The Adderall Diaries

Stephen Elliott is a writer whose past success has given way to creative stagnation, heavy reliance on Adderall and alcohol, and strained relationships. When his estranged father reappears and claims that much of the troubled childhood Stephen has drawn on in his work never happened, Stephen is left questioning his own memory. Around the same time, he becomes absorbed in the murder trial of Hans Reiser, a case whose details echo elements of his own life and pull him toward a book project. A new romance and an old friend who shares his history offer him other anchors as he tries to sort fact from invention.

Pamela Romanowsky directed and wrote the screenplay, adapting Stephen Elliott's memoir. It was the first of the two features she has directed, ahead of The Institute in 2017. James Franco, who also produced, plays Stephen; Amber Heard appears as Lana Edmond, Ed Harris as Neil Elliott, and Christian Slater as Hans Reiser. Twenty actors and 46 crew members are credited.

Released in April 2016, the film runs 87 minutes and mixes drama, romance and thriller elements. Its reception was muted: on IMDb and on TMDB, audience scores sit in the middle range, and a film critics' rating of 4.5/10 from 36 reviews is close to the audience figure, suggesting neither critics nor viewers found it especially distinctive.