Beautiful Boy

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  • Opened June 3, 2011 (Limited 6/3)
  • 1 hr 40 min
  • R | Some language and a scene of sexuality

  • Parents: Common Sense Media says OK for kids 16+. More on child suitability

  • Bill (Michael Sheen) and Kate (Maria Bello) hopelessly try to find some hint of an explanation after finding out that their only son committed a mass shooting at his university before taking his own life. They struggle numbly through the funeral, the media onslaught, and the awkward pity from relatives and friends. Their already strained marriage is tested as they realize all they have left with each other is their shared grief and confusion-and the unfortunate legacy of their son. This life-altering event forces Bill and Kate to face their feelings of guilt, rage, blame, self-discovery and ultimately hope so that they can finally see each other and their chance for happiness again with clear eyes. Full synopsis

  • Cast: Maria Bello, Michael Sheen, Alan Tudyk, Moon Bloodgood, Austin Nichols, Kyle Gallner
  • Director: Shawn Ku
  • Genres: Drama

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Fans say Go
12 fans
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Critics say Go
62 out of 100
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Fan Reviews

Must Go!
Beautifully Done

by RaveReview

The film invites us in to look at those burning questions - "Why does it happen and how would I feel if it happened in my family?" Like all of the best films, the writers give you the opportunity to...

Must Go!
Beautiful Boy

by uass

Quietly intense and beautifully done. It moved me and I loved it! I highly recommend....

No
Morbid and Depressing

by Codyblue

Well, yes the topic and question of "what if that were my child committing such horrid acts" as those committed at Columbine and other college campuses may be interesting to ponder......but only for...

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Critic Reviews

88
New York Observer
| Rex Reed

Too bleak and wrenching to recommend unconditionally. You need a strong constitution to watch it soberly, but it is a gripping experience that left me weak in the knees. Read full review

85
NPR
| Jeannette Catsoulis

Beautiful Boy is the antithesis of melodrama. Painfully perceptive and relentlessly raw, this intimate observation of a couple in extremis plays out with such subdued intensity that, by the end, audiences will very likely feel as wrung out as its embattled stars. Read full review

80
Movieline
| Michelle Orange

Ultimately, the effort, however rough in patches, is to be admired. We need our best minds on this subject, in all arenas, and Beautiful Boy is another jagged, early piece in a puzzle whose borders haven't formed yet. Read full review

75
Rolling Stone
| Peter Travers

Blazing performance will burn in your memory. Same goes for the film. Read full review

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Photos

Maria Bello as Kate Carroll and Michael Sheen as Bill Carroll in ``Beautiful Boy.''