For nearly a month, the closest place to Clemson that was showing “Boy Erased,” a film about a boy’s struggle with forced gay conversion therapy, was Gainesville, Ga. However, in the wake of a slightly more widespread release, the Regal Cherrydale Stadium 16 in Greenville is now showing the film, and here are some reasons (in no particular order) why you, a college student attending Clemson University, should put forth the effort to go see “Boy Erased.”
1) It contains a powerful message about sexual violence
That being said, be mindful that “Boy Erased” does contain graphic sexual violence, so use caution if you might be triggered by that. Without giving away too many spoilers, just know that the film portrays a powerful and important message, especially when living in an environment, such as college, where sexual violence is abundant, but so often goes ignored or hidden.
2) It demonstrates the change a person can go through after starting college
The main storyline takes place during what is assumedly a summer break after Jared Eamons (Lucas Hedges) finishes his first year of college. It briefly portrays ways in which students can feel isolated and cast off from their peers, but then eventually juxtaposes that by showing the friends that Eamons has gained and the niche he has carved for himself, enabling himself to be more confident. It’s a shining example of ways students’ personalities and confidence can evolve during their years at college.
3) It’s overall an excellent movie
If one were to go by the traditional rating system, this movie would receive 10 out of 10 stars. The narrative style, though initially surprising, was done well and works with the story the film is trying to tell. This is the story of a boy being erased, so it does not give a linear representation of all the events that led to his being erased. Instead, his attempted erasure is portrayed linearly, and the related events that certain days and moments during this terrible process remind him of are shown during flashbacks. As the characters in the film are attempting to erase Eamons, the audience is attempting to solve him as if he is a puzzle. The narration style pulls in the audience and keeps them invested, and the narration itself is ironic, yet truthful enough to be both heartbreaking and understandable. It’s not a film for all ages, but it is clearly made for all kinds of people.
4) It’s based on a true story and aims to make a change
Unlike most, if not all, movies that are currently in theatres, “Boy Erased” takes a man’s true life story and aims to use that to put a stop to conversion therapy. This isn’t a fictional fairy tale or a feel-good biopic. This story is real and true, and it puts the lives of people who are so often ignored into perspective. It’s a healthy dose of truth that is long overdue, and it’s important that we all acknowledge and accept such truth, and aim to aid that change.
5) It took a while to be more widely released in this area, and there’s a reason for that
Welcome to the Bible Belt, a place where there are far too many families who believe in and support conversion therapy. “Boy Erased” is meant to expand horizons and illuminate minds, and as students living in rural South Carolina until we graduate, it is imperative that we realize the atmosphere we live in and understand the necessity to question such an atmosphere. College is for growth and learning, and it’s impossible to do so without using tools and resources, such as this film, to understand perspectives of people outside of the small town of Clemson.
