Never Get Outta the Boat

So often we see drug addiction get the talk-show approach.

This can mean:

a) The Jerry Springer approach b) The Oprah approach

Either approach is vain, sensationalistic, unoriginal and immature. Now a new film Never Get Outta the Boat captures the viseral emotionality behind addiction in a way that no other film has.

There's rage, sadness, fear and even joy in drug addiction and this film catches it all. I have only ever used fairly soft drugs, and only been addicted to tobacco, but I could identify with the constant WANTING that these people have to endure for their whole lives.

This film shows the drug problem in America exactly how it is by showing you the addicts as close to the camera as is possible. There's no didacticism (Traffic) and no romance (Naked Lunch, Drugstore Cowboy, Sid and Nancy) involve. As a result, one viewing is more effective than a nation of lifetimes of "DON'T SAY NO" commercials.

I saw this film at Toronto three weeks ago and I still remember many scenes vividly. Go see it.

There are a lot of movies about drunks and addicts: The Lost Weekend, Barfly, and Leaving Las Vegas, and McArthur Park to name a few. If you identify with them at all (like me), then they are a real downer; depressing as hell but too real nevertheless. Never Get Outta the Boat is a film I stumbled upon at the video store a few days ago and was riveted from scene one. Having spent some time in rehab and way too many AA and NA group sessions (that's how I found out I was NOT an alcoholic/addict), I can tell you this movie hits home. It shows how vulnerable sobriety is to being lost. The guys make one comment in the film that sticks out for me. They are discussing how they relate to new guys who come into the halfway house. They say that either they like the guy and then he relapses and they never see him again or they REALLY like him and relapse WITH him. That is so f-----ing true!!! I recommend this film to anybody thinking about picking up that bottle or snorting a line. Teens should see it too (with their parents).

Although I had read a synopsis of the movie before seeing it, I had completely forgotten by the time I entered the theater. I only remember that the movie seemed interesting. The only reason I got an opportunity to see this movie is because a local theater was hosting its first annual indie film series. This was the first movie to be shown, and the fact that John Cusack was involved also intrigued me. The first several minutes of the movie are overwhelmingly intense. It surprised me that those few shots could have the impact that it did. Despite the rough language, there were a few moments where I was moved to tears. There were also some very funny moments, spurred by very realistic dialogue of humorous situations and their reactions. It is a very memorable movie, with very memorable characters. Tucker will always be my favorite. :)

I saw this film at the Independent Filmmakers Conference last winter with a few of my friends. When we screened this movie, it made the whole trip worthwhile. This film was brilliantly directed and acted. It made shooting with a DV look excellent. The film really got into the characters through the various aspects in which it was filmed. I really felt connected to this film. I laughed. I cried. I thought that this would be another run of the mill drug movie, but this was definitely a great twist to a seemingly old topic. It was definitely worth seeing again and again.

I saw this at the Florida Film Festival a few years back. It was great and realistic. I am a criminal defense attorney who represents addicts and this film rings true. I think all people involved in the criminal justice system should see this film to get a clue about the true nature of recovery and the obstacles to be overcome to succeed. Relapse is part of recovery. It isn't complete failure. You just try again, one day at a time.

Thank you Nick for an eye opening film. ~E. Jewett