Other Movies Like This?

The other posters beat me to the best movies about recovery. As a woman in recovery for just short of 21 years I loved "Days or Wine and Roses". Jack Lemon is always a favorite but Lee Remick was also excellent. "Clean and Sober" is gritty and realistic-nobody decides to go into rehab cause they're having a good day- usually (if they're fortunate) they've hit rock bottom and their lives are very unmanageable.

I love old movies-if you happen to be a fan than I highly suggest 2 movies from the 1950's, "I'll Cry Tomorrow" with Susan Hayward-based on the biography of the torch singer Lilian Roth (the book is great-I thought the movie might have exaggerated her story-it didn't). Another great movie -Susan Hayward's performance in "Smash up, the Story of a Woman"

Another movie I've caught on cable a few times that's pretty good-"The Boost" with James Woods and Sean Young. The move is a bit '80's and dated but Wood's portrayal of a coke addict ( and probably someone with underlying bipolar issues) was pretty spot-on. The movie's focus is the introduction to the drug, the love affair and then the destruction it leaves in it's wake. It doesn't get into rehabilitation.

Last week I caught a fairly new movie from 2012, "Smashed". About a young newly-married couple who's relationship is based on their mutual love of partying and the woman's subsequent decision to get sober. Aaron Paul from the brilliant "Breaking Bad" plays the husband. It's an indie film-slow paced, character driven and highly relatable. This movie details the wife's addiction and the recovery.

Must see-James Woods/James Garner in "My name is Bill" no trip to rehab is complete without it!
For those interested in Al-Anon, "The Lois Wilson Story-When love is not enough". Staring Wynona Ryder-didn't captivate me but might be of interest to someone interested in the creation of Al-Anon.

"Permanent Midnight," with Ben Stiller as a Hollywood writer turned heroin addict. Made in 1998. Also, horrifying but with great performances, "Requiem for a Dream." Strong stuff, but as I said, well-acted.

The first movie that came to my head as I was watching this, was One Flew Over Cuckoo Nest. You probably know it and yes, it's not about addictions. But the scenes in the rehab clinic from Clean and Sober were somewhat similar to the scenes in the insane asylum from One Flew Over Cuckoo Nest.

Not about AA or rehab but showing raging drunks with a wicked wit:

"Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" starring Richard Burton & Elizabeth Taylor.

"Straight Time" (1978) is about a different kind of addiction - to crime.

Everyone is brilliant in it: Dustin Hoffman, M Emmett Walsh (the sponsor in this flick), Harry Dean Stanton, Gary Busey, Kathy Bates and "introducing" Teresa Russell. Also featured is the career criminal who wrote the novel, Edward Bunker.

You'll be glad you saw it.