Beautiful Boy (2010)

Director:

Shawn Ku

Writers (WGA):

Michael Armbruster (written by) &
Shawn Ku (written by)

Release Date:

4 November 2011 (Brazil)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

To confront the truth, first they had to face each other.

Plot:

A married couple on the verge of separation are leveled by the news their 18-year-old son committed a mass shooting at his college, then took his own life.

Plot Keywords:

College | Grief | Separation | Sadness | Mother Son Relationship

Awards:

2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Logan South	...	Young Sammy
Maria Bello	...	Kate
Michael Sheen	...	Bill
Kyle Gallner	...	Sammy
Bruce French	...	Harry
Austin Nichols	...	Cooper
Gregory Alpert	...	Baby Shower Carl / Web Reporter Voice (as Gregory H. Alpert)
Deidrie Henry	...	Bonnie
Kelli Kirkland	...	TV News Reporter (as Kelli Kirkland Powers)
David Lipper	...	Radio Reporter Voice / Television Ranter
Nigel Gibbs	...	Police Detective
Brooke Lyons	...	TV Reporter Voice
Michael Call	...	TV Reporter Voice
Alan Tudyk	...	Eric
Moon Bloodgood	...	Trish
Cody Wai-Ho Lee	...	Dylan
Jessie Usher	...	Basketball Teen
Davidson Park	...	Other Basketball Player
Caleb Pearson	...	Other Basketball Player
Joshua Shannon	...	Other Basketball Player
Darren O'Hare	...	Church Pastor
Myra Turley	...	Grieving Mother Patty
Bella King	...	Motel Clerk's Daughter
Meat Loaf	...	Motel Clerk (as Meat Loaf Aday)
Drake Kemper	...	Teenage Burglar
Kylie Anderson	...	Bill's Coworker
Mary Jane Gibson	...	Bill's Coworker
Tor Campbell	...	Bill's Coworker
Stephen Murano	...	Bill's Coworker
Judith Marie DiGiacomo	...	Bill's Coworker (as Judith DiGiacomo)
Josephine Ullrich	...	Bill's Coworker
Joe Dioletto	...	Bill's Coworker
Philip Zurfluh	...	Bill's Coworker

Directed by
Shawn Ku

Writing credits (WGA)
Michael Armbruster		(written by) &
Shawn Ku		(written by)

Produced by
Lee Clay	....	producer
Richard Gabai	....	executive producer
Eric Gozlan	....	producer
Connie Iott	....	associate producer
Richard Iott	....	executive producer
Mark Moran	....	executive producer
Trey Morgan	....	associate producer
Martin Scharf	....	associate producer
Todd Williams	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Trevor Morris

Cinematography by
Michael Fimognari		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Chad Galster

Casting by
Ania Kamieniecki-O'Hare
Tannis Vallely

Production Design by
Gabor Norman

Art Direction by
Abigail Potter

Set Decoration by
Gladys Rodriguez

Costume Design by
Cynthia Ann Summers		(as Cynthia Summers)

Makeup Department
Brian Steven Banks	....	key hair stylist
Felicia Leatherwood	....	assistant hair stylist
Denise Paulson	....	key makeup artist
Rebecca Wachtel	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Mark Moran	....	unit production manager
Nancy Valle	....	executive in charge of post-production: Anchor Bay

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Karen Miller Ehrlich	....	second second assistant director (as Karen Miller)
Timothy Grant Engle	....	second assistant director (as Tim Eagle)
Mark Hansson	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Quinten A. Avila	....	sketch artist
Anthony Cafaro	....	leadman
Angela Carroll	....	set dressing assistant (as Angela Carroll)
Michelle Daniels	....	set dressing assistant
Ellen Dorros	....	set dressing assistant
Joseph East	....	property assistant
Jeffrey Givens	....	property master
Rachel Howard	....	set dressing assistant
Naoko Inada	....	on-set dresser
Shawna Stone	....	art department intern
Joann Gross	....	painter (uncredited)
Doc McFadzen	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)
Doc McFadzen	....	set designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Joe Dzuban	....	sound re-recording mixer
Joe Dzuban	....	supervising sound editor
Justin Dzuban	....	dialogue editor
Craig Mann	....	sound re-recording mixer
George Pereyra	....	sound effects editor
Amy Reynolds	....	sound effects editor
Tania Rudecino	....	foley artist
David Stark	....	boom operator
David Waelder	....	production sound mixer
James Wright	....	dolby sound consultant (as Jim Wright)

