Cleveland International Film Fest presents The Adderall Diaries

I recently went to the Cleveland International Film Festival’s presentation of James Franco’s latest movie, The Adderall Diaries. The film told the story of a writer called Stephen Elliot, played by Franco, who is struggling with writer’s block and unreliable memories of his childhood.

Franco’s character frequently flashes back to moments in his childhood, specifically of his father, played by Ed Harris, abusing him. It is revealed slowly throughout the film that Elliot’s memories may not be completely accurate, and his father presents a totally different side of what happened after Elliot’s mother died of an unspecified illness. Meanwhile, Elliot loses book deals and his ability to write after his father surfaces during a publicity event, disputing the end of his autobiographical novel which told of his father’s death. In an effort to reboot his writing career, Elliot looks into a murder trial for inspiration and meets a reporter in the courtroom that soon becomes his girlfriend, played by Amber Heard.

The film was very thought-provoking, with loads of commentary about the unreliable nature of memories and how no one really remembers what happened with complete accuracy; it specifically portrays the subjectivity of events and human nature. This was definitely a film from which the audience walks away deep in thought, and although points in the movie are confusing, it was clear they were meant to be in order to portray the way memories are confused and blurred.

I thought the film told an intriguing story and I would definitely recommend it to people that want to watch less of a blockbuster and more of a thriller type film. There are very few people that would necessarily relate to the main character of the story, but there are bits of each character that are relatable. The different pieces of life that the film focused on are certainly compelling and affect everyone. The script feels more like a book with the complexity of the story it tells, and the details involved in telling that story correctly.

As for the film festival itself, this was my second time attending a film there. It is an incredible opportunity to see many lesser known films and to interact with the people involved in creating those wonderful works of art. Many of the people behind the films, including actors, directors, producers, and more, are at the showings of their movies and are available to interact with before and after viewing. It’s a great way for future filmmakers like myself to meet with people in the positions you’d like to be in and explore how they got those positions while receiving great advice and making genuine connections.

Last year, after watching Ghost Boy, I got to speak with the screenwriter of the film. He and the director and producer hosted a question and answer session after the screening, and I asked a few questions about writing for movies and how to break into the industry. It was a great experience and I’m grateful to have been offered it.

This year, although there was no question and answer session, I did see the executive producer and we had a brief conversation about the film. I would presume the film festival is an excellent opportunity for filmmakers as well, as they get to interact with the public and real viewers can give feedback on their movies. I”m looking forward to eventually getting one of my films into the festivals one day, and CIFF is definitely one of the festivals I’ll look for in the future.

The Cleveland International Film Festival is over for this year, but it will be returning in March 2017 for its 41st year. In the meantime, many of the films shown this year and in past years, including The Adderall Diaries, are available for viewing on all the different streaming sites like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime.