'The son of a Baptist preacher is forced to participate in a church-supported gay conversion program after being forcibly outed to his parents.' (Production summary)
'In a society in which huge advances have been made in the rights and acceptance of same-sex-attracted people, vestiges of Western society's homophobic past persist - one of the most confronting being the so-called gay conversion therapy offered by some Christian organisations. Delving into a pair of new films that, in different ways, explore the experience of undergoing this 'treatment' - with all its harms and complexities - Adolfo Aranjuez finds affecting depictions of young people who need support rather than suppression.'
Source: Abstract.
'We all love redemption movies. The twist in Boy Erased is that redemption comes by escaping religion rather than discovering it. Garrard Conley is a nineteen-year-old college student who grew up in a fundamentalist Baptist family in Arkansas. When his parents discover his homosexuality, they pressure him into attending a Christian conversion camp, where he lasts twelve days before fleeing. In 2016, Conley published a memoir (Boy Erased) which detailed his experiences.' (Introduction)
'Joel Edgerton’s Boy Erased may lack depth in its examination of LGBTQIA torment, but its handling of family dynamics and the performances of Luke Hedges and Nicole Kidman are cause for redemption.' (Introduction)
'I always try my hardest to go into every film with an open mind and not write off anything before I see it. This was particularly hard to do with Joel Edgerton’s Boy Erased. I was trepidatious about going to see the film. Call me cynical, but I am always wary when a queer film directed by a straight filmmaker receives Oscar buzz. I’m looking at you Danish Girl, Dallas Buyers Club and The Imitation Game.' (Production summary)
'What's a straight Australian man doing making a film about gay conversion therapy in America?' (Introduction)
'Joel Edgerton’s Boy Erased may lack depth in its examination of LGBTQIA torment, but its handling of family dynamics and the performances of Luke Hedges and Nicole Kidman are cause for redemption.' (Introduction)
'We all love redemption movies. The twist in Boy Erased is that redemption comes by escaping religion rather than discovering it. Garrard Conley is a nineteen-year-old college student who grew up in a fundamentalist Baptist family in Arkansas. When his parents discover his homosexuality, they pressure him into attending a Christian conversion camp, where he lasts twelve days before fleeing. In 2016, Conley published a memoir (Boy Erased) which detailed his experiences.' (Introduction)
