When news breaks of a star overdosing on drugs a la Demi Lovato, you often hear the term “addiction does not discriminate” carelessly thrown around. Broadly speaking, there’s no denying drug addiction as a bipartisan disease, but when you delve deeper into the issue, deep into backwoods West Virginia—the heart of America’s opioid epidemic—you will see that this ongoing pestilence has its preferences.
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While the intricacies surrounding the epidemic have been well-documented, few can truly grasp the detrimental complications this crisis is afflicting in low-income regions. This leads us to Jacob’s Ladder Rehabilitation Center located in Aurora, WV.
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Oscar-nominated director Elaine McMillion Sheldon (“Heroin(e)“) is back with yet another undaunted effort at getting to the core of substance-abuse with her new film “Recovery Boys.” Despite only focusing on a single demographic (straight, white male), “Recovery Boys” soberingly depicts what it means to struggle through the eyes of four young men—Jeff, Ryan, Rush, and Adam, each seeking to escape the ravaging implications of addiction through Jacob’s Ladder led by Dr. Kevin Blankenship.
Each hailing from an impoverished small community in West Virginia that stakes claim for having the highest drug overdose death rate in the U.S., Sheldon’s latest project opens up with one of her subjects reflecting on the inevitability of becoming addicted in a place like West Virginia: “Drugs and alcohol, that’s what I grew up around,” “I thought that was just how everybody lived. I didn’t know people lived life sober.”
Without delay, viewers are submerged in an inescapable reality that surpasses what addiction suggests: an ingrained way of life. Nevertheless, “Recovery Boys” attempts to de-stigmatize the addict while shedding light on the goodness within each of these four men.
With their flaws, ticks and hardships on full display, the door immediately opens for viewers to walk in the shoes of these four subjects. While many will never be able to comprehend the destructive nature of addiction, the documentary’s profound rawness will inspire viewers to form a connection with these individuals, because in the end—these are vulnerable people with their own pains, their own demons.
Throughout “Recovery Boys,” the connective thread binding these men is constantly threatened. Moments of self-doubt and relapse do occur, yet somehow, the four are able to maintain an admirable level of intimacy and accountability with one another through charitable work around the community and open self-reflection. When one of them appeared to be in dire need and in danger of falling back into old habits, they routinely voiced mutual solidarity and love—openly sobbing and lamenting each other’s wounds and worries—a rarity considering the toxic-masculine tradition of the south.
On that note, during Jeff’s treatment at Jacob’s ladder, one of his daughters was subjected to sexual abuse. Jeff’s reaction results in one of the most heart-wrenching moments of the entire film. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Jeff is forced to decide whether or not to leave treatment and tend to his children immediately, or reap the long-term benefits of completing the treatment program. Although the aforementioned scene was a punch to the gut, the moment he bids farewell to his girls after a brief visit with him proves equally emotional, but in a bittersweet way. “These are happy tears,” Jeff said as he wept. “Happy they came, but sad to see them go.”
Having dealt with a loved one whose own battle with addiction persists 20 years and counting, it was agonizing to detach myself from some of these stories, especially Jeff’s. Painful memories resurfaced, my throat swelled with sympathy and tears. These moments and many more would make the most calloused of hearts ache.
Considering America’s ignorance of drug-addiction, “Recovery Boys” is a required experience for all. I could easily continue this review and gush over the filmmaking itself, but the core of this project is the individuals and their respected journeys. Most informative pieces on the topic of substance abuse are rarely ever as poignant as Sheldon’s work. There’s complete honesty of what she presents—she never sugarcoats, which means not all journeys result in a happy ending,
Ultimately, it’s the addict’s decision to live sober. They have to want it for no one but themselves. As is the case with Jeff, Ryan, Rush, and Adam, everyone’s road to recovery is unique. While some people are more receptive to the recovery process than others, not everyone will find the light at the end of the tunnel, as this film depicts. Nonetheless, the humanitarian eye of Sheldon, alongside Jacob’s Ladder, implores audiences to adopt a posture of compassion and understanding, because the struggle an addict faces is a deepening one. Tender, genuine, visceral and committed are all descriptors that apply to “Recovery Boys”‘ approach to such a sweeping dilemma, but it is, above all, hopeful. [A-]