Visual Effects by
Matt Stone	....	motion graphics

Camera and Electrical Department
Larry Brecht Jr.	....	additional electrician (as Larry Brecht)
Yvonne Chu	....	first assistant camera
Marc Cohen	....	company grip
Alissa Davis	....	camera intern
Chris Ferguson	....	additional electrician
Mike Foodman	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Jordan Garretson	....	chief lighting technician
Sean Griffith	....	additional grip (as R. Sean Griffith)
Rick Griggs	....	best boy grip
Thad Hall	....	additional electrician (as Thaddeus Hall)
Tim Herman	....	additional grip
Joshua Lee Huber	....	additional electrician (as Joshua Huber)
Joel Jaspan	....	additional grip
Paul Lambiase	....	additional grip
Craig Lerner	....	additional grip
Timothy McCrary	....	additional electrician
Justina Mintz	....	still photographer
Kevin Mucha	....	additional electrician
Chris Nabers	....	company electrician
Tony Oberstar	....	camera intern
Michael Silva	....	additional electrician
Jim Stirtiz	....	key grip
Deron Tse	....	additional grip
Zoe Van Brunt	....	second assistant camera
John Van Valkenburgh	....	additional electrician
Neil Chartier	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Ryan Roberts	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Animation Department
David Bokser	....	animator: clip

Casting Department
Kristan Berona	....	extras casting: Sande Alessi Casting
Liz Ludwitzke	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Daniel Flores	....	set costumer
Jennifer Head	....	additional set costumer
Billy Ray McKenna	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Karlo Babakhanian	....	iq assistant
Lou Cafini	....	negative inspector: Telecine Pacific
Christine Carr	....	digital intermediate producer
Manny Dubon	....	iq artist
Gregg Garvin	....	digital intermediate colorist
Vahe Giragol	....	iq assistant
Gregg Lang	....	telecine operator: Laser Pacific
Thomas N. Martin	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Steven Davis	....	technical score producer
T.J. Lindgren	....	music producer
Trevor Morris	....	music producer
T.J. Lindgren	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Nathaniel Smith	....	assistant to composer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Michael Burnette	....	transportation coordinator (as Mike Burnette)
Kip Fazzone	....	driver
Lee Jennings	....	driver
Freddie Sanchez	....	transportation captain (as Fred Sanchez)

Other crew
Gregory Alpert	....	location manager
Andrew Ansnick	....	set production assistant
Maxine Arbarbara	....	studio teacher (as Maxine Abarbara)
Laura Bagano	....	craft service
Rob Baldwin	....	assistant location manager
Claire Benoit	....	legal counsel: Services Juridiques
Luis Bonachea	....	set production assistant
Charmaine Boos	....	studio teacher
Maxine Brooks	....	studio teacher
Josh Burstein	....	production intern
Rory Dauson	....	assistant location scout
Anna DiNuovo	....	account manager: Laser Pacific
Nate Earley	....	set production assistant
Ron Feddor	....	stand-in: Michael Sheen
Greg Y. Gomez	....	security guard
Sheryl Goodhead	....	sales: Laser Pacific
Chad Gunderson	....	account manager: Laser Pacific
Kent Hamilton	....	production insurance: Truman Van Dytke Company
Carla Legaria	....	catering helper
Carlos Legaria	....	chef
Timothy Martin	....	additional production assistant (as Tim Martin)
Andrew Miller	....	assistant location manager
Kari Montgomery	....	script supervisor
Molly Moran	....	production coordinator
Stuart Neumann	....	co-location manager
Kris Olson	....	assistant production coordinator
Lisa Rae	....	stand-in: Maria Bello
David Royal	....	chef
Paula Schoen	....	medical exams (as Dr. Paula Schoen)
Den Serras	....	title designer
Megan Shaffer	....	production intern
Chandler Shepherd	....	craft service
Allison Sylvia	....	production intern
Eli Van Noppen	....	production intern
Sasha Feiler	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Andrew Jackson Murphy	....	location manager (uncredited)

Thanks
Tim Albrecht	....	in loving memory of
Jethro Rothe-Kushel	....	very special thanks

