MovieChat Forums > 16 Years of Alcohol (2004) Discussion > I love this movie

I love this movie

posted 18 years ago by tim411
7 replies | jump to latest

I know some are upset that it doesn't go into more detail about his struggle with alcohol abuse.... but I think it more than compensates for that with it addressing him trying to be a better person. I went through.... going through the same thing his character did.
You're so inclined to act a certain way in a particular situation regardless of how much progress you feel you made. I would get leveled just as him. Like in the art house scene.... knowing to some extent what the consequences of his actions will be, he still threatened the life of that couple. It's not just an issue with dealing with alcohol because you're so predisposed to drink it... but because after you fall, you're so inclined to indulge in it. There was an attitude a behavior that was more fundamental to his drinking problems than just his desire to drink alcohol. That's what made it so much harder. He was trying to be better.... he'd stumble... he'd fall... he'd resort back to his old ways (with a corresponding attitude and behavior).... then he'd drink.

I loved this movie.

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] tim411 18 years ago

My mom was an alcoholic. When there wasn't alcohol available she would drink Listerine or certain hair spray products. She passed away from a brain aneurism on 12/23/2003 (unexpectedly). Thankfully she was able to quit drinking back in 1993. Out of all the money my dad spent and all of the places he sent her to in order to help with her drinking problem.... one little divine moment back in 1993 was what it took to get her to stay sober. Eventhought she passed at a relatively young age, it was nice to have her sober for those last years..... thanks to God.

[–] Belle11 17 years ago

it was a beautiful film and the poetic language he used just set me off crying!

[–] kathquay 17 years ago

I loved this film!! Alcoholism is a killer illness and I thought the subject was handled very well. The final shot was breathtaking, I thought how can he do that with his eyes when hes only 'acting' dead. But of course that would have been done in post production.

Another vehicle where Kevin McKidd's talent screams at you. Music was great as well. Also Mary(Susan Lynch). I really felt for her. He came into her life, gave it a meaning and then walked away and left her without a reason that she could see.

[–] equalizer5150 14 years ago

I am watching the movie now and am VERY impressed so far. The first 10 minutes is very well done and emotional.

tim411,

Your review is well written and spot on. I am sorry your mom and family went through that but I am glad to hear that she got sober before your loss. Philippians 4:13 is solid gold.

~ "The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist."

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] daddie0 13 years ago

I loved this movie too. Actually, when I first saw it I thought it was "alright." But here's the thing, the themes really stuck with me, and for me, that makes it a great movie. When movies make us question our own life and responses to it, it's doing way more than entertaining.

Here's why I was so struck by this film: the root of his alcoholism. The early flashback shows how he was so enamored with life, with love, with mystery, and it was all set in his boyhood certainty. If there was nothing else he knew, he knew a few things to be true: that his parents loved each other, that his dad was a hero, and that life was good. All this comes crashing down at once, and he never really gets back up.

My favorite part about the much criticized art scene was his deliberate nature. He kept asking, and re-asking, a fundamental epistemological question: why? I saw this as a genuine seeking on the part of the character, not a mockery or setup for a fight.

Sadly, far too few people are willing to engage in an honest conversation about the human condition, and I am glad that this film did.