MovieChat Forums > Never Get Outta the Boat (2003) Discussion > Great Film

Great Film

posted 19 years ago by dcambot
17 replies | jump to latest

I rarely bother to post comments about a film but this one needs my support. I watched it last night on DVD and was very impressed with both its authenticity and its overall quality. The performances are superb. The story is honest (without glorifying degeneracy), heart-wrenching (without artificial melodrama), uplifting (without simple-minded solutions) and, at times, hilariously funny. I really cared about each and every character and wished them well despite their obvious flaws. The climax of the film was superbly well scripted and superbly well delivered by Thomas Jefferson Byrd.

There are probably a hundred details I could point to as evidence of the film's perceptiveness but I really don't have the time. This is a film that I will see again and again. It is the most effective anti-drug film on the market today although its creators had much greater ambitions than that.

As I write this the film has an IMDB rating of 3.6 despite a large number of voters who gave it a 10. It looks like IMDB's weighted average algorithm is biased to discount the votes of those who seek to boost a film's rating. I am here to tell you that those high votes were well earned.

[–] leftys48 19 years ago

Where did you rent this film from,I am one of the actors in the film I played Angel and being in recovering very proud of that film, I lost contact with the writer Nick Gillie, so i was never able to get a copy,If you can let mre know where you rented it , I would appreciate it, I actually got a call today from a from of mine who is a conselor at a recovery home He want it to know when it was coming out so he could show it to his patients.

[–] mixmastereamon 19 years ago

yo lefty, my friend played henry, and you can rent or buy almost anywhere. I saw it at the hollywood black film fest.. this is a great film.

[–] bugabooman-1 19 years ago

The scene in which Angel instructs Julian on how to survive in prison is perfect. A fine piece of acting!

[–] leftys48 19 years ago

Thank you Bugabooman,

[–] aprilsuzanne55 19 years ago

hello to the actor who played Angel -- your performance was perfect and so honest. Thank you! I rented the DVD from my neighborhood independent video store. a remarkable film.

[–] leftys48 19 years ago

Hey April , thank you for the props ,i am glad you liked the film ,I was really proud to be a part of it ,

[–] piXelpiXelpiXel 17 years ago

...great job Angel. Loved it!

You probably know its on IFC now. Enjoy the good reviews that should be forthcoming on here.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] bkoon1950 18 years ago

I just saw the film Never Get Outta The Boat. I have it on dvd if you still need a copy.
You did a wonderful job as Angel by the way.
I was wondering if anyone in the film is in recovery for real. The realism was quite shocking to me. I have been recovering for 9 years now. I thought the movie would make me sad and disturbed like most drug movies. This one, however, touched me. It was very real and moving.
Thanks for being a part of it.
Write back if you want.
Michelle K.
Chicago, IL
[email protected]

[–] leftys48 18 years ago

Hey Michelle thanks for the props, and thank you for offering a copy of your DVD ,but i got a few copies now ,congradulations on your 9 years of recovery, i jus t celebrated 15 years clean in May, Nick Gillie the writer and actor who plays

Joe , has about 7 years clean,what was cool about doing this film is they had all the actors live together in a halfway house to develop some chemistry ,and go to NA meetings as a group ,before and during while we were filming.all the way around it was a cool Experience, I wish you the best in 2006.

[–] leftys48-1 16 years ago

Hey Michelle Congraulations on the 9 years clean ,i myself have 17 years there was 4 of us who were clean Nick Gillie the writer is also clean ,I'm glad you enjoyed the movie

[–] thtrucking-865-435596 10 years ago

I loved the movie,and still do.It was very real in some ways.
It really brings out a sense of wanting to get busy helping others out and a great feeling of gratitude.
Congratulations on the years clean you all have.I recently celebrated 25 yrs clean.May we all remember to pass it on!
Ty Angel,great job!

lets have version 2
:-)

[–] yvonnemaverick 17 years ago

this might be a bit late...lol....but you can find the film in blockbuster, netflix etc.

[–] stlouisgirl777 17 years ago

There aren't a lot of movies that really show what recovery is all about in a very realistic way. I thought this movie was wonderful. It was heartbreaking and beautiful. It dealt with some very depressing themes, yet still offered hope. I thought all of the actors did a fine job.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] drbw68 17 years ago

This film is very realistic in its portrayal of chemical dependency, and the addict's efforts to stay drug free. Excellent piece of work, in my opinion.

[–] kevinis40 10 years ago

What I love about great films are their longevity. They never die. Its 2014 long after the most recent comment was made here and Im just now seeing the movie on DVD. Man, Not only did that scene where Mr. Emilio run advice move me but so many other scenes. I especially loved the kissing scene with Joe and Dana.

Tonight I created a list entitled INSTITUTIONAL CONFINEMENT. Since an extension of jail recovery programs and halfway house, I gotta add this film so others may learn of it.

Lots of fine acting

Kudos to all 12 years later.

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