On the surface, this short film looks like a disjointed story about random events in a man's life. How does a search for pirate treasure, a zombie war, a dog ODing on circus peanuts, and spelling connect? They don't, unless you are in Stanley's mind.
Z is for Xanax explores the nature of a repressed mind. Losing the spelling bee as a kid has forced Stanley into a delusional world where he copes with the loss. It's quite possible that Jon and Stacy, even the dog and the veterinarian, are all figments of Stanley's imagination that are either trying to help him overcome the spelling bee loss or prevent him from overcoming it.
Jon appears to be the wild-side of Stanley's mind. Willing to do the crazy, reckless tasks that no person in his/her right mind would ever do. Despite the fact that it appears he takes orders from Stanley, it could be a ploy to make it seem like Stanley is in control in order to keep him distracted from finding a cure to his depression. However, Jon, like any wild, party animal, is susceptible to being influenced by someone smarter than him. That person being Stacy.
Stacy is Stanley's moral compass. She tells him "no police, no lobster raids" etc. She seems to be trying to get Stanley to a better place. She was the one screaming about pirate treasure and it is Stacy who tells Jon "the screwdriver won't work" before he goes into the basement. When Jon is trying to open the pirate chest, he drops the screwdriver and uses the pickax, which opens the chest.
Speaking of the basement, this is more than likely Stanley's mind. It was either clever of the filmmakers to have the staircase appear as a giant Z or just a nice coincidence. The search for pirate treasure is more or less a search for peace of mind. When Jon opens the chest, Stanley finally gets it.
There is more to life than spelling.
Z is for Xanax explores the nature of a repressed mind. Losing the spelling bee as a kid has forced Stanley into a delusional world where he copes with the loss. It's quite possible that Jon and Stacy, even the dog and the veterinarian, are all figments of Stanley's imagination that are either trying to help him overcome the spelling bee loss or prevent him from overcoming it.
Jon appears to be the wild-side of Stanley's mind. Willing to do the crazy, reckless tasks that no person in his/her right mind would ever do. Despite the fact that it appears he takes orders from Stanley, it could be a ploy to make it seem like Stanley is in control in order to keep him distracted from finding a cure to his depression. However, Jon, like any wild, party animal, is susceptible to being influenced by someone smarter than him. That person being Stacy.
Stacy is Stanley's moral compass. She tells him "no police, no lobster raids" etc. She seems to be trying to get Stanley to a better place. She was the one screaming about pirate treasure and it is Stacy who tells Jon "the screwdriver won't work" before he goes into the basement. When Jon is trying to open the pirate chest, he drops the screwdriver and uses the pickax, which opens the chest.
Speaking of the basement, this is more than likely Stanley's mind. It was either clever of the filmmakers to have the staircase appear as a giant Z or just a nice coincidence. The search for pirate treasure is more or less a search for peace of mind. When Jon opens the chest, Stanley finally gets it.
There is more to life than spelling.
