Drunks

As a recovering alcoholic, and having seen some of the "preachy" movies, or the drama of Days of Wine and Roses, I found this movie to be just what it is, an AA meetings. Nothing to prove. Nothing to say. Each telling his story and one can take what he needs, and leave the rest. I enjoyed it as a means of letting others get an inside look at a meeting. Not much else to say. As for the relapse of Lewis, and his going back out and using, it was OK, but his return at the end, starting all over again, is just the way it is. Good movie, but not good enough to watch again and again.

An inside peek at the goings-on of an unusually attractive Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Richard Lewis's character exists to provide a moral center for the film as it examines his desperate efforts to stay sober. The various members of the AA group provide different glimpses at what contributes to alcoholism and demonstrate that there is no one profile for what constitutes a "drunk."

There are very nice performances in this film, particularly those of a pre-Ally McBeal Calista Flockhart and Parker Posey. The film's scene stealer and the most memorable drunk of all, however, is monologuist Spalding Grey, doing a hilarious turn as a church choir member who shows up at the wrong church. In the midst of explaining his blunder to the group he rhapsodizes brilliantly on the importance of Guinness in his life and discovers quietly that gee, maybe he too has a drinking problem.

Overall the individual performances divert attention from the main storyline and provide more of a center for the film than Lewis, whose story is ultimately uninteresting. But check it out for Spalding Grey, who is probably the most natural actor in the film and a true pleasure to watch.

Jim (Richard Lewis) attends an AA meeting very worried about something. His sponsor encourages him to talk. He does...and immediately leaves. The rest of the movie involves him trying not to drink and it keeps going back to the meeting where we, one by one, hear each member say why they're there.

I caught this at a small art cinema way back in 1997 and I never forgot it. It perfectly captures what an AA meeting is like and the stories related are harrowing. Quite a few well known actors play members: Sam Rockwell (still unknown at the time), Amanda Plummer, Parker Posey, Dianne Wiest, Calista Flockheart and Faye Dunaway. Their considerable acting talents make the stories seem realistic and hard to shake off. There's no happy endings here. Grim and disturbing but realistic. Sometime the staginess shows through (you can tell this was based on a play) which is why I can only give it an 8. Still, it's well worth watching.

Maybe the best movie about substance abuse I've ever seen...and I've seen most of them.

Gritty, realistic, darkly humorous, and deadly serious.

Richard Lewis at his best. Excellent supporting cast.

Watch it two or three times to catch all the subtleties of the various subplots.

This movie is an absolute must-see for anybody in recovery from alcoholism or drug addiction. This goes double for those recovering from both.

Also good for friends and loved ones of people in recovery.

WOW!!!! As a movie goer who watches at least four films per week, and who is very interested in the harrowing politics of the human soul, I can safely say that there has never been a better movie about alcoholism (no, not even "Days of Wine and Roses") than "Drunks". When I read the plot synopsis on the back cover of the tape case, I was expecting some preachy AA recruitment nonsense. This movie was nothing of the sort. "Drunks" is, for better or worse, a very realistic treatment of addiction, and of 12 step programs in general. The format of the film juxtaposes monologues from AA members during a meeting, with one off- the- wagon evening in the life of Richard Louis' character (I can't remember his name).

Richard Louis is not one of my favorite comedians (understatement of the year), but he pulls off a tour de force performance here. Due to Louis's textured performance, towards the end of "Drunks" I reached a full

understanding of his character, and the knowledge that recovery isn't just "quitting the sauce", but an individual's willingness to look his demons in the eye, and face up to his own particular hell. The ensemble cast of talented actors (including Calista Flockhart, Faye Dunawaye, Dianne Weist, Parker Posey, and a highly amusing Spaulding Grey) do wonders with their monolouges, which are so well written, you feel like you are there, eavesdropping on a meeting in a Times Square church meeting. I absolutely recommend this movie. I wish that it had gotten more publicity during its original theatrical release.