any other films

The Lost Weekend.

If you're still interested, I've been compiling two lists you might enjoy:

Battle-with-the-Bottle with a Recovery Theme

The Lost Weekend (1945) with Ray Milland
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) with Frederic March
I’ll Cry Tomorrow (1955) with Susan Hayward
Days of Wine and Roses (1962) with Jack Lemmon, Lee Remick
The Verdict (1982) with Paul Newman
Only When I Laugh (1981) with Marsha Mason
Hoosiers (1986) with Dennis Hopper
When a Man Loves a Woman (1994) with Meg Ryan
Drunks (1995) with Richard Lewis
The Crossing Guard (1995) with Sean Penn
28 Days (2000) with Sandra Bullock


Downfall-by-Alcohol

Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman (1947) with Susan Hayward
The Country Girl (1954) with Bing Crosby
A Star Is Born (1954) with James Mason
The Helen Morgan Story (1957) with Ann Blyth
The Entertainer (1960) with Laurence Olivier
The Iceman Cometh (1960/1973) with Jason Robards/Lee Marvin
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1996) with Richard Burton, Liz Taylor
The Comic (1969) with Dick Van Dyke
Wake in Fright/Outback (Australia, 1971) with Donald Pleasance
Brideshead Revisited (UK, 1981) with Anthony Andrews
Under the Volcano (1988) with Albert Finney
Short Cuts (1993) with Tom Waits
Leaving Las Vegas (1995) with Nicholas Cage
Trees Lounge (1996) with Steve Buscemi
Affliction (1997) with Nick Nolte, James Coburn
Pollock (2000) with Ed Harris

'Clean and Sober' (re: addiction/meetings/recovery). Michael Keaton gives a bravo performance and showcases his dramatic acting chops in this superb film. Also stars Morgan Freeman and Kathy Baker.

I see 'Days of Wine and Roses' mentioned in another post. That is one GREAT movie on the subject (Lee Remick and Jack Lemmon / 60's classic).

'Sarah T: Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic' -- 70's TV movie starring a young Linda Blair.

'Life of the Party: The Story of Beatrice' -- 80's TV movie with Carol Burnett, based on a true story and focuses on female alcoholism and AA.

'Come Back, Little Sheba' -- stunning 50's movie with Burt Lancaster and Shirley Booth.

Another good TV movie about alcoholism, although frequently overlooked, is 'Shattered Spirits' starring Martin Sheen and Melinda Dillon (came out in the 80's).

And, for cocaine and alcohol abuse, check out 'Bright Lights, Big City', 80's autobiographical movie with Michael J. Fox and Kiefer Sutherland.

Any version of 'A Star is Born'.

'Ironweed' starring Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson -- 80's movie about depression-era alcoholics.

'Barfly' starring Mickey Rourke and Faye Dunaway (80's movie).

And, certainly, the 80's movie 'My Name is Bill W.' starring James Woods, about the founding of AA. (James Woods gives another stellar performance about addiction in 'The Boost', also starring Sean Young).





"I can't stand a naked light bulb, any more than..a rude remark or a vulgar action" Blanche DuBois