"Beautiful Boy" - Worksheets

Exercise 1: Thematic and Cinematic Familiarization with the Film "Beautiful Boy"

Subjects: English, German, Social Studies, Ethics, Art, Music from Klasse 9

The film Zum Filmarchiv: "Beautiful Boy" is about the drug addiction of the teenager Nic Sheff, which becomes a serious challenge for his family.

Before going to the cinema:

a) Divide your class into two groups (A and B). Watch the Zum Inhalt: trailer for "Beautiful Boy" . Split the work up and answer the following questions.

Group A:
Questions regarding the content of the film:

• Who are the central characters?

• What situation do the respective characters find themselves in? What are the problems they face?

• Is a solution to the problem hinted at? If so, what could it be?

Group B:
Questions regarding cinematic techniques:

• Summarize the most important cinematic techniques (for example, Zum Inhalt: camera positions and Zum Inhalt: angles).

• What target group is the trailer aimed at?

• Why or why not does the trailer succeed in raising your interest for the film?

Watch the trailer here:

b) Present your answers to exercise a) to your fellow students. Based on your analysis of the trailer, articulate your expectations of the film.

While at the cinema:

c) Retain the groups agreed for a).

Group A:

• Pay special attention to the characters in the film and their conflicts.

• In one Zum Inhalt: scene, the theme song "Beautiful Boy" is played. Summarize what happens in this scene.

Write down key words while at the cinema and add more immediately after watching the film.

Group B:

• Pay special attention to two creative aspects of the film: how and in what context are chronological Zum Inhalt: flashbacks used for dramatic effect? How is Zum Inhalt: music used?

• In one scene, the theme track "Beautiful Boy" is played. Analyze the effect of the song.

Write down key words while at the cinema and add more immediately after watching the film.

After going to the cinema:

d) Meet up in your arranged groups, discuss your observations and complete your notes.

e) Present your observations to each other. Discuss the effect of the flashbacks to Nic's childhood on the viewer. Judge how the music in the film helps transport the conflicts facing the individual characters.

f) Listen to the song "Beautiful Boy" by John Lennon. Compare the lyrics of the song with the plot in the scene and draw parallels. Discuss whether the song fits the film overall.

Listen to the song here:

g) Director Felix Van Groeningen consciously decided against an original film score for the film and instead worked exclusively with existing songs, not just by John Lennon, but also, for example, by Nirvana and Sigur Rós. Read the following text about Zum Inhalt: the use of music in "Beautiful Boy". Listen again to the following tracks and discuss the possible reasoning behind Van Groeningen's decision.

Listen to "Territorial Pissings" by Nirvana here:

Listen to "Svefn-g-englar" by Sigur Rós here:

Exercise 2: The Cast of Characters in "Beautiful Boy" with Special Emphasis on the Father-Son Relationship

Subjects: English, German, Social Sciences, Ethics from Klasse 10

Nic's drug addiction becomes a major challenge for his family.

While at the cinema:

a) Write down the names of the most important characters in the film "Beautiful Boy" . Write down key words during the film.

After going to the cinema:

b) Split up into groups of four. Make a Zum externen Inhalt: chart of characters (öffnet im neuen Tab), with Nic in the middle and describing the central relationships in the film. What do characters feel for one another?

c) As groups, present your character charts to each other. In which regard do the results of your analysis overlap and in which regard do your interpretations differ?

d) The film examines the relationship between David and his son Nic. Nic's situation is in stark contrast to his desire for improvement.

Stay in groups of four. Watch the following three clips. After that, complete the table.

e) Analyze the relationship between father and son and whether their own and other expectations could have led to the son's drug abuse.

f) In an interview, the actor Steve Carell was asked if one person can save another. He openly admits that he has no answer to this question. Based on the film: how would you answer this question? (Source: "Beautiful Boy" press kit)

Exercise 3: The Portrayal of Addiction in "Beautiful Boy"

Subjects: English, German, Social Sciences, Ethics, Biology from Grade 10

In the movie, Nic's drug addiction is largely portrayed from the family's perspective. Nic Sheff, whose own story served as a template for the film, provides his own first-hand insights into the life of a former crystal-meth addict.

Before going to the cinema:

a) "Beautiful Boy" is about a teenager's drug addiction. Write down your expectations of a film about drug abuse, discuss with the person sitting next to you and then collect your ideas and write them down on the board (Think – Pair – Share).

b) Now, look at the poster for the film and compare it with your expectations. Articulate ways in which drug addiction might fit in with the family image on the poster.

After going to the cinema:

c) Compare your expectations from exercise a) with the film. Did the film surprise you in terms of its treatment of the issue of drugs? How?

d) The reasons for Nic's drug use are not expressly explained in the film. Nic Sheff, however, speaks openly and publicly about his experiences as an addict. Watch his talk (Nic speaks from minute 30) and answer the following questions:

• What reasons does Nic give for his early drug use?

• What helped Nic during his addiction?

• What does Nic describe as the "turning point" in his battle with addiction?

• What helped Nic during withdrawal?

• How does Nic describe his life without drugs?

• Do you have a friend in similar circumstances to Nic?

You can find Nic's talk here (from minute 30):

e) Crystal meth is the drug that almost proved Nic's undoing. Read the Zum Inhalt: "Addiction is often a coping mechanism"interview with Constanze Froelich and visit the Zum externen Inhalt: Website of the Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung (öffnet im neuen Tab) to find out more about the drug, its effects on the body, how widespread it is and the options for withdrawal and addiction prevention. Create a poster.

f) Based on your research, discuss whether drug addiction can be regarded as a mental illness, as Nic Sheff describes it in his talk. Discuss preventative measures.

g) In the film, Nic writes a farewell letter to his father. The audience, however, never finds out what is in the letter. Write this letter, in which you tell the father about the reasons for your drug use and experiences with addiction. In doing so, include the results of exercises d)-f).