See the real story behind the film

This Saturday, the 27th, the film ‘Four Days with Her‘. Directed by Colombian filmmaker Rodrigo Garciathe film is a dramatic portrait of how drug addiction can affect the lives of not only the user, but also those around them.

“Deb tries to help her daughter Molly recover from drug abuse. This reunion, after years apart, unearths the troubled past between the two”, describes the synopsis of the film, originally released in 2020. Among its cast, stand out Glenn Close It is Mila Kuniswho give life to the mother and daughter, being the character of KunisMolly, the drug addict.

In the plot, Molly faces her 15th attempt at becoming sober, trying to deal with withdrawal and detox during the four days before an injection of a substance that neutralizes opioids.

During this time, Molly’s mother Deb helps her daughter deal with the days of trying to stay clean, while various aspects of her life are challenged. relationship between a drug addict and their support network.

+ The protagonist analgesic during the serious opioid epidemic in the USA

With an extremely dramatic and sensitive narrative, ‘Four Days with Her’ is a very moving depiction of the nuances and complexities of the lives of those who love a drug addict. And the reason this portrait is so moving is that, at its core, the narrative is inspired by a true story.

Libby and Amanda

According to the Marie Claire website, ‘Four Days with Her’ is adapted from an article published in 2016 in The Washington Post, in which the story of Libby Alexander It is Amanda Wendler, mother and daughter, respectively. The article was written by Eli Saslow, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, and is called ”How’s Amanda?’ A story of truth, lies and an American vice’.

Just like in the film, Amandaa heroin addict, moves back in with her mother to try, once again, to stay clean long enough to get a shot of the drug. opioid antagonist — this time of seven days is worth mentioning. This context is an intimate and real example of the opioid epidemic that has been plaguing the United States in recent decades.

350 people start using heroin every day, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” he writes. Eli Saslow in the article, and also adds that, every day, 79 people die from this drug.

The history of Libby It is Amandain turn, is set in the hometown of Amanda, on the outskirts of Detroit. And from a point of view Libbythis moment is especially difficult because, in addition to trying to support Amanda as much as she can, she still needs to deal with guilt of being the mother of a drug addict.

Parallels

Between the parallels between real events and the filmone can cite as an example the occasion when Amanda (and Molly) convince her mother to help her find a friend named Sammy. However, she asks for this so that she can buy drugs, which leads to other relapses, which is why she needs to reschedule the injection.

Furthermore, on the day of the injection, the daughter begs her mother to provide a urine sample in her place, as she knows she would fail the drug test and would not be able to receive the injection. This lie has an almost deadly consequence, as shown ‘Four Days with Her’.

The article ends when mother and daughter are in the emergency room of a hospital, with Libby seeking help to remove Amanda; Therefore, we do not know the young woman’s fate. In the film, however, we can see Molly in a later scene, in the midst of her recovery process, four months after her last relapse.

How is Amanda?

Five years after the article was published, in 2021, Amanda Wendler went to Fox News, and fortunately recovered. At the time, she was about to attest that drug addicts can recover, and that in addition to their own health, this would also help to dissipate the stigma surrounding drug addicts.

We recovered… I went to over 20 different rehab clinics, but… With therapy and meetings, recovery is possibly living proof of that,” he said.