Permanent Midnight (1998)

A comedy writer struggles to overcome his addiction to heroin.

Director:

David Veloz

Writers:

Jerry Stahl (book), David Veloz (screenplay)

Stars:

Ben Stiller, Maria Bello, Jay Paulson

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ben Stiller	...	Jerry Stahl
Maria Bello	...	Kitty
Jay Paulson	...	Phoenix Punk
Spencer Garrett	...	Brad / Tim from Mr. Chompers
Owen Wilson	...	Nicky
Elizabeth Hurley	...	Sandra
Lourdes Benedicto	...	Vola
Fred Willard	...	Craig Ziffer
Chauncey Leopardi	...	Jerry at 16
Mary Thompson	...	Grandma Whittle
Connie Nielsen	...	Dagmar
Charles Fleischer	...	Allen from Mr. Chompers
Liz Torres	...	Dita
Douglas Spain	...	Miguel
Janeane Garofalo	...	Jana Farmer

Storyline

Comedy writer Jerry Stahl, whose $6000-a-week heroin habit had him taking his infant daughter along on his drug runs and doing smack during TV script conferences. Departing detox, Stahl explores memories with survivor Kitty, who listens patiently to Stahl's flashback. Other women in Stahl's life are his British wife Sandra and his agent Vola. For the TV series "Mr. Chompers" (inspired by ALF), Stahl meets with sitcom exec Craig Ziffer and puppeteer Allen. For freaky freebasing, Stahl hangs with mumbler Nicky and druggie Gus.

---

Plot Keywords:

writer | habit | flashback | detox | heroin | 

---

Genres:

Biography | Drama | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive graphic drug use, strong sexuality and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 April 1999 (Iceland)

Also Known As:

A nap árnyékos oldalán

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$260,562, 20 September 1998, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,166,199, 8 November 1998

Company Credits

Production Co:

JD Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jerry Stahl: The real Jerry Stahl has a cameo as Dr. Lazarus. ("Lazarus" is on his name plate on his white coat.) Lazarus is a character in the Christian Bible whom Jesus brings back form the dead (John 11:1-46:1); likewise, Stahl was brought back from the brink of death after a severe heroin addiction.

---

Goofs

When Jerry is at the methadone clinic, the doctor is checking boxes on a form he's filling out. The questions he asks Jerry do not match the boxes he checks.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Jerry: You know what's mortifying? Smack is like the leisure suit of the nineties. Instead of wrecking dad's Buick on prom might, these little suburban fucks are coping habits and OD'ing in the rec room.
Kitty: And you're different, because?
Jerry: I never got to the prom.

---

Alternate Versions

The DVD features 3 deleted scenes:

• A wasted Jerry hitting on Owen Wilson's character's girlfriend and being thrown out.
• A long haired Jerry working for Hustler magazine.
• A stoned Jerry buying a muffin and being beaten with a baseball bat by the store clerk.

---

Connections

Referenced in At the Movies: Ronin/Pecker/Clay Pigeons/Urban Legend/Shadrach (1998)

---

Soundtracks

FREE RIDE
Performed by Embrace
Written by Danny McNamara (as McNamara) and Richard McNamara (as McNamara)
Produced and Mixed by Dave Creffield and Embrace
Published by Mobetta
Courtesy of DGC Records, Inc.
Under License from Universal Music Special Markets

User Reviews

Well-done for what it is

Most of the drug-use scenes were fairly realistic. Been there and back myself, so to tell you the truth, nothing I saw in the movie made me wince, although there was a lot to relate to. There's a scene where - this really isn't a spoiler, given the context of the movie - where Jerry dumps some pills out of a prescription bottle, and they look exactly like the kind of pills they're supposed to be. Nice attention to detail. One thing that movies never quite get right or, perhaps like this one, simply choose to ignore, are the details of how one actually turns one's life around from being addicted to recovering, and this movie was no exception. We know in the beginning that Jerry has been through rehab, but that process itself, which may I say ain't exactly a cakewalk - and I mean you have to be clean before you can go through it, remains rather mysterious. Oh well, whatever, an interesting, entertaining movie that held my interest for its running time. Some usage scenes might be a bit upsetting to the non-anointed, although probably nothing quite so hard to take as in Requiem For A Dream.