Self Medicated
Encyclopedia
Self Medicated is a 2007 independent film based on real-life events from writer/director/lead actor Monty Lapica about Andrew, a troubled teenager whose mother has him kidnapped
at age 17 by a private company and forcibly committed to a locked-down psychiatric institute.
Andrew’s mother (Golden Globe nominee Diane Venora), 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.
Self-Medicated is an extraordinary portrait of redemption and personal triumph over hardship that “packs a startling punch” (Variety).
With 39 international film awards, Self-Medicated was the most award-winning independent film of 2006.
Reviews have been generally favorable. The Hollywood Reporter
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 Daily 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!"
, Los Angeles
, Dallas, Houston, Boston
, San Diego, Chicago
, San Francisco, Denver, Portland
, Seattle, Indianapolis
, Phoenix
, Austin
, and Las Vegas
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World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
at age 17 by a private company and forcibly committed to a locked-down psychiatric institute.
Synopsis
Based on true events. 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 (in what Variety calls “an especially blistering performance by Monty Lapica”).Andrew’s mother (Golden Globe nominee Diane Venora), 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.
Self-Medicated is an extraordinary portrait of redemption and personal triumph over hardship that “packs a startling punch” (Variety).
With 39 international film awards, Self-Medicated was the most award-winning independent film of 2006.
Reception
The film has toured the festival circuit extensively, collecting 39 awards.Reviews have been generally favorable. The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
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 Daily 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!"
Release
The film was theatrically released on August 31, 2007 in 15 markets, including New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Dallas, Houston, Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, San Diego, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, San Francisco, Denver, Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Seattle, Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, and Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
.
Awards
- Rome Independent Film Festival – Grand Jury Prize
- Australian International Film FestivalAustralian International Film FestivalThe Australian International Film Festival, or AIFF, was a Melbourne festival held in 2006.An earlier festival with this name was renamed to Canberra International Film Festival.- Awards :...
– Best Feature Film/Best Actress (Diane Venora) - 2007 Angel Award Winner
- 2006 PRISM Award Winner
- WorldFest International Film Festival – Gold Remi Award
- Phoenix Film FestivalPhoenix Film FestivalPhoenix Film Festival is a festival that celebrates feature films and their creators. The celebration takes place annually in the city of Phoenix, Arizona...
– Sundance Channel Audience Award/Best Ensemble Acting - Berkeley Film Festival – Best Feature
- Memphis International Film Festival – Best Feature
- Tahoe/Reno International Film Festival – Best Spotlight Feature
- Newport Beach International Film Festival – Best First Feature
- San Luis Obispo International Film Festival – Best Feature
- Zion International Film Festival – Grand Jury Prize
- Santa Fe Film FestivalSanta Fe Film FestivalThe Santa Fe Film Festival is a Non-Profit Organization which presents important world cinema in a non-commercial context that represents aesthetic, critical and entertainment standards highlighting New Mexican film, new American and foreign film including revivals, retrospectives, independent...
– Best of the Southwest - Tiburon International Film Festival – Best Actor (Monty Lapica)
- DIY Film Festival – Best Feature/Best Director
- George Lindsey Film Festival – Best Feature
- Cosmos International Film Festival – Best Feature
- Flint International Film Festival – Competition Jury Prize
- Twin Rivers Film Festival – Feature Film Award
- Zoie Film Festival – Best Picture
- Big Island Film FestivalBig Island Film FestivalThe Big Island Film Festival is a film festival held at the Mauna Lani Resort on the Kohala Coast on the Big Island of Hawaii.The festival, which has been held every May since 2006, features short and feature films by independent filmmakers from around the world, as well as food and beverage...
– Best Feature/Up-And-Coming Filmmaker Award - Santa Clarita Film Festival – Best Feature/FujiFuji-People:* Mr. Fuji, ring name of wrestling and manager Harry Fujiwara* Keiko Fuji, a Japanese singer of the 1960s and 1970s, and mother of Hikaru Utada* Sumiko Fuji, a Japanese actressFictional characters* Fuji , a character in the Stormwatch series...
Best Feature Shot on Film - Lake Arrowhead Film Festival – Best Feature
- Trenton International Film Festival – Best Screenplay
- BridgeFest Film Festival Canada – Best Feature
- Staten Island Film Festival – Best New Filmmaker
- Estes Park Film Festival – Best Feature/Audience Award
- Tony BennettTony BennettTony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
/ Mike Agassi Foundation – Inspiration Award - VisionFest Film Festival – Best Feature/Best Actor (Monty Lapica)/Best Editing
- Charlotte Film Festival – Audience Award
Cast
- Monty Lapica as Andrew Eriksen
- Diane VenoraDiane VenoraDiane Venora is an American stage, television, and film actress.-Early life:Venora was born Diana Venora in East Hartford, Connecticut, the daughter of Marie and Robert P. Venora, who owned a dry cleaning establishment. Diane graduated from East Hartford High School, class of 1970. During her...
as Louise Eriksen - Michael BowenMichael Bowen (actor)Michael Bowen is an American actor. Films he has appeared in include Jackie Brown, Magnolia, and Less Than Zero. Bowen also had a recurring role as Danny Pickett on the ABC television series, Lost....
as Dan Jones - Greg GermannGreg GermannGregory Andrew "Greg" Germann is an American actor. He played the roles of Richard Fish in the television series Ally McBeal, businessman Mattson from Child's Play 2 and the vet Laurence from Quarantine...
as Keith McCauley
See also
Teen escort companyTeen escort company
Teen escort company, also called a youth transport firm, is a term used in the United States and Denmark to describe a business that specializes in transporting teenagers from their homes to various facilities.- United States :...
World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools
World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools
The World Wide Association Of Specialty Programs and Schools is an organization based in Utah, in the United States. WWASPS was founded by Robert Lichfield and was incorporated in 1998...