Category Archives: Alcoholism

1983 Films, Alcoholism, Drama, Romantic Drama

Tender Mercies-1983

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Tender Mercies-1983

Director Bruce Beresford

Starring Robert Duvall

Scott’s Review #1,279

Reviewed July 22, 2022

Grade: B+

Tender Mercies (1983) is a quiet, down-home film about a country musician struggling with alcohol addiction, god, and a tepid musical career.

Anyone who starts a yawn will have the same reaction I did when reading the premise.

It’s not the most original idea, but the film works surprisingly better than I initially expected. The 1983 film is largely forgotten now, but its legacy is a Cinderella story.

Funding and a marketing push were limited, resulting in low box-office returns, but the Academy sure took notice, heaving five nominations its way.

It’s quite a departure for those expecting actor Robert Duvall to mirror his characters in The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather: Part II (1974).

Tender Mercies is an actor’s film, and it belongs squarely to Duvall, who delivers a wonderful performance perfectly carved out for an Oscar nomination. He instills himself into the role of a drunken, washed-up country star vowing to stay straight.

Duvall does more than act, crafting and performing his songs in a role that stands side by side with his best work in The Apostle (1998).

He won the coveted Academy Award for Tender Mercies.

Though the tone is low-key, filming was anything but, and reports of disagreements and blow-ups between Duvall and director Bruce Beresford surfaced.

The Australian director was later made famous for Driving Miss Daisy (1989) and, at one point, even considered quitting the production.

The story tells of alcoholic drifter Mac Sledge (Duvall), who awakens one day in the middle of rural Texas after a night of heavy drinking.

He wakes up in a run-down roadside motel and gas station.

He meets the owner, a young widow named Rosa Lee (Tess Harper), and offers to perform maintenance work at the motel in exchange for a room. Rosa, whose husband was killed in the Vietnam War, is raising her young son, Sonny (Allan Hubbard), on her own.

Mac and Rosa become smitten with each other, attending church and building a life of solitude together. Demons surface when it is revealed that Mac is a once-famous country singer with a currently famous ex-wife, Dixie Scott (Betty Buckley).

When a chance for a career comeback appears, Mac must choose between his new life and the life he let slip through his hands.

The story works well for several reasons.

At the forefront, Mac is a likable guy whom the audience pulls for. Instead of the tried-and-true story of a man battling his demons and being ‘saved’ by a woman, Mac is already on the road to recovery and has the desire to stay sober.

Rosa Lee and Sonny merely serve as steady influences versus the bright lights and broken hearts of the country music world.

Mac also has a chance to be a father figure. The bad stuff has already transpired in the past, so the audience is spared having to endure a pile of shit in exchange for a big payoff at the end of the film.

A couple of negatives keep the film from being a masterpiece.

On the wagon, Mac is tempted to down a bottle of whiskey after a tragedy, but he resists the urge, choosing to pour the devil’s juice out onto the ground. Is that a big surprise?

Buckley does her best with a one-note character, clearly in existence as an obstacle to Mac’s happiness.

But at its core, Tender Mercies is about relationships, and though it’s a slow under texture, the low-key scenes between Mac and Rosa Lee, and Mac and Sonny, are delicious.

The scenes prove that good, crisp dialogue with grace and heart trumps car chases any day.

They discuss life!

The cinematography of remote Texas is magical in its vastness and its loneliness. Key expressions on Duvall’s face match the Western landscape perfectly.

I’m not a religious guy, and I’m not a country & western guy, but I enjoyed the story Tender Mercies (1983) served up quite a bit.

The combination of superb acting, an emotionally charged, character-driven story, and a fabulous glimpse into the dry state of Texas made for a compelling ninety-minute viewing experience.

