Gay Conversion Therapy Drama ‘Boy Erased’: Why ‘It’s Crucial That It Plays Everywhere’
By Marc Malkin
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) –
“
It
’
s a conundrum,
”
said Joel Edgerton, the writer and director of
“
Boy Erased,
”
which shines a light on the dark world of gay conversion therapy.
“
Films preach to the converted: It
’
s just a given that there are people that are dying to see this film who don
’
t need their minds changed. How you get people who don
’
t want to see this film to see it?
”
But of course he had a plan.
“
Understanding the business part of the film business was a big part of casting Russell
Crowe and Nicole
Kidman,
”
Edgerton explained to Variety on Monday at the movie’s premiere in Los Angeles.
“
Getting really high-level actors involved was a way to reach a wider audience and to have a louder voice.
”
“
We
’
re hoping to go really wide but it
’
s going to depend on the ticket sales on the coasts unfortunately,
”
said Garrard Conley, author of the memoir on which the film is based.
In the movie, Lucas Hedges stars as Conley, who grew up in Arkansas and was sent to a gay conversion therapy program by his mom (Kidman) and his preacher father (Crowe) shortly after enrolling in college.
Will “Boy Erased” even have a theatrical run in the South and, specifically, the Bible Belt?
“
We don
’
t know yet,
”
Conley admitted.
“
It
’
s actually really stressful, but I hope that our LGBT crowd gets behind it. I know it can be
triggering
—
and it
’
s a hard film to watch
—
but it
’
s incredibly important to spread this to as many places as possible. Joel designed it to do that. He was very strategic about getting A-list actors in these parts so that we could get people to go see it who might not otherwise. He
’
s a good businessman in
addition
to being a good director.
”
The experience of making this film served as a coming-out process of sorts for the talent involved.
“
She
’
s coming out as an advocate,
”
Conley said of Kidman
’
s newly vocal support of the LGBTQ community.
“
We
’
re doing this movie to change the world and she
’
s talking about
‘
love is love,
’
which is a big step for her. That
’
s big. It
’
s hard to argue with Nicole Kidman.
”
“
To put your name behind a movie like this is in itself a statement,
”
said co-star
Troye
Sivan, referring to the involvement of Kidman and Hedges.
“
They
’
ve been so generous with their talents and their time and their voices and their platforms. There is value to that.
”
As for Hedges, who recently defined his sexuality as
“
not totally straight,
”
he felt closer than ever to the LGBTQ community after making this movie.
“
I am in deep now,
”
he told Variety in between showing off his dance moves and chugging a bottle of water on the red carpet.
“
I have a community of people who are at the forefront of this movement whether it
’
s Garrard or some of the people at the Trevor Project that I met. I feel a personal connection to their stories and I feel invested in their lives and I
really
care about them.
”
While others expressed concern for the future of LGBTQ rights in America (
“
This is a really terrifying time,
”
said Sivan, while Conley claimed:
“
The administration is trying to kill us
”
), Hedges remains hopeful and even optimistic.
“
The beauty of where the world is headed is that the harder it gets, the more people will step up,
”
he said.
“
And I think my generation and particularly the one before me is challenging the status quo in a way that is really remarkable. So I think there is an upside
—
and a lot of opposition coming
—
for the president or for the administration right now. There is a movement waiting to respond.
”
“
Boy Erased
”
is one of the more high-profile responses so far.
“
It
’
s crucial that it plays everywhere,
for people who go to church and think that gay people need to be fixed, that they
’
re doing Satan
’
s work,” said co-star Flea. Joel did a good job of telling a story without being judgmental of anybody,
”
added the musician/actor and longtime LGBTQ ally.
“
I think this film could be a powerful tool of communication to help people love one another.
Communication and love is the answer to everything.
”
“
The moment I put the book down, it was like it dragged me along,
”
Edgerton said of his emotional response to the memoir.
“
It was a project like no other —
it had chosen me rather than I had chosen it. I couldn
’
t help it, you know? In some ways, I
’
m like:
‘
Why have I spent a year and a half of my life doing this?
’
And I would never exchange it for the world.
”
