominee Lucas Hedges is keeping busy this season, thanks to roles in films in as different as Jonah Hill’s “Mid90s” and his upcoming turn in Peter Hedges’ addiction drama “Ben Is Back,” but the young actor is currently getting the most attention for his starring role in Joel Edgerton’s fact-based “Boy Erased.” And rightly so, because Hedges offers up one of his most heartbreaking and nuanced turns in the film, which is expanding into more theaters this week after a limited release earlier this month.
In the film, Hedges plays a lightly fictionalized version of author Garrard Conley, who wrote the memoir on which the film is based. As preacher’s kid Jared Eamons, Hedges is tasked with portraying an Arkansas teenager who is closeted and utterly terrified of coming out to his family, which includes his father (Russell Crowe) and doting mother (Nicole Kidman). When Jared’s secret is revealed,...
In the film, Hedges plays a lightly fictionalized version of author Garrard Conley, who wrote the memoir on which the film is based. As preacher’s kid Jared Eamons, Hedges is tasked with portraying an Arkansas teenager who is closeted and utterly terrified of coming out to his family, which includes his father (Russell Crowe) and doting mother (Nicole Kidman). When Jared’s secret is revealed,...
- 11/15/2018
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Chicago – America is facing a confusing time of crisis, again. There are giant groups of people who are ready to hate other people for biological traits that can’t—and don’t need to—be changed, like skin color, sexual orientation, and race. “Boy Erased” adds to the national dialogue by showing the devastating effects this type of mentality can have inside our own families, and how to prevent it.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Joel Edgerton is the absolute driving force as director, writer, and actor for “Boy Erased”. He adapts the film from Garrard Conley’s memoir of the same name, where he chronicles his personal experience inside of a church conversion program. Edgerton approaches the topic with all due respect as he meticulously crafts everything in the film. Nothing is wrong with it, but its neatness is something that’s symptomatic of a missing element. There is a clear understanding of the topic,...
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Joel Edgerton is the absolute driving force as director, writer, and actor for “Boy Erased”. He adapts the film from Garrard Conley’s memoir of the same name, where he chronicles his personal experience inside of a church conversion program. Edgerton approaches the topic with all due respect as he meticulously crafts everything in the film. Nothing is wrong with it, but its neatness is something that’s symptomatic of a missing element. There is a clear understanding of the topic,...
- 11/13/2018
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
In the midst of a pivotal career moment, Troye Sivan is trying to get at the truth. A supporting player in Boy Erased—Joel Edgerton’s adaptation of a memoir by Garrard Conley—the Australian singer-songwriter earnestly admits to the learning curve involved with his first prominent onscreen role. “I just haven’t done as much [acting] as I have music. So, I was really, really nervous,” he tells Deadline. “I just wanted to make sure that we were telling the story in the right way.”
The artist’s anxiety makes sense. “The script was great, and it meant something,” Sivan says. Loosely adapted from Conley’s own story, Boy Erased follows Jared (Lucas Hedges), a closeted young man torn between his sexual identity and his faith, instilled in him by his southern family. Outed to his parents, Jared is forced to participate in gay conversion therapy along with other adolescents—suffering deeply,...
The artist’s anxiety makes sense. “The script was great, and it meant something,” Sivan says. Loosely adapted from Conley’s own story, Boy Erased follows Jared (Lucas Hedges), a closeted young man torn between his sexual identity and his faith, instilled in him by his southern family. Outed to his parents, Jared is forced to participate in gay conversion therapy along with other adolescents—suffering deeply,...
- 11/12/2018
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
‘Boy Erased.’
Given the challenging subject, Joel Edgerton’s gay conversion therapy drama Boy Erased opened very respectably in Australia last weekend, its first international market after platforming in the Us.
In part that speaks to the star power of Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe as well as Lucas Hedges’ impressive turn as the teenage protagonist and Edgerton’s direction, screenplay and supporting role.
Fox’s Bohemian Rhapsody and Warner Bros’ A Star is Born continued to dominate ticket sales as Sony’s sequel to the The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo flopped.
Hindi action-adventure Thugs of Hindostan drew plenty of Bollywood fans while They Shall Not Grow Old, Peter Jackson’s artful mix of restored WW1 footage owned by the Imperial War Museum and BBC audio generated an impressive $178,000 from limited sessions on Sunday.