Oscar Nominations: 2 wins-Best Picture, Best Director-Bruce Beresford, Best Actor-Robert Duvall (won), Best Screenplay-Written Directly for the Screen (won), Best Original Song-“Over You”

Golden Globe Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture-Drama, Best Director-Bruce Beresford, Best Actor- Drama- Robert Duvall (won), Best Supporting Actress-Tess Harper, Best Original Song-“Over You”

2008 Films, Alcoholism, Drama, Independent, Independent Drama

Rachel Getting Married-2008

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Rachel Getting Married-2008

Director Jonathan Demme

Starring Anne Hathaway

Scott’s Review #1,153

Reviewed June 17, 2021

Grade: A-

Rachel Getting Married (2008) is the film that put Anne Hathaway on the map as a powerful and respected actress.

Despite the heaps of praise heaped upon her, she was nominated for an Oscar for the role and would win a few years later for Les Misérables (2012).

Hathaway proves that good nuts-and-bolts acting never goes out of style.

Director Jonathan Demme goes for simplicity with his project.

The film is a quiet family drama with members gathered for a specific event. As the film progresses, we witness deep-seated emotions and history bubbling to the surface through terrific scenes that showcase the entire cast’s acting chops.

Pain, truth, and wry humor are explored as a naturalistic approach is employed. Not all the characters are likable, and it is debatable whether any of them are.

Thankfully, humorous moments are added to lighten the mood.

Jenny Lumet, the daughter of famed director Sidney Lumet and granddaughter of Lena Horne, wrote the screenplay. The filming took place in Stamford, Connecticut, a small city outside of New York City.

The Buchmans, an affluent New England family, prepare for their daughter Rachel’s (Rosemarie DeWitt) wedding. Their other daughter, Kym (Anne Hathaway), is permitted to attend the wedding despite being in the middle of a stint at rehab- she’s been there before.

As Kym causes upheaval and drama, Rachel resents her sister, causing family tensions to resurface.

Parents Paul and Abby, played by Bill Irwin and Debra Winger, do their best to put out the flames sparked by the bickering siblings. Unfortunately, tensions begin to erupt between Rachel and Abby, and away from Rachel.

Events come to a head on Rachel’s wedding day, hence the title.

Under different circumstances, Rachel Getting Married could have been a standard Lifetime television film. A girl with a drug addiction returning to the fold to stir up family drama is hardly a novel idea and has been told many times before in almost every medium.

I even cringed at first when I read the premise.

But the film feels as fresh and energetic as a new idea. The pacing is the first notice as it moves at a brisk pace, and the running time is under two hours.

Kym is frenetic acting, which also helps the illusion of a faster pace.

A dark secret is quickly revealed. Due to drunkenness, Kym caused the car she was driving to careen off a bridge, killing her younger brother. She has harbored guilt ever since and endured her family’s wrath.

It has made her struggle with addiction even worse.

I don’t think enough praise can be given to Hathaway for quite simply kicking the film’s ass.

Nearly destined for wimpy romantic comedies, Kym gives the actress a role she can not only sink her teeth into but also infuse with emotion and empathy.

At times, the audience will hate Kym, and other times, will sob along with her.

DeWitt and especially Winger, returning to the cinematic spotlight after a long absence, have plenty to infuse their characters with.

Anger, jealousy, and unbridled sympathy are just a few of the emotions their characters experience.

Demme creates an independent film that feels raw and is filled with naturalistic settings and emotions.

He takes a basic story and ravages it completely with great acting, handheld cameras that provide a real-life approach, and a story that will leave audiences thinking about the events and perhaps their own lives after the credits roll.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actress-Anne Hathaway

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Film, Best Director-Jonathan Demme, Best Female Lead-Anne Hathaway, Best First Screenplay, Best Supporting Female-Rosemarie DeWitt, Debra Winger

1945 Films, Alcoholism, Drama, Film noir, Social Issues

The Lost Weekend-1945

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The Lost Weekend-1945

Director Billy Wilder

Starring Ray Milland

Scott’s Review #856

Reviewed January 10, 2019

Grade: A

Billy Wilder, considered one of the most influential directors of the Hollywood Golden Age of cinema (the 1940s), created a masterpiece that tackles a social issue that had never been explored.

