Review: Flipping the script, two sons care for their opioid-addicted mother in ‘Stay Awake’

While family dramas tackling drug addiction tend to deal with parents grappling with what’s best for their afflicted teens — “Beautiful Boy” and “Ben Is Back” among recent examples — “Stay Awake” perceptively flips the script. As presented from the vantage point of a pair of small-town brothers who selflessly serve as caregivers for their opioid-dependent mother, writer-director Jamie Sisley’s autobiographical first feature strikes a genuine, sobering chord. Chrissy Metz in the movie “Stay Awake.” An aspiring actor, the personable Derek has his sights set beyond the regional commercial gigs he’s currently landing, but is afraid to venture too far from his job at the local bowling alley should he have to rescue their mother again. “I want to be a good mom … but every time I see them I’m reminded that I’ve failed,” she matter-of-factly tells her counselor during her latest stint at an addiction recovery center.