Stay
Director: Marc Forster
Writer: David Benioff
Co-starring: Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Filming: 24 September 2003 – January 2004
Budget: $50,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office Gross: $3,626,883
Runtime: 1hr 39 min.
Synopsis
“A reality-bending thriller about a psychologist whose suicidal client makes bizarre predictions that, to the psychologist’s mounting terror, begin to come true. The shrink must race against time to save everything he loves before it disappears.”
Images
Trivia
• Letham is an anagram of the word “Hamlet” which is referred to numerous times throughout the film.
• The original ending of the movie had Henry standing on top of the bridge (where he is last seen with Sam before the “truth” is revealed). He is shown as gray and spirit-like, looking down on the events that are happening on the bridge.
• Ryan Gosling operated the camera when he turns to look at the people staring at him in the scene where his head starts to bleed while he is in front of the jewelry store.
Quotations
Sam Foster: I’ve read your file.
Henry Letham: Well can I read your file?
Sam Foster: Tell me why you’re here.
Henry Letham: I thought you read the file.
Henry Letham: Do you know the Tristan Rêveur quote about bad art? It’s “bad art is more tragically beautiful than good art ’cause it documents human failure.”
Sam Foster: [gesturing to the surrounding paintings on display] Are any of these yours?
Henry Letham: Ouch.
Sam Foster: What?
Henry Letham: Well… these are bad, Sam.
Henry Letham: An elegant suicide is the ultimate work of art.
Sam Foster: What’s this?
Henry Letham: I burned myself.
Sam Foster: You burned yourself? Why?
Henry Letham: Practicing for hell.
Sam Foster: Why do you think you’re going to hell?
Henry Letham: Because of what I did. Because of what I’m gonna do.
Sam Foster: What are you going to do?
Henry Letham: [mimes a gun to his head]
Sam Foster: You’re going to try to kill yourself? And how serious should I take this threat?
Henry Letham: Saturday at midnight. It’s what I’m going to do.
Sam Foster: Okay, you’ve gotta know that everything just changed, if you talk to me about suicide I’m required to take certain actions.
Henry Letham: Wait, just deal with him [indicating patient in waiting room] , and we’ll talk about it next time.
Sam Foster: There’s a next time?
Henry Letham: Yeah. Yeah, we got three days.
