''Self Medicated'' is a 2005 independent film based on real-life events from writer/director/lead actor Monty Lapica about Andrew, a troubled teenager whose mother has him

kidnapped Kidnapped may refer to: * subject to the crime of kidnapping Literature * ''Kidnapped'' (novel), an 1886 novel by Robert Louis Stevenson * ''Kidnapped'' (comics), a 2007 graphic novel adaptation of R. L. Stevenson's novel by Alan Grant and Ca ...

at age 17 by a private company and forcibly committed to a locked-down psychiatric institute. Monty Lapica was not originally cast for acting in the film, according to the subsequent documentary, ''The Making of Self-Medicated'' (2007), the first-time writer and director was also slated to play the starring role in his own life story after casting-calls failed to produce a suitable candidate.

Plot

On the edges of Las Vegas, 17-year-old Andrew's life is spiraling out of control. Unable to cope with the loss of his father, Andrew's descent into drugs and violence is gaining momentum, and the once promising young man is now headed for self-destruction. Andrew's mother, helpless to control her son and fighting an addiction of her own, refuses to watch idly as her only child destroys himself. As a last resort, she hires a private company to forcibly kidnap and confine him in a locked-down and corrupt psychiatric hospital. As Andrew is subjected to the secret physical and emotional abuses of the program something inside him is re-awakened. He must somehow get free to save what's left of his life, but to do that, he knows he must first face his own demons head-on.

Cast

* Monty Lapica as Andrew Eriksen *

Diane Venora Diane Venora is an American stage, television and film actress. She graduated from the Juilliard School in 1977 and made her film debut in 1981 opposite Albert Finney in '' Wolfen''. She won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Support ...

as Louise Eriksen * Michael Bowen as Dan Jones *

Greg Germann Gregory Andrew Germann ( ; born February 26, 1958) is an American actor who is known for playing Richard Fish on the television series '' Ally McBeal'', which earned him a Screen Actors Guild award. He also is known for his roles as Eric "Rico" ...

as Keith McCauley

Reception

On review aggregator

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

, ''Self-Medicated'' has a score of 37% based on 38 reviews. The critics’ consensus reads, "''Self-Medicated'' features some nice performances, but is too sentimental and unfocused to be a truly compelling film." ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...

'' said there was "a raw, unmannered intensity in Lapica's performance sets the requisite tone for the entire production. Self- Medicated is just what the doctor ordered.", and ''Variety'' said the film was "a searing portrait of an out-of-control youth . . . strong acting from all quarters and an especially blistering performance from Lapica. Packs a startling punch!" After complimenting the musical score by

Anthony Marinelli Anthony Marinelli (born March 19, 1959) is an American musician, composer and conductor. In his early career, he composed and performed accompaniment on the synthesizer for albums including Michael Jackson's ''Thriller'' (1983). Marinelli ha ...

and cinematography by Denis Maloney, Jeannette Catsoulis writes for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'', "When the institutional 'abuses' promised in the press notes fail to materialize (unless you count enforced standing and essay writing), the story becomes a monotonous loop of escape and recapture."

Release

The film was theatrically released on August 31, 2007 in 15 markets, including

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, Indianapolis,

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, Austin, and

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Awards

The film has toured the festival circuit extensively, collecting 39 awards. * Rome Independent Film Festival – Grand Jury Prize — 2006 * Australian International Film Festival – Best Feature Film & Best Actress (Diane Venora) * Angel Award — Best Motion Picture — 2007 *

PRISM Award The Entertainment Industries Council is a United States non-profit organization founded in 1983 that promotes the depiction of accurate health and social issues in film, television, music, and comic books. The Council provides guidelines on the depi ...

Winner — 2006 * WorldFest International Film Festival – Gold Remi Award — 2006 *

Phoenix Film Festival Phoenix Film Festival is a festival that celebrates feature films and their creators. Started in 2000, the annual celebration takes place in the city of Phoenix, Arizona. The festival is a showcase for feature and short films from all over the wo ...

–

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Audience Award & Best Ensemble (Cast) — 2006 * Berkeley Film Festival – Grand Festival Award — 2006 * Memphis International Film Festival – Jury Award — 2006 * Tahoe/Reno International Film Festival – Best Spotlight Feature (Festival Prize) — 2005 *

Newport Beach International Film Festival The Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) is an annual film festival in Newport Beach, California, typically held in late April. In 2022, it was announced that the festival have permanently changed its date to be held in October, as the festival be ...

– Best First Feature (Breakthrough Award) — 2006 *

San Luis Obispo International Film Festival The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival (SLOIFF) is an American film festival held in San Luis Obispo, California. It is a six-day annual event, showcasing contemporary and classic film screenings at the historic Fremont Theater, the Pal ...

– Best Feature — 2006 * Zion International Film Festival – Grand Jury Prize *

Santa Fe Film Festival The Santa Fe Film Festival is a non-profit organization which presents important world cinema that represents aesthetic, critical, and entertainment standards highlighting New Mexican film. The organization partners with educational groups, schools, ...

– Best of the Southwest — 2005 * Tiburon International Film Festival – Best Actor (Monty Lapica) — 2006 * DIY Film Festival – Best Feature & Best Director — 2006 * George Lindsey UNA Film Festival – Professional Feature (Monty Lapica and Tommy Bell) — 2006 * Cosmos International Film Festival – Best Feature * Flint International Film Festival – Competition Jury Prize * Twin Rivers Film Festival – Feature Film Award * Zoie Film Festival – Best Feature Film — 2006 * Big Island Film Festival – Best Feature & Up-And-Coming Filmmaker Award — 2006 * Santa Clarita Film Festival – Best Feature &

Fuji Fuji may refer to: Places China * Fuji, Xiangcheng City (付集镇), town in Xiangcheng City, Henan Japan * Mount Fuji, the tallest mountain in Japan * Fuji River * Fuji, Saga, town in Saga Prefecture * Fuji, Shizuoka, city in Shizuoka Prefec ...

Best Feature Shot on Film — 2006 * Lake Arrowhead Film Festival – Best Feature — 2006 * Trenton International Film Festival – Best Screenplay — 2006 * BridgeFest Film Festival Canada – Best Feature * Staten Island Film Festival – Best New Filmmaker * Estes Park Film Festival – Best Feature & Audience Award *

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American retired singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. Bennett is also a painter, having created works under his birt ...

/ Mike Agassi Foundation – Inspiration Award * New York VisionFest – Best Feature & Best Actor (Monty Lapica) & Best Editing — 2006 * Charlotte Film Festival – Audience Award — 2006

References

External links

* * * {{Rotten Tomatoes, self_medicated 2005 films 2005 drama films American independent films 2005 independent films Films scored by Anthony Marinelli 2000s English-language films 2000s American films Films about juvenile delinquency Teen drama films