The Adderall Diaries starred James Franco, Timothée Chalamet, and Amber Heard, where the two actors played the same role. That’s right, both Franco and Chalamet portrayed Stephen Elliot, the crime drama’s protagonist, at different stages of his life.
Franco depicted the troubled adult author, whereas Chalamet was the more vulnerable and rebellious younger version. Despite the cast and potential, the movie crashed and burned during its limited theatrical release and didn’t impress critics either.
Director Pamela Romanowsky turned Stephen Elliott’s eponymous memoir’s true story into a feature, where he tried to capture the latter’s turbulent past, a famous murder case, and more, all in a single narrative. So, let’s look at how Chalamet and Franco played Elliot, followed by a look at why exactly the movie failed.
Timothée Chalamet and James Franco’s Different Portrayal of the Same Character
James Franco’s portrayal zooms in on a thirty-something Stephen Elliot, who is an author dealing with the fallout of a complicated past. His performance was meant to be brooding and intense, to showcase the emotional and psychological strain of revisiting the character’s trauma.
However, critics found it to be dull, unimpressive, and smug at times. But that could just be a way of Franco putting forth the character’s detachment and self-destructive tendencies. Chalamet, on the other hand, shows us what Stephen was like in his formative years. We get insights into his confusion, rebellion, and more.
Though the actor’s screentime is short and he’s not too verbal, his presence adds depth to Elliot’s backstory. The duality helps us understand the author’s complexity, and together, they offer us a layered journey of understanding Elliot. However, the film’s execution didn’t allow it to meet its full potential.
Why the Amber Heard Starrer Failed to Impress Everyone Despite Its Heavy Themes
In The Adderall Diaries, Amber Heard played Lana Edmon, an important romantic interest in Stephen Elliot’s life. However, no actor’s presence could save the movie, even though it had some ambitious goals of combining a crime drama with a murder investigation.
Here’s an overview of the feature:
But the execution faltered, and the movie became one of the weakest entries in James Franco and Timothée Chalamet’s filmography. Critics complained about its fragile narrative focus that loses the plot while juggling two very different storylines.
Despite a talented cast and being an A24 movie, the characters were somewhat flat and underwritten, and the author’s internal struggles didn’t translate well on screen. The transition between an introspective drama and a crime procedural wasn’t exactly smooth, and key revelations felt anticlimactic.
So, have you ever watched this movie? And if yes, what could have been better about it?
The Adderall Diaries is available to stream on Plex (USA).
