See how being a father impacted 'Beautiful Boy' director Felix van Groeningen's grappling with the narrative.

Photography by Christopher Sherman

Styling by Corey Ng

&quot;Families go through ordeals,&rdquo; notes Felix van Groeningen, director of Beautiful Boy, an emotional tale of a young man&rsquo;s battle with sobriety and his father&rsquo;s earnest attempt to support him. Starring Timoth&eacute;e Chalamet as a struggling methamphetamine addict and Steve Carell as his father, the film is based on two real-life memoirs by David Sheff and his son Nic Sheff.

When it came time to write the screenplay for Beautiful Boy, van Groeningen and his co-writer, Luke Davies, were confronted with how to reconcile one event told from two differing perspectives. &ldquo;Nic&rsquo;s story,&rdquo; van Groeningen points out, &ldquo;had to be boiled down to experiencing the relapses with him.&rdquo; Indeed, one of the keynarrative elements to Beautiful Boy&nbsp;is the cyclical nature of drug addiction itself, the dialectic of using and then cleaning up, then using again. &ldquo;The thing we really needed to embrace,&rdquo; van Groeningen says, &ldquo;is the repetitive nature of addiction,&rdquo; but also how, with each relapse, &ldquo;the characters evolve and learn about each other.&rdquo;

Having himself just recently become a father, van Groeningen admits to identifying with David Sheff &rsquo;s memoir and the intense physical and emotional attachments parents have with their children. When pressed as to how being a parent has changed him, van Groeningen confesses, &ldquo;One of the fascinating things about becoming a father is the incredible physical connection you have with your kid.&rdquo; What could be more beautiful than that?

Casting: Ian Monroe

Beautiful Boy Director Felix van Groeningen on the Nature of Addiction

L'OFFICIEL USA May 2024 - Natalie Portman Cover

L'OFFICIEL HOMMES USA April 2024 - Jake Gyllenhaal Cover

L'OFFICIEL HOMMES USA April 2024 - Zayn Malik Cover

Beautiful Boy Director Felix van Groeningen on the Nature of Addiction

Related Articles

Film & TV

Sofia Boutella on the Spontaneity Behind Her Latest Performance

Film & TV

Troye Sivan Takes on the Silver Screen With 'Boy Erased'

Film & TV

Steven Yeun is an Enigma in his Latest Film 'Burning'

Recommended posts for you

Pop culture

Celebrities to See on Broadway Right Now

Fashion

11 Destination Fashion Shows in 2024

Fashion

Gigi Hadid's Best Bikini Moments Over the Years

Pop culture

Young Photos of Adam Brody

Fashion

See All the Celebrities at Louis Vuitton's Pre-Fall 2024 Show

Pop culture

Why The Internet is Obsessed With Nico Hiraga

Pop culture

Suri Cruise Celebrates Her 18th Birthday

Music

Everything to Know About Taylor Swift's New Album 'The Tortured Poets Department'