Meanwhile Disney’s British live action romantic comedy Patrick, Transmission’s polarising Suspiria and Icon...
Given the challenging subject, Joel Edgerton’s gay conversion therapy drama Boy Erased opened very respectably in Australia last weekend, its first international market after platforming in the Us.
In part that speaks to the star power of Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe as well as Lucas Hedges’ impressive turn as the teenage protagonist and Edgerton’s direction, screenplay and supporting role.
Fox’s Bohemian Rhapsody and Warner Bros’ A Star is Born continued to dominate ticket sales as Sony’s sequel to the The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo flopped.
Hindi action-adventure Thugs of Hindostan drew plenty of Bollywood fans while They Shall Not Grow Old, Peter Jackson’s artful mix of restored WW1 footage owned by the Imperial War Museum and BBC audio generated an impressive $178,000 from limited sessions on Sunday.
Meanwhile Disney’s British live action romantic comedy Patrick, Transmission’s polarising Suspiria and Icon...
- 11/11/2018
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Chicago – In “Boy Erased,” the story is based on a memoir by Garrard Conley, about his experiences going through “gay conversion” therapy… that exists to change a gay person to a straight person. Director/actor Joel Edgerton adapted Conley’s book, and created a heart-breaking film of real American institutions that try to deny nature.
Nicole Kidman and Lucas Hedges in ‘Boy Erased’
Photo credit: Focus Features
The film – which features Lucas Hedges as the “boy,” along with Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe as Conley’s Arkansas parents – sensitively makes a plea against the gay conversion therapy by exposing the suffering that teenagers, adults and their families are forced to endure in programs that often have no licensing. Edgerton also takes a key role as Victor Sykes, a program instructor who had his own closeted demons. The practice of conversion therapy is still legal in over 35 states in America.
Joel...
Nicole Kidman and Lucas Hedges in ‘Boy Erased’
Photo credit: Focus Features
The film – which features Lucas Hedges as the “boy,” along with Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe as Conley’s Arkansas parents – sensitively makes a plea against the gay conversion therapy by exposing the suffering that teenagers, adults and their families are forced to endure in programs that often have no licensing. Edgerton also takes a key role as Victor Sykes, a program instructor who had his own closeted demons. The practice of conversion therapy is still legal in over 35 states in America.
Joel...
- 11/8/2018
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
When composers Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans scored Joel Edgerton’s directorial debut, “The Gift,” they created a weird sense of unease with rising violins called “bendy strings” for the psychological thriller. And they went minimal, yet no less experimental, for Edgerton’s second feature, “Boy Erased,” the poignant drama about resisting gay conversion therapy, based on Garrard Conley’s influential memoir.
Edgerton wanted to keep the Arkansas family drama relatable to a wide audience, said Jurriaans, “and not alienate anyone. There are so many aspects going on with Jared [Lucas Hedges], so we tried to follow his journey, the confusion and alienation, not as themes but as facets.”
The idea was for the soundtrack to stay neutral as much as possible, but when musically underscoring the Love in Action (Lia) conversion therapy program, the composers went almost militaristic with percussive sounds like gears turning.
“This was a chance for...
Edgerton wanted to keep the Arkansas family drama relatable to a wide audience, said Jurriaans, “and not alienate anyone. There are so many aspects going on with Jared [Lucas Hedges], so we tried to follow his journey, the confusion and alienation, not as themes but as facets.”
The idea was for the soundtrack to stay neutral as much as possible, but when musically underscoring the Love in Action (Lia) conversion therapy program, the composers went almost militaristic with percussive sounds like gears turning.
“This was a chance for...
- 11/6/2018
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
When esteemed actor Joel Edgerton set out to make his second feature, Boy Erased, he understood the world he was portraying—the way it looked, and the way it felt. Starring Lucas Hedges, the film would loosely adapt Garrard Conley’s memoir, drawing on his experiences at Live in Action, a church-supported gay conversion program in Memphis. On screen, Edgerton would depict a therapy center striking a very specific mood. “It’s a very dry, depressing, cold place,” composer Saunder Jurriaans explains—a space cast in pale blue light.
While a certain aesthetic seemed to emerge seamlessly with Boy Erased, its score was another matter. First teaming with Jurriaans and Danny Bensi on his previous film, psychological thriller The Gift, Edgerton brought the pair back for his second outing with no preconceptions, giving them free rein over the film’s sound. “From the material in the script, we were able...
