After watching all I can think of is how can no one helped Shia Leboeuf ?

Disney is not the company that I grew up with. Its very sad to say the least. Its about the money.
I felt as you did about the movie. I wondered just WHERE the mother was. What was so awful that SHE was not raising her son. I wish the movie would have explained that. part.
Then too there are child service agencies that totally failed here. How and WHY is a 12 yo child supporting his abusive alcoholic father. Child labor laws dont allow this, but it happened.
You are absolutely correct that the fathers actions could not go unnoticed by those who employed the boy. We even saw his interference in the show on occasion. This should have been more than a wake up call.
It rips a piece of my heart out when I see young actors whose lives go on a destruction course. That was the case here. But it was not his fault. He really seemed like a beautiful person inside who only was looking for love and approval from his dad. But what he got was exactly the opposite. How can a father teach his son every bad habit in the world and at the same time condemn him for his actions.
The only love he seemed to find was an inappropriate relationship with a young woman at the motel (or whatever it was) and frankly I couldn't really condemn that because it was the only love he got. Besides that it was never really stated in the movie that it was sexual or that was what he really wanted from her.
Another point. There was a big brother. I would assume this was through an agency. I was a big brother once. The big brother was assaulted by the father. ANY agency should follow up on this as it is OBVIOUS abuse. Where did this break down?
SO much was wrong here.

One of my main reasons for seeing this movie was for Noah Jupe, who played 12 yo "Otis""
Noah is an amazing young actor and to me this was the strongest role he has ever taken on.
I just pray never to see HIS life become such a nightmare. He really seems like a good kid.
I hope this movie sees a wider release.

Amazing movie. One problem is the system is almost as bad. Parents of friends of ours, fostered children for many years. They owned a farm, the kids came and took care of the animals and seemed pretty happy although they sometimes acted out, but they were troubled kids to begin with. The foster parents seemed like good wholesome people then one day the dad was hauled away, he been abusing foster children for a long time and none of them spoke up and the mother said she didn't know. I was around that family a lot and never suspected.

Agreed. In the UK any institution that works with children must have safeguarding procedures. Sad the system let him down so bad :/