Stay (2005/I)

Director:

Marc Forster

Writer (WGA):

David Benioff (written by)

Release Date:

21 October 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

You Can't Stay Between the Living and the Dead.

Plot:

This movie focuses on the attempts of a psychiatrist to prevent one of his patients from committing suicide while trying to maintain his own grip on reality.

Plot Keywords:

Psychiatrist | Suicide | Car Accident | Guilt | Death

Cast

Ewan McGregor	...	Dr. Sam Foster
Ryan Gosling	...	Henry Letham
Kate Burton	...	Mrs. Letham
Naomi Watts	...	Lila Culpepper
Elizabeth Reaser	...	Athena
Bob Hoskins	...	Dr. Leon Patterson
Janeane Garofalo	...	Dr. Beth Levy
B.D. Wong	...	Dr. Ren
John Tormey	...	Custodian / Piano Mover #1
José Ramón Rosario	...	Cabbie / Piano Mover #2 (as José Ramon Rosario)
Becky Ann Baker	...	Paramedic #1 / Butch Cook
Lisa Kron	...	Paramedic #2
Gregory Mitchell	...	Dance Instructor
John Dominici	...	Boy / Young Henry
Jessica Hecht	...	Boy's Mother

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some disturbing images.

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | Mexico:B15 | Czech Republic:15 | Netherlands:12 | Argentina:13 | Norway:15 | Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Finland:K-15 | Hungary:16 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Iceland:16 | South Korea:15 | Spain:18 | Malaysia:U (DVD) | Brazil:14 | UK:15 (original rating) (cut) | UK:18 (video rating) (uncut) | USA:TV-MA (cable rating) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Columbia University - Broadway & 116th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

New Regency Pictures

Trivia:

The Dream sequence of the falling down a spiral staircase was filmed in St. John's Cathedral in New York City.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When, Leon (Henry's father) was talking to Sam after his eyes opened, he said that "The first time I can see everything" and also "I always thought you have brown eyes". If a man didn't see anything in his entire life (he is blind), how can he know colors?

Quotes:

Sam Foster: [looking at the empty pill bottles] You can't drink while you're taking these.
Dr. Beth Levy: Mm. Apparently I can.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Writing the Music for 'Stay' (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

Cold Water

Dreaming of Life

After a car accident on a bridge, the psychiatrist Sam Foster (Ewan McGregor) assumes the case of the survivor Henry Letham (Ryan Gosling), who apparently torched and car and promises to commit suicide three days later. Sam decides to investigate deeper what happened with Henry, and feels that he is becoming detached from reality with his findings about the case. He asks his girlfriend Lila Culpepper (Naomi Watts) to help himself to stay lucid, while trying to solve the intriguing situation of Henry.

I am a great fan of director Marc Foster, with his dramatic "Everything Put Together" and "Monster's Ball", and the wonderful "Finding Neverland". However, "Stay" is absolutely different from the foregoing movies, being a kind of "Sixth Sense" or "Jacob's Ladder" with a David Lynch style. The screenplay is very intriguing and challenging, with weird situations, and there is a catch in the end with Sam Foster vision when the truth is finally disclosed. The beautiful cinematography gives the sensation of a dream, or nightmare, to the viewer. This compelling film is attractive and deserves to be watched more than once. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "A Passagem" ("The Passage")