The Anonymous People (2012)

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THE ANONYMOUS PEOPLE is a feature documentary film about the over 23 million Americans living in long-term recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs.

Historically, intense social stigma and discrimination have kept recovery voices silent. Mass media depictions of people with addiction have filled this vacuum, reinforcing stereotypes about people with a preventable and treatable health condition. There are over 23 million Americans in recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs. They, their family members, friends and allies are building a grass roots social justice movement. Courageous addiction recovery advocates have come out of the shadows and are organizing to end discrimination and the criminalization of addiction, and advance recovery-based solutions.

With the release of The Anonymous People documentary film, Faces & Voices of Recovery and our partners are collaborating to launch a new campaign, MANYFACES-1VOICE.ORG to engage and mobilize the newly emerging constituency to transform public attitudes and policies affecting people seeking or in recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs. Whether behind the scenes or on the front line, every recovery voice is needed.

Once Were Warriors (1994)

Director Lee Tamahori's (Along Came a Spider) powerful adaptation of author Alan Duff's best-selling novel centers on the troubled life of a Maori family crippled by poverty, bigotry, alcoholism and domestic violence. Rena Owen stars as Beth Heke, a beleaguered mother who struggles to care for her three children while battling the demons of her erratic, often violent husband, Jake (Temuera Morrison).  103 minutes

Flight (2012)

Pictures about Alcoholism

“Flight” is as strong as it is because it never pulls punches when it comes to portraying the dark side of protagonist Whip Whitaker’s (Denzel Washington) alcoholism. Whip’s character arc is as moving as it is because he’s surrounded by people that don’t know how to help him and people that want to hide him away so he can’t further embarrass them. Addiction is presented as an individual’s choice, albeit one that is incredibly hard to stop making, and “Flight” is just the latest in a line of humane and unsentimental dramas about alcoholics. From the horrors of finding one more drink in “The Lost Weekend” to the bitterly funny skid row life depicted in both “Barfly” and “Factotum,” this list is dedicated to films that neither baby their audience nor judge their protagonists too harshly. So before you see “Flight,” check out these five superior alcoholism dramas.   From: 5 Alcoholism Dramas 

NY Times Review.

Flight is a dark and compelling film.  If you are interested in the subject of alcoholism it is "must see."

28 Days (2000)

Newspaper columnist Gwen Cummings (Sandra Bullock) never met a drink she couldn't quaff. But when her drunken buffoonery ruins her sister's wedding -- and does some major property damage -- a judge orders her to choose between rehab and jail. Gwen won't come clean about being an alcoholic, but a few days into her month-long dry-out, she meets a fellow resident (Viggo Mortensen) who'll change her outlook on life and love. Dominic West co-stars.


DJE:  While this movie is somewhat superficial, it is well-written and fairly convincing.  It's entertaining and worth seeing.

Crazy Heart (2009)

The Man takes a Drink. The Drink takes a Drink. The Drink Takes the Man is a proverb as old as time. Crazy Heart is a moving retelling of this saying.

From NetFlix: "When reporter Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhaal) interviews Bad Blake (Golden Globe winner Jeff Bridges) -- an alcoholic, seen-better-days country music legend -- they connect, and the hard-living crooner sees a possible saving grace in a life with Jean and her young son. But can he leave behind an existence playing in the shadow of Tommy (Colin Farrell), the upstart kid he once mentored?" 2009 115 minutes
Trailers.

The Fisher King (1991)

From NetFlix: Shock-jock Jack Lucas (Jeff Bridges) becomes racked with guilt after a listener takes Jack's tirades to heart, resulting in a bloodbath at a New York City hot spot. Jack sinks into a depression, drinking himself nearly to death and sponging off his girlfriend (Oscar-winner Mercedes Ruehl). When Jack hits bottom, he's ready to end it all. Could a dotty homeless man (Robin Williams) whose wife died in the carnage be Jack's chance for redemption? 1991, 138 minutes.

This film was recommended by Johanna Shapiro, Director, Medical
Humanities Program, UC Irvine

Skins

From Netflix: Lakota Sioux tribal police officer Rudy Yellow Lodge (Eric Schweig) struggles to rescue his older brother, Mogie (Graham Greene), a former football star who returned from Vietnam a cripple and now seeks only to drown his sorrows. This powerful story about life on a barren South Dakokta reservation is one of drama and activism, filled with humor and integrity and painted with vivid details of Native American life, spirit and myth. 2002 87 minutes

University of Hawaii, Hilo professor Seri Luangphinith recommended this film to MedFlix as it deals with alcoholism.

Availability:
Netflix

Days of Wine and Roses

Oscar nominees Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick play a pair of desperate alcoholics in Blake Edwards' Days of Wine and Roses. Charles Bickford and Jack Klugman co-star.

J.P. Miller's The Days of Wine and Roses was brought to the silver screen in 1962. Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick star as Joe and Kirsten Clay, a husband and wife who descend into the depths of alcoholism. Blake Edwards directed, with Charles Bickford, Jack Klugman, Alan Hewitt and Tom Palmer in gloomy support. One more for the road?

Netflix

Days of Wine and Roses

Joe Clay (Jack Lemmon), a San Francisco public relations man who likes to drink, meets secretary Kirsten Arnesen (Lee Remick), who happens to be a teetotaler, and it's a saloon mismatch from the get-go. After a whirlwind courtship and marriage, Kirsten is able to keep pace drinkwise with her husband … and it's a downward spiral from there in this searing drama (directed by Blake Edwards). 117 Minutes