Well, that didn’t take long. Last week I was all ready to settle in to a new and improved Shia LaBeouf. It only took a week for him to make an announcement that made me say – again – wait, he’s doing what? It’s been announced that Shia will make a movie about his relationship with his father. The film, called Honey Boy (Shia’s childhood nickname), will feature Lucas Hedges as Shia. Shia will play his own father.
Lucas Hedges will play a younger version of Shia LaBeouf in the family drama “Honey Boy,” with LaBeouf playing his own father.
The story of a child star attempting to mend his relationship with his law-breaking, alcohol-abusing father over the course of a decade, it’s loosely based on LaBeouf’s life. “Honey Boy” was LaBeouf’s childhood nickname.
Alma Har’el is directing. Producers are Automatik’s Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Daniela Taplin Lundberg of Stay Gold Features and Christopher Leggett of Delirio Films. Automatik’s Fred Berger is executive producer. Stay Gold Features will finance.
LaBeouf starred as John McEnroe in “Borg vs McEnroe,” which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and is due out April 13 in the U.S. from Neon. He will be seen next in “Peanut Butter Falcon.”
According to Variety, the film already has financing, so someone besides Shia thought this was a good idea. Lucas is probably best known for playing Patrick in Manchester by the Sea. He is also only 10 years younger than Shia, who again is supposed to be Lucas’ father. Shia often does obscure art projects so this doesn’t surprise me. However, despite the Inception-like role-playing, the part that concerns me is that in his last interview, Shia said he understood that many of his issues stem from his relationship with his father. I’m worried he hasn’t taken enough time to process any unresolved feelings. Anyone watching the film will critique every aspect of it – is Shia prepared for that? It’s bad enough to have someone criticize your acting but to have your entire life put on display like that? It just seems like a really bad idea.
Plus, Shia said he worried that his Esquire interview would sound like a “boo-hoo piece.” I did not think it did, I thought it sounded reflective. An entire movie could go that way though.
Photo credit: WENN Photos
I mean.. I hope it’s cathartic for him? But I also hope he has a therapist on set because this sounds heavy and painful. I do think it could be a good way to confront what has happened to him though. It’s not really any different than a writer using their history to write a book or play write creating a play or something, just a little more eccentric I suppose.
yeah without looking it up i remember reading that his father was a creep and more than a little unhinged and problematic.
Only an ex-child star would see it as a remotely healthy idea to live this and put this in front of the public. Putting it out there for criticism. Good lord, what a dreadful idea. There are not enough psychotherapists in the world.
I had thought for a moment with all his criminal arrests, racist statements, and possible domestic violence issues that he might have to hit pause in the industry for awhile…Hahahahahaha…then I remembered he’s male and white. Carry on.
Mia4S,
What racist statements did he make? I remember there being some speculation that he might have physically assaulted his wife/fiancée/girlfriend??? but I don’t recall reading anything about him being racist. I’m off to Google… but maybe I’ll wish that I hadn’t.
I’ll leave it to those who want to google but it was during his arrest in Georgia last summer. It was to the cops so it was on video. Yes I know he was intoxicated…just like Mel Gibson I guess? I am so uneasy about all of this.
Some things he said to a black officer weren’t really directly racist but rather presumptive because of the man’s race. Something about why was he doing this when the department didn’t care about him or something like that. I wouldn’t consider him a racist based on that weird non sequitur myself especially since he was drunk as the proverbial skunk and has so many inner demons himself. I’d want to hear from the officer first and get his take on it. I imagine he’s dealt with plenty of drunks and would have an interesting opinion.
How weird, I’m sitting here with my sick kid watching Shia in the second Transformer movie lol. It could backfire and/or be cathartic. Imagine writing all your personal shiz in a journal, per your therapist’s request, and then having her transcribe, dissect and comment in The New York Times or whatever. But maybe by playing his father, it’ll be like taking a really long hot, disinfecting shower washing personal grievances down the drain. Who knows.
This worries me for him….
Oh dear. I hope he finds solace somehow, but airing out pain through reenacting it isn’t really the way…
This seems unhealthy. I spent a lot of time trying to heal myself by “figuring out” my mother’s behavior and it’s futile. You just have to let that go, there’s often no satisfying answer.
I’ll take things that no one ever asked for for 500, Alec.
But seriously, he does worry me. I hope he’s okay and taking good care of himself.
Oh my lord, please, no. I really loathe everything about him and don’t think he’s all that talented. He’s a navel-gazing try-hard and I don’t care what his childhood was like–this is so unneeded. Can we please spend time telling stories about people who aren’t white dudes, if we feel the need to do biographies?
It sounds like a small-scale indy film rather than some major production, so it might just function as therapy for him. Trying to figure out his father by playing his father.