The Adderall Diaries (2015)

As a writer stymied by past success, writers block, substance abuse, relationship problems and a serious set of father issues, Elliott's cracked-out chronicle of a bizarre murder trial ... See full summary »

Director:

Pamela Romanowsky

Writers:

Stephen Elliott (memoir), Pamela Romanowsky (screenplay)

Stars:

Amber Heard, James Franco, Wilmer Valderrama

2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Amber Heard	...	Lana Edmond
James Franco	...	Stephen Elliott
Wilmer Valderrama	...	Josh
Christian Slater	...	Hans Reiser
Ed Harris	...	Neil Elliott
Cynthia Nixon	...	Jen Davis
Danny Flaherty	...	Teen age Roger
Jim Parrack	...	Roger
Timothée Chalamet	...	Teen age Stephen
Michael Cristofer	...	Paul Hora
Meghan Mazurczyk	...	Beautiful Girl
Tonya Glanz	...	Lissette
Rochelle Bostrom	...	Amanda
Casper Andreas	...	Nate Sweetzer
Katrina E. Perkins	...	Bar Patron

Storyline

As a writer stymied by past success, writers block, substance abuse, relationship problems and a serious set of father issues, Elliott's cracked-out chronicle of a bizarre murder trial amounts to less than the sum of its parts. Not long into the 2007 trial of programmer Hans Reiser, accused of murdering his wife, the defendant's friend Sean Sturgeon obliquely confessed to several murders (though not the murder of Reiser's wife). Elliott, caught up in the film-ready twist and his tenuous connection to Sturgeon (they share a BDSM social circle), makes a gonzo record of the proceedings. The result is a scattered, self-indulgent romp through the mind of a depressive narcissist obsessed with his insecurities and childhood traumas.

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Plot Keywords:

based on novel | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language throughout, drug use, sexuality, and some aberrant and disturbing content

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 March 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

True Deception

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$5,517 (USA) (15 April 2016)

Gross:

$11,287 (USA) (22 April 2016)

Company Credits

Production Co:

RabbitBandini Productions, Windowseat Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Second film James Franco has starred in that was released by A24, his first one was (Spring Breakers)

User Reviews

Pretty good, overall. One of Franco's better performances

This was a pretty good turn for Franco, one of his best attempts at drama in indi cinema.

Franco is the protagonist, a writer who wrote a great book about his broken childhood, and the relationship with his abusive father, but it comes to life that what he's passing off as truth may not be all that, and he tries to redeem his career with a new book about a True Crime, evolving a father (played by Christian Slater, who I have not scene in forever) whose on trail for the murder of his wife.

It's an Intriguing story about how sometimes we remember things differently than they actually happen. James Franco played this role well. It was not a matter of weather he was right or wrong, but just a matter of how he saw things that was not entirely accurate.

Ed Harris and Franco had some really good scenes together as well. Harris played the abusive father who, like his son, remembers events differently. The father son connection felt very realistic.

This is not the first time Franco has done a film on Child abuse (also not the fist time Amber Heard played an ex-punk rock bases with a few issues, she also did it in the recent but horrible film One More Time). Franco also tackled the trouble youth Topic in the film Yosemite, but that movie was a little more serious while this one is definitely better done.

I can recommend.