I have always been fascinated with movies where alcoholism, addiction, and mental illness are the central 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 issues, I knew 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 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 myself and immerse me in someone else’s story. Here are six of my favorites in no particular order, 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 sister was married after I got sober. I can promise you that this storyline could have easily been my own if it had been the other way around. I’ve never worked at a newspaper in New York City. However, I spent nearly my entire 20s working in the newspaper business.
When I watched this movie in rehab in 2006, I noted some exciting to-do’s in my journal: “I must get a plant and a dog when I get out of treatment.” Fourteen 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 how we 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 that I made a PEEPS Diorama of it!
The Sobees Movie Night Score: 4.5 out of 5 – This is a Sober Pop Culture Classic!
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 more challenging for some people than others. Hard to watch at times, this story chronicles a group of women in a mental hospital who are trying to find their way. When this movie came out in 1999, I identified 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 of 90s stars: Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, and the late Brittany Murphy.
Pro Tip
Are you obsessed with this film like I am? You might be interested to know that a variety of custom merchandise is available for 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
The Sobees Movie Night Score: 4 out of 5
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, but 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 addiction 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 will walk away from it. What happens is quite powerful and oh-so relatable.
Genre: Drama/Thriller, Director: Robert Zemekis, Year: 2012, Runtime: 138 minutes
The Sobees Movie Night Score: 4.5 out of 5
A Star is Born
With this one, I only need to say two names: Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. If you haven’t seen it, 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 who 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 I saw the movie and remember audibly gasping out loud.)
Lady Gaga’s outstanding performance as Ally, Jackson’s love interest, earned her a well-deserved Golden Globe. Her performance accurately portrayed 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
The Sobees Movie Night Score: 4.5 out of 5
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 sister, who is a licensed therapist specializing in alcoholism, addiction, and mental illness, is very relieved that she was married after I got sober.
Anne Hathaway’s character, Kym, is incredibly annoying, hard to deal with, and undeniably loveable. There is so much shame and guilt that goes along with life in addiction, and this film does a fantastic 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
The Sobees Movie Night Score: 4 out of 5
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, is portrayed as a supportive and patient husband 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
The Sobees Movie Night Score: 3.5 out of 5
MOVIE NIGHT AT THE SOBER CURATOR: Welcome to movie night with The Sober Curator! No need for booze or drugs, we’ve got your entertainment cravings covered. This corner of our site is dedicated to recommending movies and documentaries that will captivate, inspire, and entertain. So, grab some popcorn, whip up your favorite mocktail, and indulge in your go-to sweet treats as you cozy up for a cinematic treat.
Need NA drink ideas? Our HAPPY EVERY HOUR section is brimming with non-alcoholic beverages to quench your thirst.
If a Netflix marathon is more your speed, check out THE MINDFUL BINGE for a list of TV series that we approve of!
We hope to cover many more movies in the future. If you have a favorite you think we should see, please email us at thesobercurator@gmail.com or DM us on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.
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.
