''Chasing Sleep'' is a 2000
psychological thriller
Psychological thriller is a genre combining the thriller and psychological fiction genres. It is commonly used to describe literature or films that deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting.
In terms of context and co ...
film written and directed by
Michael Walker released to video in 2001. It depicts the reaction of a college professor who awakens to find his wife missing. It stars
Jeff Daniels
Jeffrey Warren Daniels (born February 19, 1955) is an American actor, comedian, musician, and playwright, known for his work on stage and screen playing diverse characters switching between comedy and drama. He is the recipient of several accol ...
and
Emily Bergl
Anne Emily Bergl''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at ancestry.com (born 25 April 1975) is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Rachel Lang in the supernatural horror film '' The Rage: Carrie ...
.
Plot
Ed Saxon (
Jeff Daniels
Jeffrey Warren Daniels (born February 19, 1955) is an American actor, comedian, musician, and playwright, known for his work on stage and screen playing diverse characters switching between comedy and drama. He is the recipient of several accol ...
), a college professor, wakes up to find his wife has not returned to their
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
home. He takes some mysterious pills, then calls one of his wife's friends, Susie (
Molly Price
Molly, Mollie or mollies may refer to:
Animals
* ''Poecilia'', a genus of fishes
** ''Poecilia sphenops'', a fish species
* A female mule (horse–donkey hybrid)
People
* Molly (name) or Mollie, a female given name, including a list of persons ...
), confusedly asking whether he should be worried. Susie suggests that he call the local hospital, but they have no record of his wife being admitted. After further consulting Susie, he decides to call the police. When Detective Derm (
Gil Bellows
Gil Bellows (born June 28, 1967) is a Canadian actor, screenwriter, and director. He is best known for the roles of Tommy Williams in the 1994 movie ''The Shawshank Redemption'', Billy Thomas in the Fox television series '' Ally McBeal'' (1997– ...
) arrives, Derm takes pills similar to Saxon's. They check her workplace and listen to some messages on the answering machine. George Simian (
Julian McMahon
Julian Dana William McMahon (born 27 July 1968) is an Australian actor, former model, and the son of a former Prime Minister of Australia, Sir William McMahon. He is best known for his roles as Detective John Grant in '' Profiler'', Cole Tur ...
) has left a message, inquiring about his wife, and Derm remarks that her abandoned car was found near Simian's house. Saxon also has to deal with the college, annoyed that he didn't show up to teach his class, which leads one of his students, Sadie (
Emily Bergl
Anne Emily Bergl''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at ancestry.com (born 25 April 1975) is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Rachel Lang in the supernatural horror film '' The Rage: Carrie ...
), to also leave a message.
Saxon suffers a series of hallucinations and blackouts, advancing time quickly. In short time, he receives increasingly irritated calls from work, which he blows off; an abusive phone call from George Simian, followed by a physical altercation; and a visit by Sadie, concerned about his unexplained absences. Saxon declines to tell Sadie about his missing wife, instead telling her that his wife is visiting her mother. Sadie collapses in the bathroom, bloodying her nose, and complains of having heard a woman scream. Saxon explains that the neighbors, who fight often, can sometimes be heard from his house, and he gives her a change of clothes. After she leaves, Derm returns, wanting to search the house for clues. Sadie's bloody shirt is discovered by Derm, who seems satisfied with Saxon's explanation. Derm also finds a diary, which Saxon didn't know his wife kept. In it, Saxon's wife expresses mixed emotions for her husband, including pity, contempt, and fear. Despite his promise to give the diary to Derm, Saxon burns the diary.
Geoffrey Costas (
Zach Grenier
Zach Grenier is an American character actor of film, television and stage. He is best known for his roles in films such as '' Fight Club'', ''Tommy Boy'', and '' Twister'' and for his roles in television such as David Lee in '' The Good Wife'' a ...
), a psychiatrist who leads a victim support group, visits Saxon, offering him comfort. Saxon initially declines, before soliciting stronger medication, to fight off long-term insomnia. Despite the strong medication, Saxon does not seem to fall asleep, though he suffers more blackouts and apparent hallucinations. Sadie returns to his house, concerned that he has missed more classes, but Susie interrupts them. Saxon angrily brushes aside Susie's concerns and explains that Sadie is just a student. After he gets rid of Susie, Sadie expresses her feelings of loneliness and isolation, as well as admiration for Saxon's poetry. This leads to an abortive tryst, which Saxon abruptly calls off. Humiliated and confused, Sadie leaves.
Derm calls Saxon to reveal that they've discovered his wife's body. Depressed, Saxon welcomes the chance to talk to Costas again. They discuss how traumatic events can lead to inappropriate guilt, and Costas convinces Saxon to allow him to speak to the police, on his behalf. However, the police reveal that they have not discovered the wife's body, after all, leading both Costas and Derm to suspect Saxon. Saxon has further hallucinations, leading him to suspect himself, as well. Simian, who had been arrested previously for assaulting Saxon, returns to Saxon's house again, enraged and seeking to kill Saxon. Saxon instead kills Simian, and, consumed with guilt, swallows every pill that he can find. Derm, arriving at the house afterward, kneels down, in front of Saxon, while Saxon denies killing anyone. The bathtub then overflows with blood, and Saxon sees his wife playing the piano.
