Great acting but weak plot

Rating: 7/10 (25 February 2006)

This was truly one of the most depressing films I have ever seen. I generally dislike movies about self-destructive people because I find them tedious, but the acting and directing were so good that I would recommend it. The script left something to be desired. I found certain parts of the film unrealistic -- at least two things come to mind. I don't recall exactly when the film was supposed to have taken place, but even if it was 20 years ago, electroshock therapy would never have been given to somebody when the staff knew for a fact that the patient's problem was pill addiction and not mental illness. The patient also would not be asked to sign a consent when she clearly was not able to consent. I know things like that happened in the 1930s, but not in recent years. The arrest of two of the main characters also did not ring true. Yes, they were in the south, with the stereotypical bunch of redneck cops, but last time I checked, you can't arrest someone for being a drug addict unless you actually find drugs on their person, and if the cops did find it, that scene was left on the cutting-room floor; it appeared from the script that the doctor saw the track marks and called the cops. I don't believe that would happen. It was as if the scriptwriter decided to purposefully exaggerate what would really happen just to punish these people. It would have been better if things evolved more naturally. The film did an excellent job with the special effects, which helped the viewer see the world through the eyes of drug addicts.