OT - A Star is Born
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OT - A Star is Born
Happy Monday, y'all. I hope everyone had a great and sober weekend! I love movies. A good movie not only keeps me entertained, but also acts as an escape for me. For those 2 hours, I can drift off into a different world...
SO. This weekend I checked out the very hyped film: A Star is Born
This one features Bradley Cooper (one of my favs) as an aging country music star, dealing with the struggles of alcoholism. He battles his addiction, as he attempts to cope with mental and physical health issues stemming from his addiction. All the while, he meets a young singer played by Lady Gaga, who deals with her own demons, such as low self esteem issues.
This one really hit home for me. I don't want to give it away, but I laughed, I cried, I smiled, and I cried again. As a country boy dealing with alcoholism, and my uncle dying from it....it was a very emotional journey for me.
I highly recommend giving it a watch, as I feel they portrayed the struggles with alcoholism very well, along with the feelings of hopelessness, sense of feeling alone in a crowded room, and the consequences of giving up everything for a drink.
If you've seen it, I'd love to hear your thoughts, but try to be respectful when it comes to "spoilers".
SO. This weekend I checked out the very hyped film: A Star is Born
This one features Bradley Cooper (one of my favs) as an aging country music star, dealing with the struggles of alcoholism. He battles his addiction, as he attempts to cope with mental and physical health issues stemming from his addiction. All the while, he meets a young singer played by Lady Gaga, who deals with her own demons, such as low self esteem issues.
This one really hit home for me. I don't want to give it away, but I laughed, I cried, I smiled, and I cried again. As a country boy dealing with alcoholism, and my uncle dying from it....it was a very emotional journey for me.
I highly recommend giving it a watch, as I feel they portrayed the struggles with alcoholism very well, along with the feelings of hopelessness, sense of feeling alone in a crowded room, and the consequences of giving up everything for a drink.
If you've seen it, I'd love to hear your thoughts, but try to be respectful when it comes to "spoilers".
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Agree it was a very moving flick. Funnily the night before I saw it I watched the version with Kris Kristofferson and Streisand. There is even an earlier version with Garland.
Yes it tackled alcoholism and shows how drinking affects everybody around the drinker. It was sad of course but also a wake up call to myself. I was only 4-5 weeks sober when I saw it. It made me look at myself and say to myself “ thats me”.
Yes it tackled alcoholism and shows how drinking affects everybody around the drinker. It was sad of course but also a wake up call to myself. I was only 4-5 weeks sober when I saw it. It made me look at myself and say to myself “ thats me”.
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Originally Posted by sydneyman 
Agree it was a very moving flick. Funnily the night before I saw it I watched the version with Kris Kristofferson and Streisand. There is even an earlier version with Garland.
Yes it tackled alcoholism and shows how drinking affects everybody around the drinker. It was sad of course but also a wake up call to myself. I was only 4-5 weeks sober when I saw it. It made me look at myself and say to myself “ thats me”.
Yes it tackled alcoholism and shows how drinking affects everybody around the drinker. It was sad of course but also a wake up call to myself. I was only 4-5 weeks sober when I saw it. It made me look at myself and say to myself “ thats me”.
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Agreed. The way he hurt people, and then had no memory the next day of what he said, but he knew he said "something". That's just the worst. Made me think of me waking up the morning after blacking out....looking at my phone and having so many people just pissed at me and I had no idea why. Spending all day trying to put the pieces together before doing it all over again, and eventually having those people get fed up and sick of my meaningless apologies.
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Thanks for the recommendation. I'll have to check it out! I, unfortunately watched Swiss Army Man. That's two hours of my life I can never get back hahaha. The one thing I did learn from watching it (as I decided to google Daniel Radcliffe's movie list while watching) is that he struggled with alcohol at an early age and decided to go sober in 2010.
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Originally Posted by NerfThis
Thanks for the recommendation. I'll have to check it out! I, unfortunately watched Swiss Army Man. That's two hours of my life I can never get back hahaha. The one thing I did learn from watching it (as I decided to google Daniel Radcliffe's movie list while watching) is that he struggled with alcohol at an early age and decided to go sober in 2010.
