MovieChat Forums > Smashed (2012) Discussion > What exactly is the point of this movie?

What exactly is the point of this movie?


So she goes through all this trouble to get clean and stay sober, and we fast forward a year later and we learn that her life now is (I paraphrase) "a lot more boring, with a lower paying job, etc." So what is the point of the whole film? I get that they were trying to take the realistic route and not pretend like getting sober was going to immediately lead to a rosy existence, but still. It almost seemed to imply she had a better life as an alcoholic, or at least a more entertaining one. It was enough to discourage any recovering addict from achieving sobriety.

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If you read the reviews by actual people in recovery, you actually find the opposite is true. Getting sober is the hardest thing a person can do, and the most rewarding. This film encapsulates that perfectly. Far from discouraging us, it reminds us of how far we have come. I understand how people could think this movie would be depressing for people in recovery, but it actually is a quite beautiful film.

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It almost seemed to imply she had a better life as an alcoholic, or at least a more entertaining one. It was enough to discourage any recovering addict from achieving sobriety.

Well the "point" of the movie wasn't to make drunks decide to get their *beep* together.
First, like she points out, you need to do it for yourself not because someone tells you that you should.
Second, sure, her life was more entertaining when she was drinking. Does that mean it was safe? No. Does that mean she still has a long way to go in getting a "normal life" where she finds other ways to have fun while sober? Probably.
Third, it's a movie, not a commercial for AA.

For every lie I unlearn I learn something new - Ani Difranco

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it's a stupid film, it just tell you that if you don't quit drinking you'll be an ugly loser who will lose his attractive partner for eternity

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