Otis (Lucas Hedges) has just been arrested for drunk driving, for the third time, and has been ordered to attend rehab. While in rehab he is diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and is forced to take serious action in order to resolve his destructive behaviors. Throughout his time in rehab he remembers his early life with his father--James (Shia LaBeouf) and Honey Boy is a recount of the difficulties of Shia LaBeouf's real life.
Honey Boy has two stories running parallel to one another. The first story is twenty-two-year-old Otis’ journey through rehab. He is depicted struggling with depression, PTSD, and a general misunderstanding of what his life means. The second story, the one that is the driving force behind the film, sees a twelve-year-old Otis (Noah Jupe) struggling with adolescence and his physically and emotionally abusive father. Viewers are thrown, at different moments, into each of the aforementioned stories and are forcibly enveloped by a roller coaster of emotions. The audience is given no choice but to feel connected to both versions of Otis and understand that his upbringing and many of the mistakes that he made throughout his life are through no fault of his own. With little in terms of writing screenplays prior to Honey Boy, it seems clear, with this feature length addition to his resume, that LaBeouf, should he choose to, has the ability to find immense success in this field. His ability to frame a story and find a way to make viewers feel sorry for behaviors that are typically inexcusable (i.e. drunk driving) is an astounding testament to his writing ability, his creativity, and his understanding of the audience.
LaBeouf’s physical presence in the film makes sense as his connection to the content is personal. Viewers never question the fact that he wants to act in the film, however, there’s this back-and-forth struggle present throughout the film for viewers regarding the role he plays, James (his own father). While not a minute passes where he isn’t convincing in his performance, there is an aesthetic disconnect between how LaBeouf is viewed by fans and James in Honey Boy. Again, I’m certainly not saying that Labeouf is unconvincing, but the reality is that some actors don’t physically fit certain roles, and, sadly, that’s the case with Honey Boy. As much as fans struggle to picture LaBeouf as Frank, the opposite is true of Jupe in his role as Otis (or the fictional version of the adolescent LaBeouf). Not a minute passes that viewers don’t feel a physical and emotional connection to the young Jupe and his inspiring talent.
Every moment of Jupe’s performance feels real and tangible. There are films that force viewers to become attached to the characters, as in, the performances are so perfect and the characters so relatable that the viewers aren't given the option, they simply feel the connection. Jupe’s performance throughout Honey Boy is an example of this, as viewers have no choice but to fall in love with the hardworking young actor and feel for him throughout the course of his father’s destructive behavior.
There is a small chance that viewers look at Honey Boy as LaBeouf’s attempt to justify his behavior over the course of the past decade; and, while that understanding of the film is possible, it seems that the purpose of Honey Boy is to simply explain why things played out the way they did throughout the course of his life. While I am not always incredibly forgiving in nature, and I’m not entirely sure that I forgive or excuse LaBeouf’s past transgressions, Honey Boy allowed me, and other viewers, to fully understand the extent of his mental illness and the struggles he faced during his upbringing. Again, I don’t believe that Honey Boy does, or even aims to, justify anything from LaBeouf’s past, but the beautiful performances by himself, Jupe, and Hedges allow fans of the actor (and those somewhat unfamiliar with his work) to understand the “why” behind everything that has transpired throughout the story of Shia LaBeouf.
Directed by Alma Har’el.
Written by Shia LaBeouf.
Starring Shia LaBeouf, Lucas Hedges, Noah Jupe, Byron Bowers, Laura San Giacomo, FKA Twigs, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
댓글