The 13th Step

One of the most provocative documentaries I've ever seen. I had no idea any of this stuff went on! The courts are sending violent criminals (including known sex offenders!) to AA meetings, and the people attending the meetings (many of whom are young and very vulnerable) aren't aware who they are standing next to! Women are being raped and murdered! The leadership structure of AA needs some serious reform. I have read some of the other reviews on various sites about this film, and one thing all the reviews reveal: this film and the issues it brings to light are polarizing. Any organization (even one founded with the intention to help and heal) is not going to be for everyone, but the deleterious (and in some cases, deadly) effects of miscommunication between AA participants and our courts is reprehensible.

Well done! I've not yet seen this many reviews ever, where it was either a 1 or a 10, no in between!

All (1)star reviews= AA members who were of the lucky and are protecting their tribe.

All (10)star reviews= Non AA members/X-AA members who now can see a new truth.

Monica Richardson, you did/had excellent research, groundwork, experts, pioneers, guests, examples etc and a pretty handy cameraman (lol) thank you for bringing this to the light! You knew you were broaching a subject that would have them firing back at you and you're passionate and you persevered. BRAVO!

I was first introduced to AA in 1991 and many times since, I've seen, heard, felt all the things contained herein. I've disliked AA dogma and "old" rules/brainwashing ways of doing things for decades; finally a film that concisely puts into words my very thoughts, gives incidences of abuse and the bonus is the pioneers and experts in several other fields of recovery with proven options that are more up to date and have much higher success rates than AA does these days. Granted in the "olden" days when AA was the only option, their success rate was higher, but that is changing.

**Review not meant to offend AA members, I have several very good freinds with alot of time under their belt, they are of the lucky...if you are as well, congrats; but AA needs a serious overhaul and restructure IMHO.

It is very telling how many 1-star reviews are on here from angry people in 12-step groups who are angry about a documentary that details the terrible things that CAN happen in 12-step groups. Do these things happen in every group? Of course not, but they do happen and I have been a member of 12-step groups with disgusting older men who pray upon new young members for monetary and sexual gain. Court systems should not force people into these programs because they are not fully safe. There is an expectation of safety that new people have in these programs and it can easily lead to manipulation and harm for new members.

The film itself does a good job in covering the topic. It is a good documentary and one that more people need to be aware of.

This movie shed light on the problems in AA, giving people a legitimate warning that they may not get in meetings. I wasn't sure what to expect; demonizing of AA or complete denial of problems tend to be the 2 extremes I hear from people in real life. But the producer of the film seemed to deeply and genuinely care about presenting the subjects in a truthful and palatable manner. As someone who'd been to countless AA meetings I could relate and stand by everything presented. It's clear she did a lot of research for the film as well and I think the factual information lends a lot of credibility to the narrative. You can also learn about other resources for people who want to get help in this film, and I see that as a testament to the motives behind making it.

When bringing up concerns, I felt deeply disappointed at the way people respond within AA. I am glad to see someone cared enough to do something about it.

Bravo Monnicca Rickardson!!!! Not how you spell your name? My point exactly. Thats how it seems to be spelled in my mind based on my own ignorance. Point is you have proven that your single opinion is totally in your own mind and it is easy to get followers to back up your ignorance. Promise them money, fame, a chance to be filmed, star's of the big screen. Free speech is important so remember, it goes both ways. What I see was a few scorned people, including yourself, bashing something that you really have no idea about or how it works. It really proves that money can buy you just about anything, including ignorance. Ignorance is defined as just not knowing. Based on just not knowing you have tried to paint a picture of something that is much bigger than you or your little bias community. Number's speak for themselves. I seen a dozen people? Trying to bash something that has numbers that reach over millions. According to numbers you would have to be a fool to believe this FAKE NEWS!!!! A.A. will hold it's own. In A.A. we will continue to grow and have success stories. The unfortunate part, fortunate to our vast population, is you will never know the truth. You are not one of us. (maybe you are and just havent accepted it yet) You may never know the joys of growing and living in a community where most people want the best for each other. So go back to your scorned life and continue trying to bash things that work, and quite well, without your impute I might add.