Production Companies

• First Point Entertainment
• Braeburn Entertainment
• Goldrush Entertainment

Distributors

• Anchor Bay Films (2011) (USA) (theatrical) (limited)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2011) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Anchor Bay Films (2010) (USA) (all media) (all English-speaking rights)
• Eagle Films (2010) (Non-USA) (all media) (middle east)
• Film1 (2012) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)

Other Companies

• AC Vending  props and set dressing
• Acme Fresh Market Catering  catering (as Acme Catering)
• Airwaves Cellular  walkies
• Church & Dwight/Kaboom  provider: Kaboom audio clip
• Cinelease  grip and electric equipment
• DJ Audio  sound track negative
• Eastman Kodak  film stock
• Expendables Recycler  expendables
• Film This  location services
• Film Tools  expendables
• Food Lovers Fat Loss  provider: Food Lovers Fat Loss System audio tape
• Galpin Studio Rentals  trucks
• Green Set  props and set dressing
• Hollywood Camera  camera equipment
• ISS  props and set dressing
• JCL Barricade  location services
• Location Sound Corporation  expendables (as Location Sound)
• Maps by George  location service
• Modern VideoFilm  digital intermediate
• One Stop Leasing  location services
• PES Payroll  payroll services
• Post Haste Sound  commentary recording engineering
• Quixote Studios  production equipment
• Rob Nokes' 3RD Street ADR  adr stage (as 3rd Street ADR)
• Sande Alesai Casting  extras casting (as Sande Alessi Casting)
• Services Juridiques Claire Benoît  legal counsel (as Srvices Jurdiques)
• Set Power  generators
• Soundelux  post-production sound services
• Star Waggons  trailers
• Studio Picture Vehicles  picture cars
• Todd-AO Studios (West)  sound mixing facility (as Todd-AO West)
• Total Transportation Concept  trucks (as Total Transportation)
• Trevor Morris Studios  music recorded and mixed at
• Truman Van Dyke Company  production insurance
• VT Furniture  props and set dressing
• X-press Layout Board  location services

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for some language and a scene of sexuality

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #46652) | Sweden:15 (DVD rating) | Singapore:M18 | Netherlands:12 | Mexico:B15

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

First Point Entertainment

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #1.20" (2011)

Downbeat but richly acted

Beautiful Boy is not a fun movie to watch. Although arrestingly realistic, it can be a pretty painful ordeal to endure. In fact, it feels like such an immaculate representation of what it must be like to live through a horrific tragedy that one feels uneasy, restless, and depressed for hours afterward. So – know that going into the theater.

As the story begins, a college freshman named Sammy is calling his parents at home to check in. Mom Kate (Maria Bello) is a typical concerned parent, wanting her child to do well; Dad Bill (Michael Sheen) asks is Sam needs any money and is doing well, and he hangs up. The next morning, the terrible news: Sam has shot 18 students and teachers in his college before killing himself.

The movie wisely shows us nothing of the massacre; its focus is on the aftermath. Kate and Bill are staked out by the media. They escape to her brother's house to live with him, his wife, and their young son. They are vilified on television and online, particularly on Sam's Facebook. Their parenting is constantly questioned. In short time, they are questioning themselves: Did they make this happen? Kate and Bill had been drifting apart for some time, to the point where Bill was actively looking for a new place to live. The tragedy doesn't immediately bring them together, and it doesn't immediately drive them farther apart. Rather, they each drift some more, apart not just from each other but from reality. They blame themselves. They blame each other. They don't blame anyone. They continue on.

There's hardly a note in the movie that doesn't ring true. These characters are not caricatures, and they aren't archetypes, either. Both Bill and Kate seem completely believable, and with the tragedies in places such as Columbine and Virginia Tech, they are characters who very much feel like they could be living next door to us right now. That they are trashed and widely hated is understandable, and luckily neither character lacks the self-awareness to grasp why people are so mad. Bill reasons that the public wants to believe that the couple feels bad about what their son has done. They do, of course. They show their deepening anguish in different ways, but their devastation is complete. Their lives are seemingly ruined.

But this is not a movie without any hope. The subject matter is gruesome, but it's not tiresome. What we see are real reactions from realistic people. There are no real good guys, just a couple of people who've suddenly lost their way. Whether they regain it is almost immaterial, just as it's almost immaterial whether they regain it together. For us, it's the journey from their discovery through the passage of a week or so that's the true endgame. Neither does the film wallow in sentimentality for the sake of making us feel good. The true moments of joy are fleeting, just as they can be in real life. Even a dark movie can contain passionate performances.