Alcoholic Movie Reviews
I”ve always wanted to be a movie critic. Being an alcoholic, I tend to think that my opinion means something. Not that I really know. However, having grown up in New York, and encouraged to read the Sunday Times, I respected and feared the movie critic, who could make or break a film. So here goes with my top alcoholic movie picks.
My name is Bill W. (*****)
Starring James Wood and James Garner. My Name is Bill W. portrays the beginning of the AA organization in 1936. Great costumes and period music. Always cry at the ending. Love the scene where James is screaming that he is not sick and then runs into a tree.
When A Man Loves A Woman (****)
Starring Meg Ryan and Andy Garcia. This romantic picture shows how Meg fights her alcoholism while dealing with Andy”s inability to understand her need to do it alone. Love the scene where Meg is drunk and falls from the boat into the water while Andy jumps in after her.
Clean and Sober (***)
Starring Michael Keaton. Clean and Sober takes a hard look at an alcoholic/addict who refuses to acknowledge his condition. Best scene is where Keaton is in rehab and asks the group whether he can change the channel on the TV in the group room.
Leaving Las Vegas (*****)
Starring Nicolas Cage and Elizabeth Shue. Nick is an alcoholic who has lost everything in California and decides to go to Las Vegas to end his life. After meeting up with Shue, who is a prostitute, the movie follows both of them on their dysfunctional journeys. Great sex scene at the pool in the desert.
28 Days (****)
Starring Sandra Bullock. This picture beautifully portrays a woman trying to overcome drugs and alcohol in rehab while dealing with her alcoholic boyfriend. Fab scene where Sandra is out on a limb while having an out-of-body experience.
The Lost Weekend (****)
Starring Ray Milland and Jane Wyman. Milland won an Academy Award for his classic portrayal of an alcoholic who tries to kill himself. Milland”s character slowly evolves as he steals and lies his way to another drink. Two great scenes – Milland in the Alcoholic Asylum at Bellevue and his vision of a Bat and a mouse in his apartment.
Home of Sand and Fog (*****)
Starring Jennifer Connelly and Ben Kingsley. A gripping exploration of the American Dream gone awry. The storyline is powerful and Jennifer plays an incredibly believable alcoholic. I would not be surprised if Connelly and Kingsley are both nominated for Oscars. Best scene -Jennifer”s suicide attempt.
Finding Nemo (*****)
Starring Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres. A father-son underwater adventure featuring Nemo, a boy clownfish, stolen from his coral reef home. His timid father must then search the ocean to find him. Best scene – AA meeting with sharks.
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