By Shia LaBeouf about Shia LaBeouf (and his dad), and it's a devastating autobiography.
So devastating, in fact, that Shia continues to struggle with PTSD from childhood trauma and slappings.
Needless to say, it's a very painful and difficult film to watch, and no way anyone will 'enjoy' it, but it IS very well made.
Two lines that leapt out at me:
First, by Shia: "The only thing my father ever gave me of value—the only thing—is pain."
And then by his father when he heard Shia was making a film about him: "Make me look good, would ya?"
It's a wonder Shia's difficulties have not been more self-destructive. It really is.
I understand they previewed the film together, and though it was not easy to absorb, his father agreed that it was an accurate representation of their relationship.
In 2018, Shia shared, "My dad handed me a lot, and his legacy was an emotional one. And it wasn’t scarring. He handed me texture. My dad blessed me that way." Furthermore, "A lot of my s*** has to do with my relationship with my dad. That dude is my gasoline.”
