LAS VEGAS – Yes, it’s only April. Yes, early Oscar or award season takes without seeing the actual movie are often ridiculous and should be avoided like the plague. And, notably, hot takes often tend to piss people off. All that considered, the oxygen pumped into the ballroom at Caesars Palace during CinemaCon must be affecting my judgement because I’m going there anyway. The hype is real. Timothée Chalamet is looking at another awards season run, but this time for Amazon Studios new drama “Beautiful Boy.”
Timothée Chalamet is living the dream thanks to “Call Me By Your Name” [Interview]
Based on two novels, “Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction” by David Sheff and his son Nick Sheff’s “Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamine,” the movie follows the relationship between David (Steve Carell) and Nic (Chalamet) as the later deals with meth addiction in his early 20’s. But, obviously, this awards season take is based on more than just the subject matter.
Consider that the film was directed by Felix Van Groeningen who has earned massive critical acclaim for Foreign Language Film nominee “The Broken Circle Breakdown” and “Belgica,” which premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival where the Belgian filmmaker took Best Director honors in the World Cinema Dramatic section. And it’s being produced by Plan B which brought you Best Picture winners “Moonlight” and “12 Years A Slave” as well as “Selma,” “The Big Short” and “Okja,” among others (basically Brad Pitt and his partners Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner have taste). Those credentials aren’t enough though for such an early “hot take.”
What sold this pundit on Chalamet was the extended scene between the “Call Me By Your Name” actor and Carell that was “exclusively” shown to the press and exhibitors at CinemaCon. It began with Carell sitting at a booth in a San Francisco dinner remembering the joy and inherent love of when he held a 5-year-old or so Nic in the same booth years earlier. When adult Nic shows up he’s clearly on edge and their conversation begins to tell the tale of what’s really going on.
Almost immediately Nic lets his father know he’s been clean for five weeks (of what he doesn’t say). His dad is thrilled, but Nic quickly lets him know he needs $200 to cover things. As they continue talking Nic gets increasingly agitated that his father doesn’t seem keen on providing the money. Chalamet plays this scene like a fine symphony introducing new aspects of his bubbling anger throughout their sit down. Nic starts to push fear buttons with his father suggesting he’ll move to New York because he’s over San Francisco. As his desperation grows he lashes out when he thinks his father is making him guilty for not visiting his half-siblings. It’s a deflection his dad calls him out on that makes him angrily put on his hat and barely say goodbye as he jets out of the restaurant.
In the wrong hands this scene could have reeked with one drug addict cliche after another. Chalamet won’t let it though. He simply doesn’t have it in him. So, ponder the possibilities. Sometimes you just know.
Now, is the 22-year-old a lock to win an Oscar or even get nominated? Don’t be silly, we’re not going there. Not until we see it anyway. I mean, no one knows if he’ll even be considered a lead or supporting actor in the movie (if the film is through the eyes of Carell’s character it’s probably the latter). Those caveats aside, you are going to hear a lot about this performance. And it’s going to be hyped by everybody and their grandmother and that means Chalamet should be back on the awards circuit once more after earning a Best Actor nomination in January and winning a Spirit Award in March.
Aren’t you excited?
Oh, and the photo accompanying this post is of Amazon Studios Marketing head Bob Berney talking about the film with Carell while Chalamet Skyped in from London. Well, he tried to. The audio kept going in and out, but it’s Timothée. Just the sight of his smiling face made everyone in the audience laugh with joy.
Again, aren’t you excited?
Amazon Studios has currently slotted “Beautiful Boy” for an Oscar-friendly limited release on Oct. 12 and we expect to see it at a number of the fall film festivals immediately prior.