Ceres

There's a ton of good ones, but I'm at a loss of thinking of one with a good recovery message! Hollywood tends to like pitiful endings on this topic.

Ceres

I know Marlowe! Isn't it S-A-D. that they never really get into recovery. I was just impressed they let him LIVE and get sober at the end!

suki44883

There's the old standby...The Days of Wine and Roses. Jack Lemmon and the beautiful Lee Remick. Check it out.

Oh, and Come Back Little Sheba, with Burt Lancaster and Shirley Booth.

unholy_mess

Ooh, I looove movies about addiction/alcoholism (partly because I'm an alcoholic and addict and partly because it's very closely related to what I study)....Last Call (it's based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's life), When a Man Loves a Woman (Meg Ryan is STUNNING), Wasted (about heroin addiction), 28 Days (a little cheesy at points, but Sandra Bullock is really quite good), The Lost Weekend, A Star is Born (I prefer the Judy Garland version, but Streisand's ok too)...

Marlow

I watched Duane Hopwood a few weeks ago, with David Schwimmer and it's an excellent movie for those just starting recovery. I was surperised how good Schwimmer was in playing a broken down drunk, who lost everything, slowly, to his disease, his job, his dignity and most heartbreakingly of all his family. A good portrait of a man in the desperate fight against a disease he refuses to acknowledge. Trailer:

YouTube - Duane Hopwood (2004)

littlefish

I watched it recently. I like any recovery film because it's always good to get the message out to the public. So many folks are trapped in the disease and it might cause some people, still suffering, who watch the film to finally consider rehab and/or AA.

I agree that films like "28 days" and "When a man loves a woman" go into the recovery process much deeper, but, maybe for someone who hasn't taken those first steps "Crazy Heart" gives them the inspiration to start the journey.

I loved the songs and it made me a little homesick for New Mexico, where a lot of the movie was filmed!

DayWalker

Think I'm gonna rent it this weekend, looking fwd to it from all the high praises here.

Steve

CarolD

some of my all time old favorites
for various reasons..........

My name is Bill-James Woods-James Gardner

BarFly-Mickey O'Rorke-Faye Dunaway

Lost Weekend-Ray Milland (sp?)

Leaving Las Vegas-Nick Cage

Days of Wine & Roses-Jack Lemmon -Lee remick

Drug Movies....

Panic in Needle Park-Al pacino

Man with the Golden Arm-Frank Sinatra

Pass the please

FBL

"The Lost Weekend" is still one of my all-time favorites.

Surprised nobody here has mentioned "Clean And Sober" with Michael Keaton.

As for "Crazy Heart"...I did like how they portrayed his alcoholism, I just wished they would've spent some more time on the recovery process. Once again, Jeff Bridges is just outstanding...also enjoyed seeing Robert Duvall.

rws177

I added the movies that were mentioned that I have not seen yet, thanks for the recomendations. Also I don't know if anyone else watched the show intervention on A&E but I have seen every episode. They have a lot of them posted on the A&E website. I guess that since I am alcoholic it is fasintating to me to watch since it shows them at rock bottom then at the end shows how they are doing after three months of sobriety, very very cool.

CarolD

Clean And Sober" with Michael Keaton.
was so far away from my AA experience
it could not relate.

Nor did I use cocaine.

Mark75

I liked requiem for a dream

rws177

That theme song still gives me chills.....

unholy_mess

rws, I LOVE Intervention!! Another show you might wanna check out - Addicted. It comes on TLC and is very similar to Intervention except the point of the show is not just the intervention but also the beginning recovery afterwards. It's very new...first season...and I believe they only did half a season this year, but it's still great. The host/interventionist, Kristina Wandzilak wrote a book with her mother called The Lost Years that is also excellent!

rws177

unholy, i have seen every episode of addiction as well. They posted all the full episodes on tlc.com as well. I really like that show, kind of low of them to take A&E's ideas but none the less I will still see every episode. Unlike hollywood movies it's amazing seeing real life people that I can so easily relate to.

Erdedy

I loved Crazy Heart. I saw it when I was in the midst of my relapse and it's interesting how much I resented that ending at the time, but now would probably really like it. At the time that I saw it I just wanted to be like Bad...drinking around the clock with little consequence. The scene with the little boy, however, filled me with the kind of dread that only an experienced alcoholic can feel.

Zebra1275

I saw 28 Days a few weeks ago and really liked it. I didn't expect it to be as funny as it was. A serious story with many humorous moments, I'd give it 2 thumbs up.

rws177

I just finnished watching "the lost weekend", it is such a great movie, thanks Carol! I like how it shows people struggling with this back in 1945.

gratefulgirl09

I too recommend "The Days of Wine and Roses". It is fabulous! I googled movies dealing with alcoholism and that was one that popped up again and again. I know I obviously have an addictive personality, so I liked the sublty of one of the characters who didn't drink at the time saying that she couldn't get enough chocolate (a little forshadowing of what she would someday say about alcohol).

At one of my court ordered alcohol classes, we watched "28 Days". I didn't really pay attention to the movie because I wasn't ready to let go absolutely, but I think now that I have, I'm going to watch it again.

I can't wait to watch "Crazy Heart"!