Drunk at the Movies

Movies About Alcoholics Anonymous

There’s actually been some good cinema about people in recovery.  Of course, there’s far too much drinking portrayed on TV and in film, but occasionally someone reaches their bottom and manages to do the next right thing.  Sure, there are shows like Kingdom, where EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER IS DRINKING ALL DAY LONG. Or other shows, where the cast is seemingly highly paid professionals, but they all have glasses and bottles in their desk drawers.  I don’t recall EVER having a drink, during work, in someone’s office!   And I used to drink!

Here’s a list of movies I thought did a decent job of showing the protagonist circling the drain but managing to find a meeting.  We’ll kick off the list with our friend Bill W., who was the first drunk to realize that he needed a meeting and managed to find one–by starting the whole program!

For your reference, the number at the end of each listing is the IMDb.com rating.

My Name is Bill W. (1983) is a well-done biography with a star-studded cast.  James Woods portrays Bill W very faithfully.  The producers of this piece were very familiar with the Big Book.  It seems like they didn’t miss any details. 7.3

Bill W. (2012) is a great biopic about the life of Bill W. that shows a lot of Bill’s life and the early founders of AA.  The old, archival footage gives a real sense of the concurrent times that defined AA.  The film provides a nice balance of the history of AA and Bill’s influence on it.  7.8

When Love Is Not Enough (2010) I’m a sucker for Winona Ryder movies.  Always have been.  Beetlejuice, Girl, Interrupted, hell, I’d even sit through Reality Bites for a little more Winona.  But, getting back on track, this movie focuses on Lois’s struggles with her drunk husband, but stuck with him, and eventually becomes a huge promoter of the program. Winnona is a shoe-in for the part, as she has personally attended her share of AA meetings. 6.5

Clean and Sober (1988) is a classic.  Michael Keaton does a great addict.  I loved him in Batman and Beetlejuice, but Keaton on coke?  Outstanding!  If I needed one, I’d choose Morgan Freedman for my PO any day. 6.7

Days of Wine and Roses (1963) with Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick, and directed by Blake Edwards. Edwards’ use of mise-en-scène makes the visual narration subtle, yet powerful. What fun!  As a hopeless drunk, Felix Unger drags Lee Remick down with him.  He finally finds AA, but loses his wife and love to alcohol.  Jack Lemmon and director Blake Edwards were both alcoholics at the time, who admitted to tremendous binge drinking throughout the filming of this movie. After filming, Blake Edwards ceased drinking for the remainder of his life, and Jack Lemmon ultimately combated his own alcoholism with AA meetings. 7.8

28 Days (2000) is a light-hearted portrait of alcohol abuse.  Sandra Buttock reaches for her bottom as we watch her destroy a rental car and her sister’s wedding. Sandy proves that she’s a candidate for a folding chair. 6.1

Flight (2012) Denzel Washington was nominated for multiple awards for the way he abuses drugs and alcohol, then flies an MD-80 upside-down.  This is my kind of drunk!  Lots of action and drama from Robert Zemeckis.  Whip eventually befriends another addict (Beth, the drinker/bitch from Kevin Costner’s Yellowstone) who drags him into a meeting, but he struggles with AA’s message of honesty. 7.3

The Lost Weekend is 1945’s Best Picture. In fact, it won four Academy Awards—Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Billy Wilder is one of my favorite directors. His sense of humor and focus on punchy dialogue make his films very watchable: The Apartment, Stalag 17, Some Like It Hot, and Love in the Afternoon are some of my favorites.   Ray Milland’s haunting portrayal of a would-be writer’s dissatisfaction with his life leads him on a self-destructive five-day binge.  Unfortunately, for our hero, AA was in its infancy at the time of this movie and wasn’t waiting to lend an open hand. Don never makes it to a meeting, but he does manage to return to writing.  7.9 (Top of this list)

Smashed (2012) Imagine Aaron Paul no longer Breaking Bad, but instead married to Ramona Flowers from Scott Pilgrim vs the World. While no longer making crystal meth, but decides instead to abuse alcohol. The young couple finds each other, then alcohol, then AA.  Then they see others’ reactions to their journey to sobriety.  6.7

Crazy Heart (2009) Jeff Bridges, our favorite Dude from The Big Lebowski, returns to the screen as Bad, a washed-up singer/songwriter who learns about addiction, physical recovery, and the journey of finding a new path in life.  The plot seems to have been ripped from Chapter 11 of the Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book.  7.2

Rachel Getting Married (2008) After falling in love with Anne Hathaway (5 years sober) in The Princess Diaries, Ella Enchanted, and The Devil Wears Prada, it is refreshing to see her taking a (somewhat) more adult role as a long-term, hard-core, rehab patient.  After Silence of the Lambs (featuring my favorite AA, Sir Anthony Hopkins), I’ll watch anything Jonathan Demme directs! 6.7

When a Man Loves a Woman (1994) is a portrait of Meg Ryan as an alcoholic mom married to a hard-working airline pilot (Andy Garcia).  She starts as a fun and light-hearted person who eventually hits her bottom and most of her family members, but eventually winds up in recovery.  This film is interesting because it isn’t just about Alice’s recovery. It’s about Michael’s recovery from Alice’s recovery. 6.6

OK, time to turn off the TV and get to a meeting.  Or, at least, get outside and start enjoying this new life! If you need more, I highly recommend this list.  It’s funny, I did a Google search to see if I missed anything, and I just keep finding more!  I’ll get outside eventually.