The Treatment

World Premiere

USA | 86 MINUTES | English |

THE TREATMENT

Drama

When frustrated, confused, and recently single Jake (Chris Eigeman) enters psychoanalysis, his plan is to receive some direction in life and rid himself of the miasmic stew of anxiety clamoring in his mind. But Jake's therapist, the infamous Dr. Morales (Ian Holm), is a strict Freudian, and his unsettling methods of treatment aren't exactly a cure for anxiety. In fact, Jake finds himself even more anxious, and as treatment continues, the doctor begins to appear at inconvenient times. Sometimes his appearances even take on the form of strange hallucinations. Unable to detach himself from the doctor's overbearing presence in his life, Jake is at a loss and nearly hopeless that he'll ever find autonomy, much less happiness. That is, until he meets Allegra (Famke Janssen), a beautiful woman, who is struggling to maintain custody of the child she and her recently deceased husband were in the process of adopting. Dr. Morales is completely against the relationship and strongly urges Jake to back away. And Jake himself is concerned as to whether or not Allegra really loves him, or merely needs him to pose as her husband so that she can complete the adoption process. But pressure from his doctor, as well as his own doubts about Allegra's intentions, causes Jake to withdraw. And it is only then that he realizes how much he is really in love with Allegra. But his epiphany appears to have come too late. Can Jake battle the doctor's strong psychic influence and embrace the life he's always wanted?


CAST & CREDITS

Directed by Ben Thompson and Oren Rudavsky

Oren Rudavsky has been developing and producing films since 1981. He has produced, directed and photographed over a dozen award-winning documentaries that have been broadcast on PBS, ABC, Discovery, and other networks. Films which have been released theatrically include the Emmy-nominated A Life Apart, And Baby Makes Two, and the Independent Spirit-nominated, Hiding and Seeking. Among the award winning films Rudavsky has photographed are Twitch and Shout and The Last Klezmer. Rudavsky has also been involved as a producer, post-production supervisor, and cinematographer on television programs as diverse as The Real World, Tales From the Darkside, Monsters, PrimeTime Live, Wide Angle, and Saturday Night Live. Since 2003, Rudavsky has shifted his focus toward directing feature-length fiction films. The Treatment is his first fiction feature.