Over the past decade, America’s opioid epidemic has been brought to our screens either through documentary or dramatization. These have focused on the drugs’ manipulative resurgence and the impending havoc reaped in our communities. This spotlight has illuminated corporate greed, governmental loopholes, disparities in health care, de facto dealers, the unfortunate who suffer from addiction and the authorities charged with keeping the streets safe in the aftermath. Stay Awake, the feature film from writer/director Jamie Sisley, moves the spotlight onto the caretakers of those who suffer from addiction. It’s an earnest, sweet and introspective small-town story that does its best to empathize with the very human condition of addiction and the loved ones who wrestle with putting their lives on hold to care for them.
Stay Awake is set in a small town in West Virginia. Two brothers, the younger, moody Ethan (Wyatt Oleff), and the older, balanced Derek (Fin Argus), are set in a routine of looking after their opioid addicted mother Michelle (“This Is Us” alum Chrissy Metz). The repetitive routine of finding their mother passed out, attempting to keep her awake by singing greatest hits with her in the car ride to the hospital and starting over again in hopes that she’ll get better starts to take a toll on the youngest sibling, who’s concerned about his future and wonders how to deal with his mother’s inability to get better.
The subtle drama is based on Sisley’s own experiences, and was the topic of his 2015 short film of the same name. Sisley and the crew are solid in creating the film’s breezy feel, giving the location just enough of a small town feel that you can appreciate the desire to stay and enjoy its quaintness, and at the same time understand Ethan’s urge to leave. The film excels in not denigrating or belittling small town life or its people, so much that Ethan’s moodiness becomes overbearing, more akin to angst and immaturity than an understandable response to the issues set before the character.
This is even more unfortunate since every other major character displays a relatable connection that the audience can latch on to. Chrissy Metz’s portrayal of Michelle is understatedly powerful. There is an earnestness on screen during Michelle’s sober moments. It is refreshing to see the mechanics of a “functioning addict” without it playing as a superficial horror story. The film does miss opportunities to delve deeper into Michelle’s addiction. We never know where her sons find her and why she goes there, nor the real reasons behind her depression and destructive behavior. Also, do they know about Narcan? These questions are not answered, although Metz’s performance is intimate and human enough for you to even wonder in the first place.
There are two other standouts in Stay Awake. Fin Argus’ performance as the older brother Derek is poignant and gives the film the optimistic levity it needs to give proper balance to Oleff’s quiet, angry Ethan. Quinn McColgan’s portrayal of Ethan’s concerned girlfriend, Ashley, provided the best conversational insight into Ethan’s pathos, and in those moments, we really get to a deeper understanding of the internal struggles he’s facing. McColgan’s presence gives just enough push back and care that we begin to empathize with them both.
Stay Awake is exemplary for humanizing the opioid epidemic. Although the film doesn’t quite convey the debilitating weight carried by families dealing with a loved one’s addiction, it does at least serve as an interesting conversation starter. The performances are solid, and the pretension is balanced enough to keep the viewers attention without the feeling of being “preachy”. The film reminds us that underneath the staggering statistics, addiction produces shrapnel that often hurts those left behind.
Photo courtesy of Mar Vista Entertainment
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