While a certain aesthetic seemed to emerge seamlessly with Boy Erased, its score was another matter. First teaming with Jurriaans and Danny Bensi on his previous film, psychological thriller The Gift, Edgerton brought the pair back for his second outing with no preconceptions, giving them free rein over the film’s sound. “From the material in the script, we were able...
- 11/5/2018
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
“The Truth Cannot be Converted”. So goes the tagline for the new film Boy Erased. Being that it’s the most heavy handed aspect of this critic’s entire Boy Erased experience, the line can only be considered an ugly failure. Fortunately, the same can in no way be said for the film itself. Being only the second feature directed by Joel Edgerton, Boy Erased is a sure-handed work of atmospheric subtlety. Adapting Garrard Conley’s true-life memoir, Boy Erased: A Memoir of Identity, Faith and Family, about his experience with gay conversion therapy and struggles with his Baptist preacher father and compliant mother (a strongly wigged Nicole Kidman), the film goes about its business in a dark, earthy, and moody way. Emerging young star Lucas Hedges (Manchester by...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 11/5/2018
- Screen Anarchy
Boy Erased could not be coming at a better time. We're on the precipice of the midterm elections. Lgbtq+ rights are under attack by an administration that wants to erase transgender people from existence and dismantle protections meant to help the community as a whole. Mike Pence has a documented history with gay conversion therapy. Though the true story of a young gay man who survived a gay conversion camp dates back to 2003, each aspect of his experience is tragically relevant in 2018, perhaps moreso.
Just ahead of the film's release, I sat down with the man behind the memoir that inspired the film. Garrard Conley has been writing about shame and the dangers of conversion therapy for some time now, but Boy Erased didn't hit bookstores until 2016. During our chat, we talk about this long journey to publication, the strange path to the big screen with friend and ally Joel Edgerton,...
Just ahead of the film's release, I sat down with the man behind the memoir that inspired the film. Garrard Conley has been writing about shame and the dangers of conversion therapy for some time now, but Boy Erased didn't hit bookstores until 2016. During our chat, we talk about this long journey to publication, the strange path to the big screen with friend and ally Joel Edgerton,...
- 11/5/2018
- by Ryan Roschke
- Popsugar.com
This awards season — to quote Sam Cooke — a change is gonna come, courtesy of Focus Features. Today at Deadline’s The Contenders Los Angeles, the distributor presented two of its timely contenders in Boy Erased (which bowed in theaters Friday) and AFI Fest opener On the Basis of Sex, dramas that concern themselves with those who demand change, and the fights that make progress possible.
Directed by Mimi Leder, On the Basis of Sex tells the story of young lawyer Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Felicity Jones) and husband Marty (Armie Hammer), examining their struggles against gender discrimination and the obstacles Ginsburg overcame to become an iconic change leader. In the year of Ginsburg — which already has seen the Supreme Court justice celebrated with a successful summer documentary — Leder honors everything she has in common with her film’s subject. First, there were her own battles in her industry of choice, which she had to overcome.
Directed by Mimi Leder, On the Basis of Sex tells the story of young lawyer Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Felicity Jones) and husband Marty (Armie Hammer), examining their struggles against gender discrimination and the obstacles Ginsburg overcame to become an iconic change leader. In the year of Ginsburg — which already has seen the Supreme Court justice celebrated with a successful summer documentary — Leder honors everything she has in common with her film’s subject. First, there were her own battles in her industry of choice, which she had to overcome.
- 11/3/2018
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Based on the memoir of the same name by Garrard Conley, the new film Boy Erased follows the son of two Baptist parents who is outed as gay at the age of 19 and forced to take part in gay conversion therapy. In honor of the film, we spoke with Conley and director Joel Edgerton about Boy Erased, and the harsh realities…...
- 11/2/2018
- by Baraka Kaseko and Marah Eakin on Film, shared by Baraka Kaseko to The A.V. Club
- avclub.com
November’s first weekend is usually a crowded one at the Specialty box office, and this year is no different. Lucas Hedges stars with Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe and director Joel Edgerton in Boy Erased from Focus Features. Filmmaker Matthew Heineman’s A Private War from Aviron Pictures is the first narrative feature from the director of Oscar-nominated documentary Cartel Land. Starring Rosamund Pike, Jamie Dornan, Stanley Tucci and Tom Hollander, the film opens in four locations Friday ahead of a fairly wide roll out. Sony Pictures Classics is opening recent New York Film Festival doc Maria By Callas from first-time director Tom Volf about the legendary opera singer. Neon and YouTube Originals are launching music video veteran Joseph Kahn’s rap battle feature Bodied. And Oscilloscope is opening Margarethe von Trotta’s Searching for Ingmar Bergman with an initial exclusive New York weekend run.
