DRUNKS
A film review by Andrew Hicks
Copyright 1997 Andrew Hicks
(1995) **1/2 (out of four)
Made in 1995 but not released until 1997, DRUNKS is an ultra-low budget indie adaptation of a play. It comes from the BMG Independent film distribution company, which as far as I know, is the only film distribution company where you can make 11 movies for the price of one, with nothing more to buy ever. The lack of action, movement and anything else catering to short attention spans will most likely drive most viewers to drink, but the intense acting, from people you've actually heard of, no less, keeps DRUNKS interesting.
DRUNKS is basically a 90-minute advertisement for Alcoholic's Anonymous, splitting its scenes between an ongoing AA meeting which turns into a series of monologues by its members, each trying to outdo the others for sheer dramatics, and the saga of Richard Lewis. The venerable "neurotic Jew" comic (whom I've always considered a eighth-rate Woody Allen -- all a matter of opinion, I guess) plays one of the recovering drunks, two years off the sauce, who finally gives in to his desires and ends up drinking bourbon, scotch and beer, and not just one like the song says.
The meeting starts as planned, sure, with Lewis being prompted against his will to give an inspirational talk. He tells his life story -- heavy drinker by high school, met a woman, fell in love with her, she wouldn't marry him unless he went into rehab, he did, she died, now he's bitter and questioning everything -- then disappears from the meeting while the others start in with their stories. They try to milk suspense from the "Will Richard drink?" question, but it was obvious to me (and now to you, as I neatly give it away) that he would have to. Otherwise, where's your plot?
The Lewis plot should be the most interesting half, but it isn't. All the scenes of him struggling with the bottle, trying to hook up with his old junkie girlfriend and wandering through the city streets drunk just didn't do it for me. What I enjoyed a lot more were the AA testimonials, which would have worked very well in play form. Screw Richard Lewis, I can just see that group of people trapped on one stage for an hour and a half, trading stories. The writer obviously spent plenty of time in this setting. That's the way to do it -- turn your alcohol problem into a halfway decent movie.
I do have to admit, Lewis was good in his dramatic role. He did a lot better when he was actually giving his life story as part of the group than when he left it. I'm telling you, they should have just stuck with the drunks. People like Dianne Wiest, Faye Dunaway and indie queen Parker Posey do great here, along with others I didn't recognize. The unknowns were even more convincing than the established actors, and I'd pay them their dues if I didn't have to go back through the movie, write their character names down and wait for the credits. You know who you are and you know you're good. Too bad no one saw DRUNKS. It's just depressing enough to make you hit the bottle.
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