There is a welcome level of restraint permeating through the family addiction drama Stay Awake. An active avoidance of melodrama and scenes of conventional rock-bottom behavior lends Jamie Sisley’s autobiographical feature debut a plaintive tone, rich with mordant humor. That avoidance mirrors the plight of brothers Ethan (Oleff) and Derek (Argus) as they attempt to reckon with the opioid addiction of their mother, Michelle (Metz).
Older brother Ethan, a couple years out of high school and working full time at the local bowling alley in the family’s small Virginia town, appears resigned to his role as caretaker and keeper of the status quo. Minor success as an actor in regional commercials aside, Ethan is well on his way to mastering the art of discounting his own needs for others. For Derek, who has just nabbed a full scholarship to Brown University, the toxic co-dependency of this family dynamic is becoming untenable, not to mention the enormous guilt that looms with his departure. And then there’s Michelle, a single mother whose skills at deflection and denial are losing their efficacy as frantic, weekly trips to the ER and unsuccessful rehab stints become commonplace. She knows she does her sons no favors but is helplessly in thrall of the oxy.
With its simple framing and naturalistic performances, Stay Awake recalls the American independent films of the Eighties, specifically the work of filmmaker Victor Nuñez (Ulee’s Gold, Ruby in Paradise). Sisley has created an authentic and nuanced portrait of a family not just in crisis, but in transition: big transition, sparked by the accumulation of small moments where the heart is laid bare, where the frustration boils over, where the delusions must be faced. And where the truth is embraced.
This article appears in July 7 • 2023.