Other limited releases this weekend...
Other limited releases this weekend...
- 11/2/2018
- by Brian Brooks
- Deadline Film + TV
Two years ago “Moonlight” made history as the first film with an Lgbt protagonist to win the Oscar for Best Picture. “Call Me by Your Name” followed the next year with a Best Picture nomination for its same-sex romance. We’ve come a long way since “Brokeback Mountain” (2005). Now comes “Boy Erased,” which opened November 2 and addresses the abusive practice of gay conversion therapy. Will it follow in the footsteps of its recent Oscar winning Lgbt predecessors?
Based on a 2016 memoir of the same name by Garrard Conley, “Boy Erased” stars Lucas Hedges as Jared Eamons (the names have been changed for the purposes of the film), the son of devout Christian parents (Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe) who is sent to pray away the gay. This adaptation was written and directed by Joel Edgerton, who is best known as an actor and recently starred in another film, “Loving” (2016), that...
Based on a 2016 memoir of the same name by Garrard Conley, “Boy Erased” stars Lucas Hedges as Jared Eamons (the names have been changed for the purposes of the film), the son of devout Christian parents (Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe) who is sent to pray away the gay. This adaptation was written and directed by Joel Edgerton, who is best known as an actor and recently starred in another film, “Loving” (2016), that...
- 11/2/2018
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Author Garrard Conley ruminated and waited nearly a decade to write his memoir Boy Erased, which chronicled the details of his experiences in gay conversion therapy. Now, his story is the basis of a Focus Feature feature film directed and written by Joel Edgerton and starring Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, and Russell Crowe. The film has already gained traction in the awards season race and for Conley, it was less about the Hollywood of it all and more about the opportunity to tell his story — a story that no one was paying attention to at first until Edgerton came along.
Conley’s memoir was released in 2016 by Riverhead Publishing and he said that it wasn’t “huge”, but he appreciated the publishing company’s openness to diverse stories. He said they were “taking a bit risk.” It didn’t make the bestseller list, but it still told his stirring story.
Conley’s memoir was released in 2016 by Riverhead Publishing and he said that it wasn’t “huge”, but he appreciated the publishing company’s openness to diverse stories. He said they were “taking a bit risk.” It didn’t make the bestseller list, but it still told his stirring story.
- 11/1/2018
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Lucas Hedges promises he’s not going for a “Daniel Day-Lewis type thing” with his acting, but he tends to get pretty close to his parts. With three films arriving in awards season, including leading roles in both Joel Edgerton’s “Boy Erased” and Peter Hedges’ “Ben Is Back,” plus an out-of-the-box bully part in Jonah Hill’s “Mid90s,” Then there’s the Broadway show, running eight shows a week. And the two other films he just wrapped. Hedges is enjoying his most prolific year yet, even if it all sounds kind of stressful.
“I like to believe that the second I enter into [a role] and the second I start researching it, my subconscious starts working on it and working on me in ways that I can’t be aware of,” Hedges said. “I don’t see it as that much of a jump from myself. And when I do...
“I like to believe that the second I enter into [a role] and the second I start researching it, my subconscious starts working on it and working on me in ways that I can’t be aware of,” Hedges said. “I don’t see it as that much of a jump from myself. And when I do...
- 11/1/2018
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Author Garrard Conley and Director Joel Edgerton are by DaniElle DeLaite for the movie adaptation of Garrard’s book Boy Erased. The film played very well across the world on the festival circuit and the cast have talked often about why it was essential that they make this film, and why now is the right time.
It stars Edgerton, along with Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Xavier Dolan, Troye Sivan, Jesse Latourette and Britton Sear. Below you’ll find DaniElle’s interview with the writer and director/actor, and below that we have clips from our red carpet interviews in Toronto earlier in the year. We also have an extended interview with Garrard Conley which you can find here.
Boy Erased is released on the 2nd of November, 2018 in the Us and on the 8th of February, 2019 in the UK.
Joel Edgerton & Garrard Conley Boy Erased Interview
Plot:
The...
