The long-awaited film Beautiful Boy is being screened at the Lewis Theatre in Lewisburg from Jan. 4 through Jan 7.

Based on a memoir of the same name by last summer’s Lewisburg Literary Festival (LLF) featured speaker, David Sheff, by his son, Nic Sheff, the film presents the experience of a family dealing with addiction, survival and recovery.

During the on-stage conversation/interview with local author and LLF co-organizer Greg Johnson, Sheff told the large and attentive audience at Carnegie Hall about his jump start as a young journalist, getting to hang out with John Lennon and Yoko Ono at their apartment and around New York City.  Lennon was a new stay at home (mostly) dad, who let Sheff know that he valued this experience even more than world fame with the Beatles. This made a lifelong impression on Sheff, who named his memoir after Lennon’s hit and tender song. In fact, Sheff told us he was with Lennon at the studio when the song Beautiful Boy was recorded.

Steve Carrell portrays the father, while the role of son Nic is played by Timothee Chalamet, who already received multiple awards and nominations for best supporting actor and is likely to be an Oscar nominee.

“Beautiful Boy wrestles with a tough subject, yet the aesthetic compliments the material with an evocative style and the best performance duo this year,” cites a review by James Clay.

Coming Jan. 11-14 is Green Book. The title comes from The Negro Motorists’ Green Book, published 1936 through 1964 to help guide people of color travel about the Jim Crow segregated United States, with lists of hotels, restaurants, and other businesses that would be accepting.  The Lewis will be hosting panel discussions with Greenbrier Valley Women of Color for Change after one or more showings. Check our Facebook page next week for details.

Since 1939, The Lewis has been a downtown landmark and entertainment center, with film and live performances. It is celebrating 12 years of local ownership by ALL Arts LLC, a women majority business. We appreciate the community and your patronage.  For more information on these and upcoming events, check out the Facebook page, call 304-645-6038 or come to the theatre at 865 Court St. N in historic downtown Lewisburg.