I Need Help! Addiction in Movies. Quiz

Answer: The Lost Weekend

"The Lost Weekend" was a new way of looking at alcoholism, taking a very different slant on excessive drinking from the usual movie depiction of either funny or abusive behavior. Ray Milland's character goes on a drinking jag whenever he can, evading help from a drying out hospital, his brother and his girlfriend. He becomes so disturbed by his own lying and stealing that he tries to committ suicide, only held back by his girlfriend.

"A Walk in the Sun" was also made in 1945, starred Dana Andrews and was a WWII film.

Another class of '45 movie is a low-budget but well scripted film noir called "Detour".

"Mildred Pierce" was the Joan Crawford come-back vehicle in 1945. A tear jerker about a mother who literally sacrifices everything to her cold, hard hearted daughter, the movie got Crawford an Oscar in 1946.

Answer: Arthur

"Arthur" (1981) starred Dudley Moore as a lovable wealthy drunk and Liza Minnelli as the working class woman of his dreams. He was minded by the ever snarky butler Hobson, played to snarky perfection by John Gielgud. The 2011 version starred Russell Brand quite believably as Arthur with Helen Mirren as Hobson. Helen can snark with the best of them but can't quite outdo Sir John.

"Walk the Line" is the biopic of Johnny and June Cash.

"Requiem for a Dream" recounts the descent of four individuals into different forms of addiction.

"Goodbye Columbus" is a 1969 movie about two young Jewish people trying out a relationship. It has nothing to do with addiction.

Answer: Flight

"Flight" with Denzel Washington was a very realistic portrait of a not quite functioning addict, replete with denial, manipulation and finally acceptance. The fact that the pilot eventually owns up to his usage doesn't get him material rewards but the last scene shows him speaking at a prison AA meeting about how glad he is to be sober and straight. For those who don't have a problem with addiction, "The New York Times" quoted a three year study that showed that four of five prisoners nationwide committed their crimes while drunk or high.

"Requiem for a Dream" has been discussed above, but one cannot say enough about Ellen Burstyn's acting. She was amazing.

"Clean and Sober" was a Michael Keaton movie that was very true to life.

And "Airplane" gave us Leslie Nielsen in his first flat out comedy role. Nothing was true to life in this hilarious film.

Answer: Crazy Heart

"Crazy Heart" has wonderful music performed with real heart by Jeff Bridges in one of his best roles. I especially like this film for its unhappy truth that, just because you get sober, you don't necessarily get to fix all your mistakes. His love turns up at a gig and Blake tells her of his reformation. He asks for another chance but she is engaged to another man. Nevertheless, Bad Blake stays sober!

"Crazy Man" is not a real movie, but rather a play.

"Tender Mercies" is a Robert Duvall vehicle that has much in common with "Crazy Heart". An alcoholic country western singer meets a nice young woman with a son and begins a new life with them. A relapse nearly tears them apart but Duvall gets to sober up and keep his family.

"Smashed" is the story of an alcoholic couple who struggles with and succumbs to their addictions before trying to turn their lives around.

Answer: Ironweed

"Ironweed" the book was written by William Kennedy. The book is a marvel of underplayed writing, and the movie stays true to that spirit. The slow death of Helen from the combination of TB and alcoholism is painful to watch because she asked so little out of life. Her ability to get a real hotel room for Frank and her to pretend to a normal life is just realized when she dies. Frank returns to his family but as a much mistrusted stranger.

"Barfly" is a movie also created in 1987. It was based on the life of a real poet and author who spent much of his life in the bottle.

"Smashed" was somewhat autobiographical in that the author Susan Burke used her own experiences in addiction as the basis for the script.

"Casino", starring Robert DeNiro and Sharon Stone had drug and alcohol use as part of the background but was not about addiction.

Answer: I'll Cry Tomorrow

"I'll Cry Tomorrow" was based on Lillian Roth's autobiography of the same name. It was a straightforward telling of her descent into alcoholism and, with a new man in her life, her sobriety and restoration to health.

"A Star is Born, the 1954 drama starring Judy Garland and James Mason was about a singer's career being helped by a fading Broadway star. After their marriage, her career took off while his disappeared. He crawled into an alcoholic haze and, despite his wife's attempts to save him, committed suicide.

"Funny Girl" has Barbra Streisand playing the role of Fanny Brice, a real vaudevillian star.

"Days of Wine and Roses" centers on an alcoholic couple played by Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick.

Answer: Trees Lounge

"Trees Lounge" is a realistic and depressing story of the losses alcoholics suffer, as well as the suffering they inflict. Although Steve Buscemi's character was the main alkie, his 'friends' and companions also had rage and unhappiness due to the lives they lived as alcoholics.

"Barfly" and "Smashed" are discussed above.

"The Champ" is about an alcoholic boxer who nearly loses his beloved son.

Answer: Walk the Line

"Walk the Line" featured both Phoenix and Witherspoon doing their own singing. Which, considering the originals Johnny Cash and June Carter, was astonishing. The movie chronicled Johnny Cash's addiction to alcohol and drugs and his subsequent rejection of them with June and the Carter's help. In actuality he entered rehab several more times before attaining permanent sobriety.

"Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" chronicled the psychedelic exploits of a thinly veiled Hunter S. Thompson.

"Sweet Dreams" gave us a melodramatic look at the life and career of Patsy Cline.

"Great Balls of Fire" was the biopic of Jerry Lee Lewis.

Answer: No

"Trainspotting" did have drinking in it, but drugs, specifically heroin, were the main addiction. Brilliantly acted by all of the boys, including Robert Carlyle, this movie made me realize that all addictions kill.

Answer: Barfly

"Barfly" was made before Mickey Rourke deformed himself with boxing and plastic surgery. It covered Charles' life in LA during the 1960s, '70s and '80s.

"Ironweed" touched on issues of lower class life, too, but did so in a sympathetic way.

"Round Midnight" is a musical drama about the redemptive power of friendship.

"Long Day's Journey into Night" was written for the theater by Eugene O'Neil but became a film starring Katharine Hepburn, Ralph Richardson and Jason Robards.