Six Movies That Deal with Alcoholism & Addiction

I have always been fascinated with movies where alcoholism, addiction, and mental illness were the main part of the storyline. If I’m being honest with myself, I’m sure I was comparing myself to others. Before coming to terms with my own issues, I know I had stereotypes. I thought I knew what an alcoholic, an addict, or someone who suffered from “real” mental illness issues looked like.

I’m really good at comparing my insides to other people’s outsides and wrongly assessing reality. One of the gifts I’ve received in recovery, and I have received many, is freedom from this kind of thinking most of the time. This is contingent on a daily reprieve.

What I have always loved about movies, good ones anyway, is their ability to take me outside of myself. Immerse me in someone else’s story. In no particular order, here are 6 of my favorites with a few notes on why.

28 Days

“The life of the party…before she got a life”. I have seen this movie more times than I can count. 28 Days, starring Sandra Bullock, will always be one of my favorites. Sandra’s character plays a big-city newspaper columnist who is forced to enter a drug and alcohol rehab center after ruining her sister’s wedding and crashing a stolen limousine. My own sister was married after I got sober. I can promise you that if it had been the other way around, this storyline could have easily been my own. I’ve never worked at a newspaper in New York City. However, I did spend nearly my entire 20’s working in the newspaper business.

When I watched this movie in rehab in 2006, I noted in my journal some interesting to-do’s. “Must get a plant and a dog when I got out of treatment.” 14 years later, I’ve had (and killed) many plants (including air plants) and currently have two dogs, Roxie and Bella. The following scene is one of my favorites in the movie.

Some people have criticized this movie for being too light-hearted. I think this movie shows that it’s not just about stopping drinking. Life in recovery is about the journey. The big, beautiful, sometimes messy journey requires a lot of cleaning up of damaged relationships. Including the one, I had with myself. Bullock’s character also shows how stubborn we are with ourselves, how we get in our own way and make things harder than they need to be.

Genre: Drama, Director: Betty Thomas, Year: 2000, Runtime: 103 minutes

Sober Curator Pro Tip: I loved 28 Days SO Much; I made a PEEPS Diorama of it!

Girl, Interrupted

Based on a true story of one woman’s 18-month stay in a mental hospital in the 1960s, Girl, Interrupted resonated with me to my core. Coping with reality is harder for some people than it is for others. Hard to watch at times, this story chronicles a group of women in a mental hospital that is all just trying to find their way. When this movie came out in 1999, I found myself identifying with many of the different characters in this film.

It’s also interesting how addiction and mental illness played out in real life with some of the cast members. This is about this line-up for 90s stars: Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, and the late Brittany Murphy.

Pro Tip

Are you obsessed with this film in the same way I am? You might be interested to know there is a variety of custom merchandise to this cult classic. Because who doesn’t need Susanna and Lisa Funko Pop dolls?

Genre: Drama, Director: James Mangold, Year: 1999, Runtime: 2 hours, 7 minutes

Girl, Interrupted

Flight

If I remember correctly, I saw Flight twice when it was still in the movie theaters. This is an extreme story of a functioning alcoholic, played by Denzel Washington, who also loved cocaine. The viewer gets a front-row seat to watch his life spiral out of control. This story was based on a terrifying true-life event. You might find it uncomfortable and hard to watch, most stories involving addiction are. I found this to be a pretty accurate portrayal of the real hardships that come with the struggles of recovery. These struggles exist for both the person struggling with the addictions and the people struggling with the person addicted.

There’s a scene towards the end when Denzel’s character stares long and hard at the bottle and you think he’s going to walk away from it. What actually happens is quite powerful and oh so relatable.

Genre: Drama/Thriller, Director: Robert Zemekis, Year: 2012, Runtime: 138 minutes

A Star is Born

I feel like with this one, all I really need to say is two names. Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. If you haven’t seen this one, please write to me and tell me what sober rock you’ve been living under and why you haven’t carved out 135 minutes of your life to watch this film.

This award-winning Oscar movie stole the hearts of many in 2018. I went all-in with A Star is Born, seeing the movie three times in the theater, buying the soundtrack, and then buying the movie the moment it became available. Jackson Maine (aka Bradley) is a country music singer that has been battling alcoholism from the moment we see him on screen. Early on in the movie, there is even a hidden gem that foreshadows how this story will end. I won’t give it away, but you’ll see it within the 1st 10 minutes of the movie, displayed in the background on an outdoor billboard before Jackson enters the drag queen bar. (Not to brag, but I caught it the 1st time seeing the movie and remember audibly gasping out loud) 

Lady Gaga’s outstanding performance as Ally, the love interest of Jackson, earned her a well-deserved Golden Globe and showed the world an accurate portrayal of the challenges of loving someone despite their harmful addiction. Gaga has never looked better than she does in the film.

Genre: Drama/Music, Director: Bradley Cooper, Year: 2018, Runtime: 135 minutes

Rachel Getting Married

I was two years sober when Rachel Getting Married came out. Yet another movie of an alcoholic woman attending her sister’s wedding. There is no doubt in my mind that my own sister, who is a licensed therapist specializing in alcoholism, addiction, and mental illness, is very relieved that she was married after I got sober.

Kym, the main character played by Anne Hathaway, is incredibly annoying and hard to deal with, but also undeniably loveable at the same time. There is so much shame and guilt that goes along with life in addiction. This film does an amazing job of showing how that plays out in a family dynamic. Kym, naturally, thinks everything is about her, and Hathaway’s raw performance of this character resulted in an Oscar nomination.

Genre: Drama/Romance, Director: Johnathan Demme, Year: 2008, Runtime: 113 minutes

When a Man Loves a Woman 

Meg Ryan had just given us Sleepless in Seattle, the romantic comedy that ends with the guy getting the gal. A year later she stole our hearts again in the heartbreaking film When a Man Loves a Woman. The story starts off with a seemingly perfect marriage and quickly shows how life unravels behind closed doors when it becomes clear that Alison (Meg Ryan’s character) is in the depths of despair with her full-blown alcoholism.

I was two years into my drinking career when this film came out back in 1994. Alison’s husband Michael, played by Andy Garcia, portrayed a husband that was supportive, patient, but also frustrated with Alison. Sometimes, ok most of the time, alcoholics can be really hard to love. This movie also gives hope, as Meg’s character shows how she thrives in her recovery. It’s an oldie, but a goodie.

Genre: Drama/Romance, Director: Luis Mandoki, Year: 1994, Runtime: 124 minutes

There are many more movies we hope to cover in the future. If you have a favorite you think we need to see, please email us at [email protected] or DM us on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

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Resources Are Available

If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.

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