It stars Edgerton, along with Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Xavier Dolan, Troye Sivan, Jesse Latourette and Britton Sear. Below you’ll find DaniElle’s interview with the writer and director/actor, and below that we have clips from our red carpet interviews in Toronto earlier in the year. We also have an extended interview with Garrard Conley which you can find here.
Boy Erased is released on the 2nd of November, 2018 in the Us and on the 8th of February, 2019 in the UK.
Joel Edgerton & Garrard Conley Boy Erased Interview
Plot:
The...
- 11/1/2018
- by Jon Lyus
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
“Boy Erased,” which is based on Garrard Conley’s 2016 memoir, is comprised of some strong scenes, some flashy scenes, and some scenes that are just scenes. It makes its argument against gay conversion therapy — a form of torture usually rooted in the self-loathing of the so-called therapist — persuasively. And it is dramatically impressive most of the time, but it is also very messy and uneven.
“Boy Erased” is packed with well-known performers, and this can be distracting. Pop star Troye Sivan and Canadian auteur Xavier Dolan play two of the inmates at a detention center called Love in Action, which is where our teenaged protagonist Jared (Lucas Hedges) is sent by his Baptist minister father (Russell Crowe) after he confesses to homosexual feelings. While Sivan and Dolan will likely bring some attention to this film from their respective fan bases, their presence on screen only emphasizes the public-service-message aspect of this production.
“Boy Erased” is packed with well-known performers, and this can be distracting. Pop star Troye Sivan and Canadian auteur Xavier Dolan play two of the inmates at a detention center called Love in Action, which is where our teenaged protagonist Jared (Lucas Hedges) is sent by his Baptist minister father (Russell Crowe) after he confesses to homosexual feelings. While Sivan and Dolan will likely bring some attention to this film from their respective fan bases, their presence on screen only emphasizes the public-service-message aspect of this production.
- 10/31/2018
- by Dan Callahan
- The Wrap
Director Joel Edgerton and an exceptional cast tackle the real-life American horror story of gay conversion therapy in Boy Erased.
In Boy Erased, director and screenwriter Joel Edgerton tackles one of the most horrific outlets for the homophobia and bigotry against Lgbtq people that has gripped certain sectors of our society for years: the conversion therapy program in which men and women who are Lgbtq are subjected to extensive “retraining,” through techniques ranging from religious instruction to outright physical brutality in order to allegedly restore them to heterosexuality.
Of course, this kind of “treatment” is not only nonsense but has been shown to be incredibly harmful to its victims: one’s sexual orientation is not a “choice” or a mental disorder but inherent to one’s very self and identity, and attempts to bury, twist, or distort that can lead to lasting psychological damage and even, in some tragic cases,...
In Boy Erased, director and screenwriter Joel Edgerton tackles one of the most horrific outlets for the homophobia and bigotry against Lgbtq people that has gripped certain sectors of our society for years: the conversion therapy program in which men and women who are Lgbtq are subjected to extensive “retraining,” through techniques ranging from religious instruction to outright physical brutality in order to allegedly restore them to heterosexuality.
Of course, this kind of “treatment” is not only nonsense but has been shown to be incredibly harmful to its victims: one’s sexual orientation is not a “choice” or a mental disorder but inherent to one’s very self and identity, and attempts to bury, twist, or distort that can lead to lasting psychological damage and even, in some tragic cases,...
- 10/31/2018
- Den of Geek
Few images might conjure as much terror and dread as seeing two Baptist church elders entering your home in the middle of the night. It’s precisely what Jared Eamons (Lucas Hedges) sees shortly after coming out as gay to his mother Nancy (Nicole Kidman) and his pastor father Marshall (Russell Crowe). Making his way to the kitchen table where the adults have been discussing how to solve this new evil, the young man is asked a crucial question: is he willing to aid in his own salvation by finding a cure for his malady, or is he ready to leave home and indulge in his sinful “chosen” lifestyle?
We have already learned the answer as the film begins with Jared, accompanied by his mom, en route to attend a gay conversion therapy program ran by Victor Sykes (Joel Edgerton). A character straight out of an X-Men movie, he seems...
We have already learned the answer as the film begins with Jared, accompanied by his mom, en route to attend a gay conversion therapy program ran by Victor Sykes (Joel Edgerton). A character straight out of an X-Men movie, he seems...
