Recovering addict Jerry Stahl (Ben Stiller) works a fast food drive thru window in the middle of nowhere. He gets picked up by Kitty (Maria Bello) who has drug issues of her own. They have motel sex and he recounts his drug story. He was a writer for a kiddie show in New York but decided to go to L. A. to get away from the drugs. It didn't work out as planned.

This is based on the autobiography of TV writer Jerry Stahl. It may be his real life but it's an all-too-familiar story. The flashback structure does not help the narrative drive. The opening already shows that he survived and is recovering. While it's commendable that Ben Stiller is willing to stretch his acting, I can't help but compare some of his more druggie work with some sort of comedic take on drug addiction. This is fine but there is nothing groundbreaking. Stiller gives a commendable performance and it is all generally fine.

Jerry Stahl (Ben Stiller) stars in another pretentious film about Hollywood and drugs. Jerry is a writer and a user, He has enough talent to keep himself employed and almost pay for his habit. He sleeps with pretty women and can not get himself clean.

Stiller has not a likable character. The film seemed self-serving. The direction and build-up to scenes were not there.

Guide: F-word, sex, brief nudity (Maria Bello)

There have been many drug addiction movies: "A Panic in Needle Park", "Scarface", "Drugstore Cowboy", "Naked Lunch", "The Basketball Diaries", "Trainspotting", "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and now "Permanent Midnight". This last one features Ben Stiller as writer Jerry Stahl, who is battling heroin addiction. Throughout the movie, we follow Jerry around and see how the addiction is affecting his life and relationships. It was certainly worth seeing, but it didn't really show anything that we haven't seen before (granted, it wasn't weird like "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"). It's sort of weird to think that Ben Stiller in the same year went from a totally silly role in "There's Something About Mary" to this grim role. Oh well...