Cleansing demons through art is nothing new, but what Shia LaBeouf has done with Honey Boy goes beyond what most artists lay bare. No stranger to legal troubles and the kinds of issues common with former child actors, LaBeouf appears to have righted himself professionally, and let’s hope personally. It’s great to see someone find their stride, and to use acting as a method of healing rather than an excuse for destruction.
Written by LaBeouf as part of a court-ordered stint in rehab, Honey Boy explores the complicated relationship between the child actor and his erratic father. But this isn’t Mommie Dearest – it’s not a denouncement of behavior or an accusation of wrongdoing. LaBeouf’s choice to play his dad himself tells us that this is an act of therapy – an earnest soul search meant to heal instead of hurt.
Director Alma Har’el doesn’t take us through a rote lesson on neglectful and exploitative child-rearing but instead moves us in time from the adult version of LaBeouf (named Otis Lort in the film, played by Lucas Hedges) who’s unenthusiastically stuck in rehab, to his child actor self (a spectacular Noah Jupe) living with his father in a shabby Los Angeles SRO. The contrasting timelines offer much-needed insight into cause and effect, while the honesty in the writing drives the nail home.
The enlightenment LaBeouf has discovered about his upbringing and how it has affected his career and adult life must certainly be difficult abstractions to come to terms with, but under the right direction and with the right supporting cast, these reflections come to life in vivid and sometimes surreal ways. Har’el isn’t afraid to use dreamlike imagery to convey the confusion that can come with the process of forgiveness, and does so with tenderness and empathy for all her characters. The final sequences of the film could be nightmarish if taken out of context, but the raw emotion between father and son (symbolic or otherwise) is instead a powerful mixture of absolution and regret.
But it’s LaBeouf’s portrayal of his father that makes Honey Boy such a unique and heartbreaking movie. It’s clear there’s no one better qualified for the part, but to get into the head of your life’s biggest influence and adversary must be a nearly unbearable mix of catharsis and trauma. LaBeouf, who was diagnosed as having PTSD while in rehab, seems to have successfully channeled his work towards the former, and we’re all better for it. His performance is so successfully wrought with jealousy, pettiness, intimidation, eccentricity, sadness, and fear because he is the only person who can make us truly believe that this man existed (or exists, rather), as he is the kid who lived through it. Had anyone else tried, I fear we’d be back to mentioning Mommie Dearest.
James is a writer, record collector, wrestling nerd, and tabletop gamer living with his family in Asheville, North Carolina. He is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the North Carolina Film Critics Association, and contributes to The Daily Orca, Razorcake Magazine, Mountain Xpress, and Asheville Movies.