Boy Erased is a powerful film that transcends the screen and touches the hearts of the viewers. It tells the story of Jared Eamons, a young man who is forced to attend a gay conversion therapy program called Love In Action (LIA) in Memphis, Tennessee. There, he faces harsh judgments and treatments for his sexuality and his fellow “patients.”
Lucas Hedge delivers a subtle and sensitive performance as Jared Eamons, the son of Nancy and Marshall, who struggle to accept his homosexuality with compassion and not contempt.
IS BOY ERASED A TRUE STORY? ‘Boy Erased’ is inspired by a true story. It is based on the 2016 memoir by Garrard Conley, who recounts his experience of being outed as gay and sent to a conversion therapy program by his parents. Conley also reveals the trauma of being sexually assaulted by a classmate in an interview with The Guardian. He said, “It seemed like my homosexuality would be more shocking than my rape, or that it would seem like I deserved it somehow.” In his book, he describes his time at LIA and the same issues that are explored in the 2018 film.
The film adaptation by Joel Edgerton differs from the book in some aspects. For example, the scene where a boy’s head is dunked in water by the guards and Jared is restrained from helping him is a creative addition by Edgerton.
Edgerton, who also directed and played the role of Victor Sykes, LIA’s head therapist, told The Guardian that he was nervous about telling a story that he was not personally connected to. He said, “I’m so passionate about it and I can’t get this out of my head.” He also consulted with GLAAD, an organization that monitors the media representation of LGBTQ+ people.
Victor Sykes, who later apologized for the harm he caused and came out as gay himself, is one of the characters that Conley exposes in his memoir. Another pair of characters are Nancy and Marshall Eamons, Jared’s parents. They go through their own transformation as they wrestle with their faith and their love for their son. Nancy, in particular, is determined to protect her son from a place that took away his spark.
Jared eventually finds a way to express himself through writing, not only to his father but to anyone who might need it, as his mother tells him in a heartfelt scene.