Cast
*
Jeff Daniels
Jeffrey Warren Daniels (born February 19, 1955) is an American actor, comedian, musician, and playwright, known for his work on stage and screen playing diverse characters switching between comedy and drama. He is the recipient of several accol ...
as Ed Saxon
*
Emily Bergl
Anne Emily Bergl''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at ancestry.com (born 25 April 1975) is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Rachel Lang in the supernatural horror film '' The Rage: Carrie ...
as Sadie
*
Gil Bellows
Gil Bellows (born June 28, 1967) is a Canadian actor, screenwriter, and director. He is best known for the roles of Tommy Williams in the 1994 movie ''The Shawshank Redemption'', Billy Thomas in the Fox television series '' Ally McBeal'' (1997– ...
as Det. Derm
*
Zach Grenier
Zach Grenier is an American character actor of film, television and stage. He is best known for his roles in films such as '' Fight Club'', ''Tommy Boy'', and '' Twister'' and for his roles in television such as David Lee in '' The Good Wife'' a ...
as Geoffrey Costas
*
Julian McMahon
Julian Dana William McMahon (born 27 July 1968) is an Australian actor, former model, and the son of a former Prime Minister of Australia, Sir William McMahon. He is best known for his roles as Detective John Grant in '' Profiler'', Cole Tur ...
as George Simian
*
Ben Shenkman
Benjamin Shenkman (born September 26, 1968) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in the comedy-drama series ''Royal Pains'' and the acclaimed HBO miniseries ''Angels in America'', which earned him both Primetime Emmy Award and Golden ...
as Officer Stewart
*
Molly Price
Molly, Mollie or mollies may refer to:
Animals
* ''Poecilia'', a genus of fishes
** ''Poecilia sphenops'', a fish species
* A female mule (horse–donkey hybrid)
People
* Molly (name) or Mollie, a female given name, including a list of persons ...
as Susie
* Patrick Moug as Det. Snyder
Themes
''The Chicago Reader'' states that "Walker does pull an impressive Kubrickian trick by turning the antiseptic, deteriorating house into a metaphor for Daniels's mental state".
[Ted Shen]
"Chasing Sleep" Review
''Chicago Reader''
Addiction and denial of reality is also touched upon in the film. Ed Saxon is taking medication and his doctor, a police officer early in the film and Det. Derm are all seen taking the exact same pills.
Production
Film locations
*
Chelsea, Michigan
Chelsea is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,467 at the 2020 census.
History
The area was first settled as early as 1820 within the Michigan Territory by settler Cyrus Beckwith. It would be organized ...
, United States
*
Jackson, Michigan
Jackson is the only city and county seat of Jackson County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534, down from 36,316 at the 2000 census. Located along Interstate 94 and U.S. Route 127, it is approx ...
, United States
*
Stockbridge, Michigan
Stockbridge is a village in Ingham County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located within Stockbridge Township about southeast from downtown Lansing. The population was 1,218 at the 2010 census.
Geography
According to the United States Ce ...
, United States
Release
The film did not receive a theatrical release within the United States, although Lions Gate Films bought the rights at the Toronto Film Festival. The film instead ran on the festival circuit for a year before premiering on video on September 16, 2001, by Lions Gate. It was later self-distributed in the US, after its video release, and it played in theaters in Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland and Chicago.
Film festivals and other releases
* 2001 - ''
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a perman ...
'' - Official Selection
[Mike D'Angelo]
Toronto 7-16 September, 2000
The Man Who Viewed Too Much
* 2001 - ''
Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival
The Imagine Film Festival, formerly Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival (AFFF), also known as Imagine Fantastic Film Festival or simply Imagine, is an annual film festival in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The festival was created in 1991 as the Amsterda ...
'' - Official Selection
* 2001 - ''
Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Films
The Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFFF), previously named Brussels International Festival of Fantastic Film (french: Festival international du film fantastique de Bruxelles, nl, Internationaal Festival van de Fantastische Fil ...
'' - Official Selection
* 2001 - ''
Gérardmer Film Festival
Gérardmer (; or archaic ''Geroldsee'', and ''Giraumoué'' in local Vosgian) is a commune in the Vosges department in Grand Est in northeastern France.
Population
Culture
The Festival international du film fantastique de Gérardmer (literal ...
'' - Official Selection
* 2001 - ''
Lund Fantastisk Film Festival'' - Official Selection
* 2001 - ''
Sweden Fantastic Film Festival'' - Official Selection
[IMDB Release Information]
/ref>
Reception
On 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 Wan ...
, the film received a rating of 50% based on reviews from 6 critics, with an average rating of 5.9.
Awards
* 2001 - ''Gérardmer Film Festival
Gérardmer (; or archaic ''Geroldsee'', and ''Giraumoué'' in local Vosgian) is a commune in the Vosges department in Grand Est in northeastern France.
Population
Culture
The Festival international du film fantastique de Gérardmer (literal ...
'' - Won - ''Special Jury Prize''
* 2001 - '' Sweden Fantastic Film Festival'' - Won - ''Jury Grand Prize''
References
External links
*
*
* {{rotten-tomatoes, id=chasing_sleep, title=Chasing Sleep
2000 films
2000 psychological thriller films
English-language Canadian films
English-language French films
2000s English-language films
Films set in Seattle
Insomnia in film
American psychological thriller films
Canadian psychological thriller films
French psychological thriller films
2000s American films
2000s Canadian films
2000s French films