Based on the bestselling memoir by Stephen Elliott, The Adderall Diaries is the gripping and complex story of how an author’s fascination with a high-profile murder case leads him to come to terms with his troubled past while embarking on a potentially life-changing romance in the present. James Franco plays Stephen Elliot, a once-successful novelist paralyzed by writer's block and an escalating Adderall dependency, who becomes obsessed with a high-profile murder case as a way to escape his personal troubles. His interest leads him to meet Lana Edmond (Amber Heard), a smart, sexy reporter who gives him unique access to the case. As their relationship takes off, Stephen is suddenly thrust back into the past when his father (Ed Harris), a cruel and vindictive man, shows up to challenge the veracity of the memoir Stephen is writing. As Stephen simultaneously delves into the details of the murder case (which turns out to have some unexpected parallels to his own troubled upbr