A Million Little Pieces

In written form, A Million Little Pieces gained notoriety as the bestselling memoir that was kicked out of Oprah’s Book Club in 2006 because of alleged fabrications by author James Frey.

Such embellishments aren’t relevant in the cinematic adaptation, which instead is hampered by its reliance on clichés about addiction and rehabilitation that squander a committed lead performance by Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass).

He plays Frey, a Chicago man in his mid-20s sent to a Minnesota rehab clinic to detox after years of alcohol and substance abuse, as well as run-ins with the law.

The lifestyle has taken its toll on Frey, who looks much older than his age, with scars to match. “I’ve never seen this degree of degradation in someone so young,” a doctor warns him.

Nevertheless, he struggles to adhere to the rules, refusing to take his medication, denouncing the 12 steps, and lashing out at staff while threatening to leave. Also defying regulations, he befriends a suicidal young woman (Odessa Young) for support.

Although Frey is a fascinating figure, some of the periphery roles in his cuckoo’s nest are thinly sketched, including the former mobster and fellow patient (Billy Bob Thornton) who becomes a father figure, the brother (Charlie Hunnam) who provides unconditional support, and the therapist (Juliette Lewis) who always knows just what to say.

Getting inside the headspace of an addict is always a challenge, and this melodramatic effort rarely strays from a predictable and emotionally calculated narrative arc.

While the film gradually fills in details about Frey’s past, Taylor-Johnson’s audacious portrayal conveys a hard-earned sympathy as he navigates physical and emotional obstacles during the delicate cycle of relapse and recovery.

As directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey), the star’s wife, the film generates some haunting imagery, although a handful of its depictions of surreal nightmares feel more pretentious than profound. It’s appropriately difficult to stomach at times, such as during a graphic root canal sequence that will be memorable for those who’ve read the source material.

Overall, however, the big-screen translation of A Million Little Pieces could use some controversy. While it might have cathartic intentions, the desired resonance is inhibited by what seems like a million little contrivances.

Rated R, 112 minutes.