Actor Shia LaBeouf (whom I last saw in the terrific The Peanut Butter Falcon) penned and stars in this story of his younger years, from being raised in a seedy motel by his troubled father (played by LaBeouf in an interesting and perhaps therapeutic bit of self-casting), a former felon and drug addict, to his days as a young film star whose life goes off the rails.  The younger LaBeouf character, when he’s around age 12, is played with wonder, sadness and a child’s innocence by Noah Jupe, while the talented Lucas Hedge steps in as LaBeouf’s older younger self.   The story is bleak and emotionally draining, but almost every character gives the viewer some reason for hope.  Not for the emotionally faint of heart, but for everyone else it’s worth the time.

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