That is an interesting note about Radcliffe though, I didn't know that. Harry Potter developed a drinking problem to deal with his success as Harry Potter....who would've thought?!
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I loved it. I have a friend who uses this movie to romanticize her husband's alcoholism though. He is a verbally and emotionally abusive drunk who has no intention of quitting. I believe he will die eventually. He threatens to divorce her every time he is drunk (which is daily) and she threatens suicide if he leaves her. She owns this movie and watches it over and over again, and the stuff she has said to me is absolutely delusional to the point I just avoid her now. I believe she has put them in this movie context to make their sick behavior a romantic tragedy. For some, this movie is not healthy.
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I cringed watching the movie with my wife. I’ve had that same argument they had in the bathroom and I’ve done the same embarrassing things he did, I’m sure a lot of us had. But yeah, it’s the closest portrayal to how i was that I’ve seen
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Originally Posted by Ustacallmelola
I loved it. I have a friend who uses this movie to romanticize her husband's alcoholism though. He is a verbally and emotionally abusive drunk who has no intention of quitting. I believe he will die eventually. He threatens to divorce her every time he is drunk (which is daily) and she threatens suicide if he leaves her. She owns this movie and watches it over and over again, and the stuff she has said to me is absolutely delusional to the point I just avoid her now. I believe she has put them in this movie context to make their sick behavior a romantic tragedy. For some, this movie is not healthy.
Oh yeah baby, my struggle with addiction to the point where I was in the hospital dying while I **** myself and they pump toxic fluid out of my abdomen....that's soooo hot.
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Originally Posted by Lenono17
I cringed watching the movie with my wife. I’ve had that same argument they had in the bathroom and I’ve done the same embarrassing things he did, I’m sure a lot of us had. But yeah, it’s the closest portrayal to how i was that I’ve seen
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Originally Posted by WhoDeyPI
The way he hurt people, and then had no memory the next day of what he said, but he knew he said "something". That's just the worst. Made me think of me waking up the morning after blacking out....looking at my phone and having so many people just pissed at me and I had no idea why. Spending all day trying to put the pieces together before doing it all over again, and eventually having those people get fed up and sick of my meaningless apologies.
Couldn't have written it better myself, even if I wanted to.
As for the movie, I felt it was good. Although I have seen better portrayals of alcoholism on screen. Bradley Cooper's performance in Silver Linings Playbook was far superior.
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Originally Posted by Pippo
Couldn't have written it better myself, even if I wanted to.
As for the movie, I felt it was good. Although I have seen better portrayals of alcoholism on screen. Bradley Cooper's performance in Silver Linings Playbook was far superior.
Cooper is just great at that role. American Sniper he played the addict too I believe. Pills and alcohol to deal with PTSD.
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Originally Posted by Ustacallmelola
I loved it. I have a friend who uses this movie to romanticize her husband's alcoholism though. He is a verbally and emotionally abusive drunk who has no intention of quitting. I believe he will die eventually. I believe she has put them in this movie context to make their sick behavior a romantic tragedy. For some, this movie is not healthy.
Also, keep in mind that the movie depicts alcoholism in the extreme. Yes, some alcoholics are that bad, but the actual life of a mainstream alcoholic, simply isn't interesting enough for Hollywood to bother with. It may be unhealthy for some viewers, who are already on that edge.
Don't get the impression that I am dissing the film. It's technically well written and manages to create an intense visceral response. Both Cooper and Lady Ga Ga are very good actors, with Lady Ga Ga's big screen talent being a whopping surprise.
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I appreciate your views. Definitely an emotional roller coaster, and yes, a "mainstream alcoholic" wouldn't be interesting enough to make a movie about, very true. For me, I felt that Cooper in the film, was exactly the kind of alcoholic that I was at one point...perhaps even worse than that. So many of the disgusting things that he did while under the influence...the bathroom scene, the awards, the lashing out at those close to him, the being completely wasted alone in the morning for no good reason, the chugging a glass of liquor to calm anxiety (Gaga did that actually)....but I can relate so closely to all of that. On top of that behavior, the way people knew when he hadn't been drinking, and the fact that they seemed shocked by it....I can relate to that as well.
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I so hope this topic will die soon now that the Oscars are over.
