BOY ERASED | FAMILY MOVIE REVIEW INFORMATION FOR PARENTS AND KIDS

"BOY ERASED"
(2018) (Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman) (R)

QUICK TAKE:: Drama: An eighteen-year-old gay college student must contend with his religious parents forcing him into a 12-day conversion therapy program.

PLOT:

Having eventually realized he wasn't attracted to his high school girlfriend, Chloe (MADELYN CLINE), 18-year-old Jared Eamons (LUCAS HEDGES) fully accepts that he's gay as he enters his first year of college. But after being raped by another student, Henry (JOE ALWYN), who then fakes being a school counselor, calls Jared's mom and outs him, the situation comes to a head at home.

The teen's parents -- local pastor and car dealership owner Marshall (RUSSELL CROWE) and his wife, Nancy (NICOLE KIDMAN) -- are religiously conservative and believe their boy is broken. But they also believe he can be fixed -- only if he wants that change, rejects the gay lifestyle and returns to God -- by attending a 12-day program at Love in Action.

That's a facility run by Victor Sykes (JOEL EDGERTON) with the help of aides such as Michael (DAVID JOSEPH CRAIG) that practices conversion therapy to turn gay boys and girls back into heterosexuals. Along with other attendees such as Cameron (BRITTON SEAR), Gary (TROYE SIVAN) and Jon (XAVIER DOLAN), Jared is essentially imprisoned for the day, only to return to a hotel room with his mom while they're away from home. Having to endure various aspects of Victor's "treatment," Jared tries to come to grips with his sexuality and his relationship with his parents in that regard.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: Older teens might, especially if the story and subject matter proves intriguing to them. Otherwise, it doesn't seem that likely.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R: For sexual content including an assault, some language and brief drug use.

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