Drunks(film)

Drunks
Directed by	Peter Cohn
Written by	Gary Lennon
Starring	Richard Lewis Faye Dunaway Spalding Gray Amanda Plummer Dianne Wiest
Cinematography	Peter Hawkins
Edited by	Hughes Winborne
Music by	Joe Delia
Production companies	BMG Independents Northern Lights Entertainment
Distributed by	Shooting Gallery Film Series
Release date	August 23, 1995(1995-08-23)(Boston Film Festival)
Running time	90 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Drunksis a 1995 Americandramafilm starringRichard Lewisand directed byPeter Cohn.

Plot

A group of alcoholics and addicts attend anAlcoholics Anonymousmeeting held in a church basement inTimes Square.At the beginning of the meeting, Jim (Richard Lewis), reluctantly tells the story of his drug and alcohol abuse and subsequentsobriety,but gets upset and abruptly leaves the meeting.

The movie proceeds to alternate between scenes of Jim's futile attempts to resist the temptation to drink that same night, intermixed with scenes of the remaining attendees of the meeting recounting their own struggles with addiction.Some of the meeting's attendees include Becky (Faye Dunaway), a mother who worries about the effect of her drinking on her teenage son; Rachel (Dianne Wiest), a doctor who worries that she is replacing her alcohol and pill addiction withworkaholism;Louis (Spalding Gray), a man who claims he came to the AA meeting in error, thinking it waschoirpractice; Shelly (Amanda Plummer), aneuroticwoman dealing with a domineering mother; Debbie (Parker Posey), a party girl who idolizesJanis Joplinand has replaced her alcoholism with an addiction tofootball;Marty (George Martin), aclergymanand the meeting'schairperson;Joseph (Howard Rollins), a man who lost his marriage and nearly lost his son due to a drunk driving crash; Brenda (LisaGay Hamilton), anHIV-positiveformer heroin addict.

Cast

• Richard Lewisas Jim
• Faye Dunawayas Becky
• Dianne Wiestas Rachel
• Spalding Grayas Louis
• Amanda Plummeras Shelly
• Parker Poseyas Debbie
• George Martinas Marty
• Howard Rollinsas Joseph
• Lisa Gay Hamiltonas Brenda
• Christopher Lawfordas Rich
• Sam Rockwellas Tony
• Calista Flockhartas Helen
• Anna Thomsonas Tanya
• Liam Ahernas Billy
• Kevin Corriganas Cam
• Julie Halstonas Carol
• Oscar Kochas Dennis
• Zach Grenieras Al
• Margaret Devineas Terry

Production

The film marked Peter Cohn's directorial debut and Richard Lewis's first dramatic role as an actor.Cohn is the son of the famed talent agentSam CohnofICM,who helped his son in getting client Dianne Wiest to join the film's cast.

The screenplay was written byGary Lennonand was adapted from a play he wrote calledBlackout.In the original screenplay, Jim's character was of Irish descent, but his backstory was changed to make the character Jewish in order to better suit actor Richard Lewis, who is himself Jewish.The film's budget was small, reportedly under $500,000, with the cast working for scale.Many of the characters' monologues were improvised and filmed in onetake.

According to theAustin American-Statesman,Drunkswas the last feature film to have been shot in Times Square prior tothe intersection's redevelopment in the 1990sunder themayorshipofRudy Giuliani.

Release

The film had its premiere at theBoston Film Festivalon August 23, 1995.It was shown onShowtimeon November 10, 1995.The film saw a wider theatrical release in the US and Canada in 1997.

Critical reception

Reception of the film was mostly positive overall, particularly the individual performances of many of the actors, including comedian Richard Lewis's first appearance in a dramatic role. At the same time, some were critical of the dramatic elements of the film.

Jay Carr ofThe Boston Globewrote: "Drunksisn't afraid to make its characters seem like people you'd run into on the subway. Most of the notes it strikes are convincing. We'll be hearing more from Cohn. "

Gary Kamiya of theSan Francisco Examinerwrote: "There's enormous drama in the stories told by the recovering alcoholics in this movie, but very little drama – except melodrama – in the movie itself," but also added, "StillDrunksis worth seeing for its exceptional acting and the empathy it brings to the damaged lives of its courageous characters. "

Carrie RickeyofThe Philadelphia Inquirerwrote: "Lewis, who resembles a debauchedAl Pacino(if that's not redundant), is impressive in a dramatic turn. Likewise Wiest, Rollins and Posey, and likewise Spalding Gray... Yet while each character's confession is profoundly moving,Drunksfinally lacks the cumulative impact we expect in a drama. Like a war movie in which an element of suspense is which character will be killed, the only element of suspense inDrunksis which character will backslide. "

Stephen HoldenofThe New York Timeswrote: "AlthoughDrunks...has its moments of staginess, the actors' understated characterizations go a long way toward keeping the movie from turning into a series of speeches. Mr. Lewis is especially impressive in the way he takes a role that many actors would be tempted to shout to the rafters and lets his panicky wide eyes convey the character's desperation. "

Susan Kirr of theAustin American-Statesmanwrote: "While the monologues (many of them improvised and shot in one long take) are often pointed and touching, others fall flat, showing the mechanism unfolding clumsily. After several of these confessions, the film starts to resembleA Chorus Line,as one painful story after another is contrasted with an all-out attempt to break through and succeed. "

Kevin ThomasofThe Los Angeles Timeswrote: "Allowing for a certain theatricality,Drunksis totally persuasive in its account of recovering alcoholics helping one another in a painful and often desperate struggle for sobriety. AlthoughDrunksis an ensemble endeavor sprinkled with distinguished names, comedian Richard Lewis, in his first leading dramatic role, is undeniably its star and a commanding one at that. "

External links

• DrunksatIMDb
• DrunksatRotten Tomatoes