I can't (choose to) help myself from commenting when it does. I loathed this movie. In short, I felt dead inside thru and after it - succinctly, because he never actually decided to try sobriety. He paid the ultimate price and the whole story (this version, I have not seen the previous) was just unpalatable to me. Maybe because it could have been me or anyone of us - and it doesn't have to be.
I can't (choose to) help myself from commenting when it does. I loathed this movie. In short, I felt dead inside thru and after it - succinctly, because he never actually decided to try sobriety. He paid the ultimate price and the whole story (this version, I have not seen the previous) was just unpalatable to me. Maybe because it could have been me or anyone of us - and it doesn't have to be.
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Originally Posted by August252015
I so hope this topic will die soon now that the Oscars are over.
I can't (choose to) help myself from commenting when it does. I loathed this movie. In short, I felt dead inside thru and after it - succinctly, because he never actually decided to try sobriety. He paid the ultimate price and the whole story (this version, I have not seen the previous) was just unpalatable to me. Maybe because it could have been me or anyone of us - and it doesn't have to be.
I can't (choose to) help myself from commenting when it does. I loathed this movie. In short, I felt dead inside thru and after it - succinctly, because he never actually decided to try sobriety. He paid the ultimate price and the whole story (this version, I have not seen the previous) was just unpalatable to me. Maybe because it could have been me or anyone of us - and it doesn't have to be.
We are the lucky ones who found the strength to stop.
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Originally Posted by August252015
I so hope this topic will die soon now that the Oscars are over.
I can't (choose to) help myself from commenting when it does. I loathed this movie. In short, I felt dead inside thru and after it - succinctly, because he never actually decided to try sobriety. He paid the ultimate price and the whole story (this version, I have not seen the previous) was just unpalatable to me. Maybe because it could have been me or anyone of us - and it doesn't have to be.
I can't (choose to) help myself from commenting when it does. I loathed this movie. In short, I felt dead inside thru and after it - succinctly, because he never actually decided to try sobriety. He paid the ultimate price and the whole story (this version, I have not seen the previous) was just unpalatable to me. Maybe because it could have been me or anyone of us - and it doesn't have to be.
Take the alcoholism out of the situation, and I could picture the perfect marriage. Instead, he wallowed in alcohol abuse from start to finish, almost religiously, without any thought of consequence until he realized he was wrecking her life, but he could never imagine a worthwhile life without being constantly inebriated.
When I was in my late teens, a friend invited me to go see Days of Wine and Roses at the theater. I had not started drinking at that point in my life. I had no idea what the movie was about, but anticipated a love story. I was horrified and stunned. On leaving the theater, I asked my friend if that was an accurate description of alcoholism. I expected him to reassure me that that sort of stuff never happened to alcoholics, but his perception was the exact opposite of what I wanted to hear.
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Originally Posted by DriGuy
The poignant part of this film was that he loved her (depending on how that is defined) to the point where he wanted her to succeed more than anything else.
Take the alcoholism out of the situation, and I could picture the perfect marriage. Instead, he wallowed in alcohol abuse from start to finish, almost religiously, without any thought of consequence until he realized he was wrecking her life, but he could never imagine a worthwhile life without being constantly inebriated.
When I was in my late teens, a friend invited me to go see Days of Wine and Roses at the theater. I had not started drinking at that point in my life. I had no idea what the movie was about, but anticipated a love story. I was horrified and stunned. On leaving the theater, I asked my friend if that was an accurate description of alcoholism. I expected him to reassure me that that sort of stuff never happened to alcoholics, but his perception was the exact opposite of what I wanted to hear.
Take the alcoholism out of the situation, and I could picture the perfect marriage. Instead, he wallowed in alcohol abuse from start to finish, almost religiously, without any thought of consequence until he realized he was wrecking her life, but he could never imagine a worthwhile life without being constantly inebriated.
When I was in my late teens, a friend invited me to go see Days of Wine and Roses at the theater. I had not started drinking at that point in my life. I had no idea what the movie was about, but anticipated a love story. I was horrified and stunned. On leaving the theater, I asked my friend if that was an accurate description of alcoholism. I expected him to reassure me that that sort of stuff never happened to alcoholics, but his perception was the exact opposite of what I wanted to hear.
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