The Lost Weekend (1945) tells a tale of alcoholism and the desperation and degradation of a person with an addiction. Wilder bravely goes where no film had dared to go with astounding results.

The film was awarded several Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor.

Don Birnam (Ray Milland) plays a New York writer left alone for one hot summer weekend. His brother Wick (Philip Terry) and girlfriend Helen (Jane Wyman) are aware of Don’s drinking problem, but leave for the weekend anyway when Don goes on a bender.

He spends each subsequent day desperate for liquor and in need of cash to purchase it. He resorts to theft and selling personal items out of desperation and the need for booze.

The story features flashbacks to events such as his first meeting with Helen and an embarrassing attempt to meet her parents for lunch.

The film is adapted from Charles R. Jackson’s 1944 novel of the same name.

Although it is a dark story that can be categorized as a downer, the film does not paint a glamorous picture of the pains an alcoholic experiences or the lengths he will go to out of desperation.

Before The Lost Weekend was made, drunkard characters in the film were primarily portrayed as either bumbling or as comic relief, so this character study is a welcome departure from tradition.

Milland is perfectly cast and effectively relays the troubled and desperate Don. Handsome, well-dressed, and professional, he is not the stereotypical image of a drunk.

Dressed in a suit and tie by all accounts, he does not fit the bill for a desperate man, but slowly begins his descent, spiraling out of control.

This makes Wilder’s message more potent as he shows that alcoholism can afflict anyone, even professional, intelligent men.

Milland, who resembles actor Jimmy Stewart, is supposed to be liked by the audience, eliciting a rooting factor even when he mistreats Helen. We want him to face his problems and recover.

Many glimpses of Manhattan are shown, and exterior shots are used plentifully. Wilder shoots the scenes as largely bleak and lonely, which aligns with the film’s overall feel.

Third Avenue looks desolate and isolated as we watch a desperate Don wander around, trying to sell his typewriter for booze money. He is grief-stricken when he realizes that it is Yom Kippur weekend and the pawnshops are closed.

The camera remains firmly fixed on Milland, showcasing a range of powerful emotions throughout the film.

The Lost Weekend (1945) was a groundbreaking film at its release. It is a serious and detailed tale of the life and times of an alcoholic.

With a superb acting performance by Milland, Wilder can darkly and frighteningly portray the world of a person with an addiction.

Decades later, the film is still cited as an inspiration by other filmmakers creating works about alcohol abuse.

Oscar Nominations: 3 wins– Best Motion Picture, Best Director-Billy Wilder (won), Best Actor-Ray Milland (won), Best Screenplay (won), Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White, Best Film Editing

Golden Globe Nominations: 3 wins-Best Picture (won), Best Director-Motion Picture-Billy Wilder (won), Best Actor in a Leading Role-Ray Milland (won)

2012 Films, Alcoholism, Drama, Independent, Independent Drama, Romantic Drama, Social Issues

Smashed-2012

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Smashed-2012

Director James Ponsoldt

Starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Aaron Paul

Scott’s Review #139

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Reviewed July 28, 2014

Grade: B

Smashed is an independent film from 2012 and a showcase for Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who impressed me enormously as an actress.

She gives a fantastic portrayal of a twenty-something elementary school teacher who has alcoholism.

Known for either crappy or supporting roles (or both) in bombs like The Thing (2011) and Live Free or Die Hard (2007), Winstead comes into her own and is the main reason to see the film.

I am always amazed when an actor who hasn’t been given great material to shine finally goes indie and takes a risk.

Aaron Paul plays her husband, who also has alcoholism.

They both love music and partying. When she decides to sober up, conflict emerges in their marriage.

Despite the subject matter of alcoholism, the film is not a downer. It borders on a romantic comedy, with drama thrown in, and isn’t depressing.

My one criticism would be that the side effects of alcoholism are glossed over. There is not much grittiness in the film-she becomes an alcoholic, struggles a bit, and recovers, almost television movie-like.

The film doesn’t show the true, horrific battles.

Octavia Spencer and Megan Mullally appear in small roles.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Female Lead-Mary Elizabeth Winstead