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Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Washington
Posts: 5,093
Here are a few more movies. They may not all end with success and recovery at the end, but they are a good reminder of what alcoholism does and how destructive it is. A good reminder of where you don't want to be.
The Rose
Bette Midler plays a Janis Joplin-like singer overwhelmed by booze-soaked stardom and its many excesses.
Clean and Sober
After a series of setbacks, Michael Keaton's character seeks refuge in a rehab program and must confront the truth of his own addiction at the urging of a counselor (Morgan Freeman) who's heard every lame excuse in the book from addicts struggling to quit.
Drunks
The performances are dazzling in this remarkable character study about the members of a alcohol addiction recovery group. Featuring Richard Lewis as he moves through one soul-searching night. Also with Dianne Wiest, Faye Dunaway, Parker Posey, Calista Flockhart & Amanda Plummer.
Leaving Las Vegas
A critically acclaimed, dead-on picture of alcoholism and hitting rock bottom. Nicolas Cage, in an Oscar-winning performance, is a former movie exec who's lost his family in a sea of alcoholic self-destruction. He's come to Las Vegas literally to drink himself to death.
Barfly
Downtrodden writer Henry (Mickey Rourke) and distressed goddess Wanda (Faye Dunaway) aren't exactly husband and wife: they're wedded to their bar stools. But they like each other's company - and 'Barfly' captures their giddy, din-soaked attempts to make a go of life on the skids.
Alcohol: Brain Under The Influence
A stimulating, accurate, 43 minute, live-action presentation of how the human brain is affected by alcohol. Clearly explained is why drinking alcohol is pleasurable, how field sobriety tests work, how drinking styles affect blood alcohol levels, and why driving skills become impaired. Live demonstrations, cutting-edge 3D animation, and original music collaborate to enhance the effectiveness of this highly recommended informational video
My Name is Bill W.
The story of Bill Wilson, the overreaching businessman from the Roaring '20s who went on to found Alcoholics Anonymous. Follow Bill's headlong slide to the bottom
Cat on a Hot Tim Roof
Paul Newman plays the alcoholic closet-case, ex-football-player husband, whose homo-erotic devotion to his deceased best friend drives him to drink. His use of booze to drown his emotions is an all-too familiar path down the steps toward alcoholism and personal destruction.
I'll Cry Tomorrow
Susan Hayward stars in this biography of Lillian Roth, a talented singer pushed into the spotlight by her stage mother, and when she is unable to deal with her insecurities and the tragedies in her life, she turns to alcohol. Hayward goes from glamour to degradation, with a very realistic portrayal of Roth's descent into alcoholism.
Days of Wine and Roses
This early movie depiction of alcoholism was also among the first to present its sufferers as real people with souls and some dignity, and it remains a timeless and relevant movie. Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick received Oscar nominations for their roles as the alcoholic couple who find that life is not always fun when viewed through rosé-colored glasses. Ingeniously, this film not only is about alcoholism, it is also about recovery, and that both are told earns this movie classic status.
The Lost Weekend
"I'm not a drinker--I'm a drunk." These words, and the serious message behind them, were still potent enough in 1945 to shock audiences. The speaker is Ray Milland, cast as a handsome, talented, articulate alcoholic who tries to stay dry, but eventually the demons of his alcoholism catch up with him. The result is a massive weekend alcoholic bender, a tailspin that finds him reeling from his favorite watering hole to Bellevue Hospital.
The Rose
Bette Midler plays a Janis Joplin-like singer overwhelmed by booze-soaked stardom and its many excesses.
Clean and Sober
After a series of setbacks, Michael Keaton's character seeks refuge in a rehab program and must confront the truth of his own addiction at the urging of a counselor (Morgan Freeman) who's heard every lame excuse in the book from addicts struggling to quit.
Drunks
The performances are dazzling in this remarkable character study about the members of a alcohol addiction recovery group. Featuring Richard Lewis as he moves through one soul-searching night. Also with Dianne Wiest, Faye Dunaway, Parker Posey, Calista Flockhart & Amanda Plummer.
Leaving Las Vegas
A critically acclaimed, dead-on picture of alcoholism and hitting rock bottom. Nicolas Cage, in an Oscar-winning performance, is a former movie exec who's lost his family in a sea of alcoholic self-destruction. He's come to Las Vegas literally to drink himself to death.
Barfly
Downtrodden writer Henry (Mickey Rourke) and distressed goddess Wanda (Faye Dunaway) aren't exactly husband and wife: they're wedded to their bar stools. But they like each other's company - and 'Barfly' captures their giddy, din-soaked attempts to make a go of life on the skids.
Alcohol: Brain Under The Influence
A stimulating, accurate, 43 minute, live-action presentation of how the human brain is affected by alcohol. Clearly explained is why drinking alcohol is pleasurable, how field sobriety tests work, how drinking styles affect blood alcohol levels, and why driving skills become impaired. Live demonstrations, cutting-edge 3D animation, and original music collaborate to enhance the effectiveness of this highly recommended informational video
My Name is Bill W.
The story of Bill Wilson, the overreaching businessman from the Roaring '20s who went on to found Alcoholics Anonymous. Follow Bill's headlong slide to the bottom
Cat on a Hot Tim Roof
Paul Newman plays the alcoholic closet-case, ex-football-player husband, whose homo-erotic devotion to his deceased best friend drives him to drink. His use of booze to drown his emotions is an all-too familiar path down the steps toward alcoholism and personal destruction.
I'll Cry Tomorrow
Susan Hayward stars in this biography of Lillian Roth, a talented singer pushed into the spotlight by her stage mother, and when she is unable to deal with her insecurities and the tragedies in her life, she turns to alcohol. Hayward goes from glamour to degradation, with a very realistic portrayal of Roth's descent into alcoholism.
Days of Wine and Roses
This early movie depiction of alcoholism was also among the first to present its sufferers as real people with souls and some dignity, and it remains a timeless and relevant movie. Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick received Oscar nominations for their roles as the alcoholic couple who find that life is not always fun when viewed through rosé-colored glasses. Ingeniously, this film not only is about alcoholism, it is also about recovery, and that both are told earns this movie classic status.
The Lost Weekend
"I'm not a drinker--I'm a drunk." These words, and the serious message behind them, were still potent enough in 1945 to shock audiences. The speaker is Ray Milland, cast as a handsome, talented, articulate alcoholic who tries to stay dry, but eventually the demons of his alcoholism catch up with him. The result is a massive weekend alcoholic bender, a tailspin that finds him reeling from his favorite watering hole to Bellevue Hospital.
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Join Date: May 2006
Location: Fight ... WIN!!
Posts: 118
Add to that list "Rummies" by Peter Benchley (yes, the author of "Jaws"). A pretty good murder mystery, but the main storyline is about a fellow who has "no problem" with alcohol ... well, you can see that one coming! A great book with an engaging plot plus lots of sensitive insight for us addicts!
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