of Nina; Sandra allows him to visit, but their relationship remains badly strained. The flashbacks end at this point, with Jerry returning to Los Angeles in hopes of being part of Nina's life. As he begins to resurrect his stalled writing career, he gets a surprise visit from Kitty. The two have one last sexual encounter before she leaves to move to Anchorage. In the final scene, Jerry appears on a series of talk shows and news programs, while commenting in voice-over about the damage that his addiction has done to his life. "I got out with a bad liver and enough debt to keep me in hock 'til I'm 90, if I'm still here. And with my luck, I will be." Cast Ben Stiller as Jerry Stahl Maria Bello as Kitty Elizabeth Hurley as Sandra Stahl Owen Wilson as Nicky Lourdes Benedicto as Vola Janeane Garofalo as Jana Farmer Fred Willard as Craig Ziffer Connie Nielsen as Dagmar Liz Torres as Dita Peter Greene as Gus Cheryl Ladd as Pamela Verlaine Sandra Oh as friend Jerry Stahl as Dr. Murphy Andy Dick as "Damian", a talk show guest (uncredited) Production David Duchovny was originally cast as Stahl, but left the project to do Playing God. It took nine months to secure financing for the film; it was eventually produced and distributed by Artisan Entertainment. To perfect the role of a heroin addict, Ben Stiller worked closely with Stahl himself and learned about heroin use. Stiller also lost 30 pounds through a liquid diet. The Mr. Chompers show of the film is based on the TV series ALF. Reception Release Permanent Midnight premiered on September 12, 1998 at the Toronto Film Festival. It was given a limited theatrical release in the United States beginning on September 18. Its worldwide gross was $1,171,001. Critical response Permanent Midnight holds a 58% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 53 reviews. Its consensus states: "Aimless storytelling undermines the gripping, unsettling subject of this film." Though response to the film was mixed, critics praised Ben Stiller's against-type performance and the film's dark humor. Michael O'Sullivan of The Washington Post wrote, "As Stahl, Stiller turns in what could easily be the finest performance of a career that, up to now, was devoted mostly to playing an interesting but lightweight assortment of dweebs...this arresting performance, which lurches from buzzing mania to nodding stupor, from glib lies to