Despite the good performances of James Franco, Ed Harris, Amber Heard, and others, "The Adderall Diaries" is disappointing as a drama that seeks to probe into dysfunctional family systems in America.
Franco's character, Stephen Elliott, is the focal point of a multi-layered narrative of child abuse, false memories, and adults acting out childhood neuroses. Stephen has turned his troubled family experiences into a gold mine as a bestselling author. But when his father shows up to challenge Stephen's point of view, the life of the author is turned upside down.
As the film developed, it seemed to grow more and more unpleasant with sado-masochistic practices in the bedroom, and a tabloid trial of a man (Christian Slater) accused of murdering his wife. The various strands of the film are not effectively tied together, and, by the end, there is no genuine sense of redemption, except in the relationship of Stephen and his best friend from childhood, who seems to have succeeded in creating a conventional and happy family life for himself.
The biggest disappointment of "The Adderall Diaries" is that it was incapable of shedding light on such psychological dilemmas as the "false memory" syndrome. The James Franco-Ed Harris relationship of father and son was an interesting tug-of-war. But, sadly, it really never generated much of an emotional response in the viewer.
Franco's character, Stephen Elliott, is the focal point of a multi-layered narrative of child abuse, false memories, and adults acting out childhood neuroses. Stephen has turned his troubled family experiences into a gold mine as a bestselling author. But when his father shows up to challenge Stephen's point of view, the life of the author is turned upside down.
As the film developed, it seemed to grow more and more unpleasant with sado-masochistic practices in the bedroom, and a tabloid trial of a man (Christian Slater) accused of murdering his wife. The various strands of the film are not effectively tied together, and, by the end, there is no genuine sense of redemption, except in the relationship of Stephen and his best friend from childhood, who seems to have succeeded in creating a conventional and happy family life for himself.
The biggest disappointment of "The Adderall Diaries" is that it was incapable of shedding light on such psychological dilemmas as the "false memory" syndrome. The James Franco-Ed Harris relationship of father and son was an interesting tug-of-war. But, sadly, it really never generated much of an emotional response in the viewer.