Breaking Stigma and Embracing Empathy Through Beautiful Boy
In the 2018 award-winning film Beautiful Boy, directed by Felix Van Groeningen, audiences are immersed in the true-life story of Nicholas Scheff and his battle with drug addiction.
The film resonates with the viewers, shedding light on the harsh yet true reality of addiction that is commonly overlooked and misunderstood.
Beautiful Boy not only engages its audience but also has the potential to provoke a shift in societal perspectives and eradicate the negative stigma associated with drug addiction.
Misconceptions Regarding Drug Addiction
Many misconceptions about drug addiction are instilled into the minds of those living in twenty-first-century America. Individuals who battle drug addiction are typically labeled as pathetic, threats, menaces to society, low lives, and criminals.
Supporting such preconceptions often results in the creation of a more significant disadvantage for those with drug addiction.
Engaging in and endorsing these stereotypes not only damages the well-being and recovery process of those who are struggling but also creates a hostile environment for everyone involved.
People of all different social, racial, and familial backgrounds battle with the disease of drug addiction.
Many assume that most individuals with a drug addiction are from minority groups, but this is a false statistic.
According to Free by the Sea, a drug and alcohol recovery center, “38.2% of eighteen to twenty-five-year-old white adults admitted to using illicit drugs, despite the common misconception that most people struggling with drug addiction are minorities.”
The detrimental racial stigma attached to drug addiction creates barriers for individuals in need of support, leading to isolation and increased suffering due to their fear of ridicule or rejection.
It is essential to come to the understanding that those with addiction are no different from anyone else; they deserve to be respected and offered the appropriate assistance necessary for their well-being rather than offering judgment.
Beautiful Boy Induces Empathy
The film Beautiful Boy is a gut-wrenching film about the story of Nicolas Sheff and his journey through life with drug addiction.
Nicolas is portrayed as a loveable, white, teenage boy about to embark on his journey into adulthood, which leads the audience to be drawn in and automatically empathize with Nicolas.
This connection between the character and the audience begins to break the stigma-induced barrier between those with and without drug addiction.
As the film progresses, the viewer will see that Nic possesses no attributes close to the typical assumptions people make about individuals with drug addiction. He has a strong, beautiful, and deep relationship with his younger brother; he is an extraordinary writer, and he is quite gifted in drawing.
Nic's humanity is shown throughout the entirety of the film, and this gives the viewer the chance to grasp the crucial point, that drug addicts are human.
Witnessing that Nic is a social being, with relationships, responsibilities, work, and school, further insinuates to the audience that he is human. Just like them. He jumps to one rehabilitation center to the next, in search of an end all fix all, despite his desire to become better for his family, he fails several times.
The vicious cycle of drug use to rehab to being clean overtakes his ability to think rationally.
As the viewer watches guilt, pain, and agony overtake Nic's soul, the fact of the matter becomes even more clear. People battling drug addiction are not the stereotypical mindless low lives; rather, they are human beings with a large scale of complex emotions, unfortunately battling an extremely tolling disease.
Beautiful Boy can be used as a defense mechanism against the negative stigma surrounding addiction.
The movie teaches the audience that drug addiction is an unfortunate disease rather than an easily fixed bad habit. It not only shows Nic Scheff drowning in the excruciating cycle of recovery to relapse but also dials in on the fact that addiction can result in behavior that damages familial relationships and friendships.
“Fortunately I have my son, my beautiful boy
Unfortunately, he is a drug addict.
Fortunately he is in recovery.
Unfortunately he relapses.
Fortunately he is in recovery again.
Unfortunately he relapses.
Fortunately he is not dead.”
-David Sheff, Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction
The movie makes it evident that addiction does not define an individual. People with drug addiction are still relatable human beings.
Beautiful Boy can be used as a teaching tool for the viewers that can reverse the stigma attached to drug addiction.
The film's relatable portrayal of Nic's struggles deeply resonates with the viewers. This leads the audience to have increased empathy and understanding. As the viewers experience the film's narrative, they may even be led to discuss their own experiences, whether it be with their own struggle with addiction or being honest and admitting to their preconceived ideas about addiction.
Although the film contains mature content, it evokes an understanding in the viewer and should be shown to a mass audience.
If Beautiful Boy was shown in high schools or universities around America, this country's future leaders and assets would have true insight into the reality of addiction.
By doing this, potentially, the detriment caused by the negative stigma and stereotypes surrounding drug addiction can be eradicated.
Works Cited
Corrigan, Patrick W., Sachiko A. Kuwabara, and John O'Shaughnessy. "The Public Stigma of
Mental Illness and Drug Addiction: Findings from a Stratified Random Sample." Journal of Social Work : JSW, vol. 9, no. 2, 2009, pp. 139-147.
Crabbe, Richard. “Examining Drug Use by Race.” Free by the Sea, 1 Feb. 2023, freebythesea.com/examining-drug-use-by-race.
Van Groeningen, F. (2018). Beautiful Boy. Amazon Studios.
Poncelet, Evan. "Reduce Drug Stigma to Save Lives: PERSPECTIVE: Everyone Affected by Illicit Substance use." Chronicle - Herald, Jan 10, 2024. ProQuest, https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/reduce-drug-stigma-save-lives/docview/2912617285/se-2.
“Stigma and Discrimination | National Institute on Drug Abuse.” National Institute on Drug Abuse, 28 Feb. 2024, nida.nih.gov/research-topics/stigma-discrimination.
Taylor, Jordan. “Beautiful Boy.” The American Journal of Psychiatry Residents’ Journal, vol. 15, no. 2, Dec. 2019, p. 19. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp-rj.2019.150212.