- 10/31/2018
- by Jose Solís
- The Film Stage
Universal Pictures has released a new trailer for the gay conversion story starring Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe and Lucas Hedges, ‘Boy Erased’
Written and directed by Joel Edgerton, and based on the memoir by Garrard Conley, Boy Erased stars Edgerton along with Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Xavier Dolan, Troye Sivan, Jesse Latourette and Britton Sear.
Also in trailers – Natalie Portman ‘gives ’em a show’ in full trailer for ‘Vox Lux’
The film hits UK cinemas February 8th 2019
Boy Erased Synopsis
The film tells the story of Jared (Hedges), the son of a Baptist pastor in a small American town, who is outed to his parents (Kidman and Crowe) at age 19. Jared is faced with an ultimatum: attend a conversion therapy program – or be permanently exiled and shunned by his family, friends, and faith. Boy Erased is the true story of one young man’s struggle to find himself...
Written and directed by Joel Edgerton, and based on the memoir by Garrard Conley, Boy Erased stars Edgerton along with Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Xavier Dolan, Troye Sivan, Jesse Latourette and Britton Sear.
Also in trailers – Natalie Portman ‘gives ’em a show’ in full trailer for ‘Vox Lux’
The film hits UK cinemas February 8th 2019
Boy Erased Synopsis
The film tells the story of Jared (Hedges), the son of a Baptist pastor in a small American town, who is outed to his parents (Kidman and Crowe) at age 19. Jared is faced with an ultimatum: attend a conversion therapy program – or be permanently exiled and shunned by his family, friends, and faith. Boy Erased is the true story of one young man’s struggle to find himself...
- 10/31/2018
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
“It’s a conundrum,” said Joel Edgerton, the writer and director of “Boy Erased,” which shines a light on the dark world of gay conversion therapy. “Films preach to the converted: It’s just a given that there are people that are dying to see this film who don’t need their minds changed. How you get people who don’t want to see this film to see it?”
But of course he had a plan. “Understanding the business part of the film business was a big part of casting Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman,” Edgerton explained to Variety on Monday at the movie’s premiere in Los Angeles. “Getting really high-level actors involved was a way to reach a wider audience and to have a louder voice.”
“We’re hoping to go really wide but it’s going to depend on the ticket sales on the coasts unfortunately,” said Garrard Conley,...
But of course he had a plan. “Understanding the business part of the film business was a big part of casting Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman,” Edgerton explained to Variety on Monday at the movie’s premiere in Los Angeles. “Getting really high-level actors involved was a way to reach a wider audience and to have a louder voice.”
“We’re hoping to go really wide but it’s going to depend on the ticket sales on the coasts unfortunately,” said Garrard Conley,...
- 10/30/2018
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
Ahead of its platform release Friday comes a new trailer for Focus Features’ Boy Erased, the drama written and directed by Joel Edgerton based on Garrard Conley’s memoir about coming out to his Southern Baptist parents who sent him to conversion-therapy camp. Lucas Hedges stars alongside Oscar winners Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe in the pic, which has been building up steam since its fall-festival debut at Telluride, then Toronto.
Hedges plays Jared Eamons, the son of a Baptist pastor in a small American town, who must overcome the fallout of being outed to his parents, who struggle with reconciling their love for their son with their beliefs. Fearing a loss of family, friends, and community, Jared is pressured into attending a conversion therapy program. While there, Jared comes into conflict with its leader (Edgerton) and begins his journey to finding his own voice and accepting his true self.
Hedges plays Jared Eamons, the son of a Baptist pastor in a small American town, who must overcome the fallout of being outed to his parents, who struggle with reconciling their love for their son with their beliefs. Fearing a loss of family, friends, and community, Jared is pressured into attending a conversion therapy program. While there, Jared comes into conflict with its leader (Edgerton) and begins his journey to finding his own voice and accepting his true self.
- 10/30/2018
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Talk about a movie with its heart in the right place. In adapting Garrard Conley’s 2016 memoir about enduring a gay conversion facility, writer-director Joel Edgerton manages to criticize the alleged therapy without condemning the individuals caught in its trap. In the case of Jared Eamons, an Arkansas teen played with wrenching conviction by Lucas Hedges (one of the finest actors of his generation), his oppressors appear to be his conservative Christian parents. His dad, Marshall (Russell Crowe), is a Baptist minister (he also owns a Ford dealership) who preaches...
- 10/30/2018
- by Peter Travers
- Rollingstone.com
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