In real life, though, Shia LaBeouf reportedly did reconnect with his father while in the process of writing the film.
Towards the end of Honey Boy, Lucas Hedges’ Otis is seen writing about his life and his struggles, which mirrors (in a meta turn-of-events) what Shia LaBeouf did with this film, as he began the process of writing the script while in rehab.
At the end of Honey Boy, we see a moment where Otis has reunited with his father, James, and he tells him about this project.
In the movie, this scene has a surreal quality, notably with James dressed as a clown.