Permanent Midnight (1998)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

David Veloz

Writers (WGA):

Jerry Stahl (book)
David Veloz (screenplay)

Release Date:

16 September 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Romance

Plot:

Comedy writer Jerry Stahl (Ben Stiller), whose $6000-a-week heroin habit had him taking his infant daughter...

Plot Keywords:

Flashback | Detox | Habit | Heroin | Writer

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Ben Stiller	...	Jerry Stahl
Maria Bello	...	Kitty
Jay Paulson	...	Phoenix Punk
Spencer Garrett	...	Brad / Tim from Mr. Chompers
Owen Wilson	...	Nicky
Elizabeth Hurley	...	Sandra
Lourdes Benedicto	...	Vola
Fred Willard	...	Craig Ziffer
Chauncey Leopardi	...	Jerry at 16
Mary Thompson	...	Grandma Whittle
Connie Nielsen	...	Dagmar
Charles Fleischer	...	Allen from Mr. Chompers
Liz Torres	...	Dita
Douglas Spain	...	Miguel
Janeane Garofalo	...	Jana Farmer

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive graphic drug use, strong sexuality and language.

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:16 | UK:18 | USA:R | Australia:MA | New Zealand:R18

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

JD Productions

Trivia:

Actor Charles Fleischer, best known for playing Roger Rabbit, has the small role of Allen from Mr. Chompers. According to the book, Permanent Midnight, Jerry Stahl wrote an unaired television pilot as a vehicle for Fleischer.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Jerry is at the methadone clinic, the doctor is checking boxes on a form he's filling out. The questions he asks Jerry do not match the boxes he checks.

Quotes:

Jerry Stahl: People always ask, "What's the worst thing heroin drove you to do?". I always answer, "showing up on Maury."

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Ben Stiller/Alanis Morrisette (#24.4)" (1998)

Soundtrack:

SHE CRIES YOUR NAME

Smart black comedy with Ben Stiller's best performance to date.

I think Ben Stiller is one of the most talented comic actors currently working, even though he is often in awful movies (e.g. 'Zoolander', 'The Suburbans'). 'Permanent Midnight' is one of the best movies he has been involved with and features what is arguably his single finest performance. Based on the autobiography of TV hack writer Jerry Stahl, this is a smart, fresh and blackly humorous look at addiction and Hollywood. Stiller has a fine supporting cast here, especially his buddies and frequent co-stars Owen Wilson ('Bottle Rocket') and Janeane Garofolo ('Reality Bites'), the amazingly charismatic star-in-the-making Peter Greene ('Laws Of Gravity'), and comedy veteran Fred Willard ('Best In Show'), who all have small but memorable roles. Hell, even Liz Hurley and Cheryl Ladd are good in this, believe it or not. 'Permanent Midnight' was, like so many other good movies that don't pander to a mass audience, a box office flop, but will hopefully find a larger audience in years to come via video and DVD. I think it is one of the most underrated movies of the last ten years, and highly recommend it.