Sorry if you did not like the movie. Taste is relative. But I have to wonder if you have any familiarity with alcoholism or AA at all. Actually, the behavior of Alice is actually pretty typical and pretty accurate. People in early recovery are almost always emotionally fragile. They have just made a huge change in their lives, and moved away from the whole manner of living that worked for them in the past. Going into what you define as "hyper-bitch mode" is actually pretty common. One of the consequences of getting sober is realizing what a mess you were in in the first place, or as some have observed, SOBER can stand for "Son of a Bitch, Everything's Real."
And AA people do hang together, talk to one another, rely on one another. Sometimes they do it in their homes, often elsewhere, but the scene was written in the home so that Michael could come in and witness it. Whether you approve or not, that is perfectly acceptable behavior. They were talking not "cuddling," as you put it. And of course, your suggestion that in real life, her husband would have left is simply wrong. The important part of this movie is that it accurately reflects what happens in many alcoholic families. In most, the family bumps along with various people taking various roles. It may not function well, but it functions. When the alcoholic sobers up, that changes everything. People who used to be able to control things and make decisions cannot anymore. As the movie illustrated, it is not uncommon for people to get sober and have their marriages fall apart. Many families go on to build much healthier and happier relationships, but some do not, and it is difficult for everybody involved.
Your comment about the purpose of AA being to fill your head with crap is just so stupid that it does not deserve a response.
As for the suggestion that AA made a profit out of this film, that is simply not true. Some people have some really crazy ideas about the amount of money rolling around in AA. There is one particular critic who put together another recovery program and talks about the millions of dollars AA gets out of alcoholics by conspiring with treatment centers and courts. Well, it turns out that what he includes in AA is any money spent on treatment by anyone who ever attends an AA meeting. The fact is, AA conspires with no one, gets no funding from any treatment center, (unless one is talking about books and literature and the like, which are typically sold at or below cost) and would not accept donations from any such sources or from the makers of this movie.
Actually, the budget for the General Service Office in New York, the headquarters for all AA activities, is shockingly small. Reports of AA's finances are out there. They are not widely distributed, as they circulate among the membership, but suffice it to say that many people would be astonished at how little money either the AA General Service Office or any other AA local AA office has. Ain't nobody getting rich. More like most offices are happy to make the rent.
reply
share
mdpfbgd
10 years ago
Hard to see how this movie could be all about or for AA inasmuch as not one single step, tradition, or principle is discussed. The havoc that addiction wreaks on families and relationships is not a creature of AA lore, ask any psychologist.
And although AA does not use scientific lingo, the big book is absolutely loaded with psychological principles. In some of its incarnations (bad ones imo) medicine and treatment of comorbid mental health issues is discouraged.
AlAnon can get pretty harsh in the meetings, but that is kind of the nature of the beast. It isn't really part of the program other than the notion that resentments must be aired and not permitted to fester (hey, a sound psychological principle right there).
reply
share