Beautiful Boy

Movie Description
Beautiful Boy is an unconventional love story that explores the journey of a married couple on the verge of separation, who must live with unimaginable heartbreak, and find healing through the darkest days of their lives.

Bill (Michael Sheen) and Kate (Maria Bello) hopelessly try to find some hint of an explanation after finding out that their only son committed a mass shooting at his university before taking his own life. They struggle numbly through the funeral, the media onslaught, and the awkward pity from relatives and friends. Their already strained marriage is tested as they realize all they have left with each other is their shared grief and confusion--and the unfortunate legacy of their son. This life-altering event forces Bill and Kate to face their feelings of guilt, rage, blame, self-discovery --and ultimately hope--so that they can finally see each other and their chance for happiness again with clear eyes.

My thoughts
While going through a separation, a couple learns that their son has murdered fellow students and teachers at the college he is attending. Then he kills himself. Dealing with the aftermath, these two also have to deal with the media, family, friends, co-workers and themselves.

This was a tough subject, and although the acting was magnificent, I found the movie to be slow. Some of the characterizations were like cardboard figures while the two main characters had depth (I guess because they had the most emotional scenes). I had expected it to be a real tear-jerker and had the tissues ready. Didn’t need them. It had been on my watch list for some time, but it is not one that I would view again.

Disclosure: I received this DVD for review through the amazon.com vine program. I received no compensation for my thoughts.