by Ashlyn Grace Brothers
Hollywood has highlighted a plethora of progressive subjects in recent years such as the #MeToo Movement, race, sexual orientation, political propaganda, and mental health. A more recent topic that has taken the screen by storm is drug abuse and alcoholism, which is highlighted in not one, but two 2019 Academy Award nominees.
“Beautiful Boy,” starring Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet, is a film based on two memoirs written by David Sheff and Nic Sheff. The movie focuses on the relationship between father and son while capturing the struggle of survival, relapse, and recovery. The raw emotion and vividly real depictions of addiction will cause your tummy to turn and chills to shoot up your spine. One of the things that makes it so impactful is the progression of time. This is a story of longevity. It walks the audience through countless years of the burden Nic battles. Plus, you’re witnessing how families cope and how a father navigates through his son’s drug addiction. Sometimes there is no easy or right answer. There’s only hard and harder, but the question of whether you made the right decision or not will remain. How long do you fight for your son when all he does is fight back, especially at the cost of your sanity and the expense of your relationships with others? For David, it wasn’t a matter of giving up rather an intentional decision to not give in. This is one of the hardest movies to sit through; nevertheless, the true story needed to be told.
Click here to watch the “Beautiful Boy” trailer.
Then, there was the fourth remake of the movie “A Star is Born.” Perhaps the number sounds a little excessive; however, this is a story I could watch over and over again and it would never grow old. “A Star is Born” tells the story of a famous singer-songwriter, Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper), who stumbles into a local drag bar where he meets the woman of his dreams. He stares with admiration at Ally (Lady Gaga) who sings with soul and authenticity. The two end up grabbing a drink, and the drink turns into a date. Before you know it, the two are inseparable. After extending an invitation to his concert, Jack brings Ally on stage to share a song. Just as his career takes a hit, her career takes off. Jack helps Ally discover her voice and find fame, even at the expense of his own health. Things take a turn for the worst and his addiction to prescription drugs and alcohol hinders his ability to control his behavior. Even so, the love between Jack and Ally never waivers. This story is yet another example of someone who stands by their loved one despite the difficulty. According to People, Lady Gaga shot one of the most emotional scenes of the movie shortly after her friend Sonja Durham died from cancer. With that being said, I think it’s safe to say her acting was all too real and worthy of her nominations.
Click here to watch the “A Star is Born” trailer.
Why is this so prevalent in today’s movies? Maybe because it’s so prevalent in society. For the first time in a long time, people are not shamed for their stories but encouraged to share the most intimate and irritating aspects of their lives. It’s dawned on us that it’s time to teach the truth to prevent further loss and to help those who do struggle cope. Famous actors alike are at the forefront of the movement and now the public can follow in their footsteps by sharing their stories and taking the road to recovery.