Boy Erased
The son of a Baptist preacher unwillingly participates in a church-supported gay conversion program after being forcibly outed to his parents.
The film disappointed at the box office against its mid-range budget of $15.0M, earning $7.9M globally (-47% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its fresh perspective within the biography genre.
12 wins & 52 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Boy Erased (2018) demonstrates carefully calibrated plot construction, characteristic of Joel Edgerton's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 55 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.7, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Jared Eamons
Nancy Eamons
Marshall Eamons
Victor Sykes
Gary
Jon
Main Cast & Characters
Jared Eamons
Played by Lucas Hedges
A Baptist preacher's son who is outed and sent to a conversion therapy program where he struggles with his identity and faith.
Nancy Eamons
Played by Nicole Kidman
Jared's mother who initially supports her husband but gradually awakens to the harm being done to her son.
Marshall Eamons
Played by Russell Crowe
Jared's father, a Baptist minister who sends his son to conversion therapy to protect his reputation and beliefs.
Victor Sykes
Played by Joel Edgerton
The authoritarian leader of the conversion therapy program who uses psychological manipulation and shame-based tactics.
Gary
Played by Troye Sivan
A fellow participant in the conversion therapy program who befriends Jared and shares his own struggles.
Jon
Played by Xavier Dolan
A rebellious participant in the program who challenges the authority and questions the therapy methods.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 2 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Jared sits in his college dorm room, appearing as a normal college student before his world unravels. He seems like any other young man navigating early adulthood.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 14 minutes when Jared is raped by a college acquaintance, Henry. This traumatic event forces the revelation of his sexuality and triggers his parents' intervention.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 28 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This reveals the protagonist's commitment to Jared walks through the doors of the Love In Action facility with his parents. He makes the choice to try to change himself, entering the program's controlled world., moving from reaction to action.
At 58 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. The analysis reveals that this crucial beat During a particularly brutal group therapy session, Jared witnesses the program's psychological abuse reach a breaking point with another participant. He begins to see the program not as help but as harm, though he's not yet ready to leave., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 87 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Jared learns that Cameron, a program participant he bonded with, has attempted suicide. This "whiff of death" shows the program's true cost and represents the death of Jared's hope that he can change or that the program offers anything but destruction., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 94 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 81% of the runtime. Jared calls his mother and tells her he needs to leave the program. Nancy, who has completed her own journey of understanding, supports him. This choice to save himself marks his true break into authenticity., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Boy Erased's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping Boy Erased against these established plot points, we can identify how Joel Edgerton utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Boy Erased within the biography genre.
Joel Edgerton's Structural Approach
Among the 2 Joel Edgerton films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.8, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Boy Erased takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Joel Edgerton filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional biography films include Lords of Dogtown, Ip Man 2 and A Complete Unknown. For more Joel Edgerton analyses, see The Gift.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Jared sits in his college dorm room, appearing as a normal college student before his world unravels. He seems like any other young man navigating early adulthood.
Theme
Victor Sykes states the program's philosophy: "The truth shall set you free." This captures the film's central tension between imposed "truth" and authentic self-knowledge.
Worldbuilding
Through flashbacks, we see Jared's life as the son of a Baptist minister in small-town Arkansas. We meet his parents Marshall and Nancy, understand the expectations placed on him, and see the conservative religious community that shaped him.
Disruption
Jared is raped by a college acquaintance, Henry. This traumatic event forces the revelation of his sexuality and triggers his parents' intervention.
Resistance
Jared's parents confront him about his sexuality. Under pressure from his father and the church community, Jared reluctantly agrees to attend Love In Action, a conversion therapy program. He resists but feels he has no choice.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Jared walks through the doors of the Love In Action facility with his parents. He makes the choice to try to change himself, entering the program's controlled world.
Mirror World
Jared meets fellow participant Gary, who becomes a mirror showing the human cost of the program. Gary represents what acceptance of the program's ideology leads to, while other participants show various stages of resistance and compliance.
Premise
Jared experiences the daily reality of conversion therapy: humiliating exercises, psychological manipulation, enforced masculinity training, and constant surveillance. Flashbacks reveal his relationship with Xavier, his first love, showing the authentic life he's being forced to deny.
Midpoint
During a particularly brutal group therapy session, Jared witnesses the program's psychological abuse reach a breaking point with another participant. He begins to see the program not as help but as harm, though he's not yet ready to leave.
Opposition
The program intensifies its pressure on Jared. He's forced to complete increasingly degrading exercises. Meanwhile, his mother Nancy begins her own journey of questioning, researching and doubting the program. The stakes rise as Jared realizes the program will break him if he stays.
Collapse
Jared learns that Cameron, a program participant he bonded with, has attempted suicide. This "whiff of death" shows the program's true cost and represents the death of Jared's hope that he can change or that the program offers anything but destruction.
Crisis
In his darkest moment, Jared confronts the impossibility of his situation. He cannot become what the program demands, but leaving means losing his family and everything he's known. He sits with this terrible choice.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Jared calls his mother and tells her he needs to leave the program. Nancy, who has completed her own journey of understanding, supports him. This choice to save himself marks his true break into authenticity.
Synthesis
Nancy picks up Jared and they drive away from the facility. Jared confronts his father, who cannot yet accept him. The family fractures, but Jared chooses himself over their approval. Text reveals the real outcomes: some survived, some didn't.
Transformation
Jared writes at his desk, now living openly and authentically. The boy who entered hiding himself has been replaced by a man who accepts himself. He has transformed from seeking others' approval to claiming his own truth.