Stay (2005)

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.

Director:

Marc Forster

Writer:

David Benioff

Stars:

Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, Ryan Gosling

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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
BD 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

Storyline

A thought-provoking and haunting exploration of how reality and dream-states may combine to form complex interactions. The line between the imagination and reality blurs when an accomplished Psychiatrist takes on a patient that appears to be suicidal.

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Plot Keywords:

hallucination | dying | art student | car accident | nonlinear timeline | 

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Taglines:

Between the worlds of the living and the dead there is a place you're not supposed to stay.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some disturbing images

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was the first screenplay David Benioff sold. It sold for $1.5 million.

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Goofs

When Sam is talking to Dr. Ren about Henry's decision to commit suicide, Ren's beard changes length between each camera shot, inside and out of the hospital.

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Quotes

Sam Foster: [gesturing to the surrounding paintings on display] Are any of these yours?
Henry Letham: Ouch.
Sam Foster: What?
Henry Letham: Well... these are bad, Sam.

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Alternate Versions

The UK cinema version was censored to achieve a 15 rating. A line of dialogue describing a suicide technique was altered. The original line was restored in the 2006 18-rated DVD.

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Connections

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

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Soundtracks

These Eyes
Written by Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman
Performed by The Guess Who
Courtesy of the RCA Records Label
Under license from BMG Film & TV Music
(played when Athena, Henry and his parents are in the car)

User Reviews

A top notch Lynch-y psychological thriller

This is really a spectacular film. I know I'm going to have to see it at least once more, because there's so much stuff going on that it's impossible to give Stay the attention in deserves in one viewing.

First and foremost, although I won't give away the plot here, I'll say that the movie (thankfully) does not rely on a surprise ending for the totality of its impact. In fact, if you're paying attention, you can pretty much figure out (mostly) what the situation is before you get too far into the movie. Unlike some of the worst examples of this genre (i.e. The Sixth Sense), Stay is not a film that "hides the ball," but instead presents you with characters and a storyline, and asks you to draw your own conclusions.

That said, there isn't an obvious solution to the movie. While you may be able to explain the film after viewing it (which is trickier that it will seem at first), you may realize that the real brilliance of this film is in the levels of its narrative. At its core, it is a basic psychological thriller. Simultaneously, and perhaps subconsciously, it also meditates on weighty issues of reality and identity- consider what the imperative "Stay" means to different characters at different points in the film, and it's almost like you're watching an entirely different movie than you originally thought.

Finally, the visuals in this movie provide their own context and narrative regarding the fragile nature of human memory and perception. This is the best looking movie I've seen in a long time, and the fact that it's combined with such a great story and cast makes this a rare treat.

If there is a weak link here, it's probably Gosling, who I think missed some opportunities to really dig in with his character and creep us out. Still his acting is better than that of most of Hollywood's garbage these days.

Final verdict: if you want a smart and unsettling film that will spur a serious discussion, watch this. You won't be disappointed.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 October 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Stay

Filming Locations:

Roosevelt Island, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,188,199, 23 October 2005

Gross USA:

$3,626,883

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$8,483,797

Company Credits

Production Co:

Regency Enterprises, New Regency Pictures, Epsilon Motion Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1