Parents' Guide to

Beautiful Boy

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Agonizing, moving drama about a family torn by tragedy.

Movie R 2011 100 minutes
Beautiful Boy Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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What's the Story?

Their marriage already in tatters, Kate (Maria Bello) and Bill (Michael Sheen) are pushed further to the brink when they learn that their son, Sam (Kyle Gallner), has died during a horrific shooting at a college campus. In fact, he was the gunman. How can they recover from a tragedy like that? It's incredibly difficult, what with the media glare blinding them, the well-meaning relatives who are seeking answers that Kate and Bill themselves don't hold, and the crushing guilt, shock, and grief they feel as they try to make sense of it all.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

BEAUTIFUL BOY takes viewers to the heart of darkness with its memorable portrait of a couple in crisis. Rather than creating a cinematic car wreck at which audiences would be ashamed to gawk, it's sensitive, wise, and painful beyond most measures. The account it offers -- what happens to the parents of the people who commit such tragic crimes? -- is valuable, challenging us to question the sometimes-paint-by-numbers view we get in the news of the people who hurt others in such spectacularly harrowing ways. The film especially works because of the leads, Bello and Sheen, who commit to the anguish completely.

Is Beautiful Boy a perfect movie? Not at all. Sometimes it explains too much and works too hard to conjure tears. (We are left spent.) It also tries too hard to arrive at a semi-neat explanation behind what may have moved Sam to commit such an act. But is it affecting? In a despondent, melancholic way, yes.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the movie portrays family relationships. Are the characters and their interactions believable? How does the film's central violent act affect them?

  • Parents, talk to your kids about violence in schools: How can they stay safe? Can incidents like the one in the movie be prevented?

  • How do you feel about the way the movie handled the tragic shooting at the center of the plot? Was it depicted sensitively in light of similar real-life events? How does the media typically address this kind of violence?

Movie Details

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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