Drunks

The groundbreaking feature film about Alcoholics Anonymous.
by
Peter Cohn
2011
88 mins

A remarkable cast of New York actors star in this powerful and realistic portrayal of a Times Square AA meeting. The cast includes Richard Lewis (in his first dramatic lead), Faye Dunaway, Dianne Wiest, Parker Posey. Drunks also features the late Spalding Gray and Howard Rollins. Rounding out the troupe are the young Calista Flockhart and Sam Rockwell. The New York Times called it "superbly realized." The Boston Herald critic praised the film as "a powerhouse of drama, humor and heart."

... the movie is so superbly realized by an ensemble of well-known actors that it is impossible not to be moved by their stories. Gary Lennon's screenplay is tough-minded enough to avoid a disease-of-the-week mawkishness that the theme invites ... the furthest thing from a soft-focus ad for the recovery movement in which teary-eyed proselytizers hug one another and gush with inspirational platitudes.Stephen Holden
The New York Times
The New York Times

Reviews
...flies in the face of what passes for Hollywood wisdom by making its monologues compelling, and its texture makes its characters seem like people you'd see riding in the subway. In short, it strikes a lot of convincing notes. Clearly, we haven't heard the last of Cohn.Jay Carr
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
A cantata of the damned, some of whom have decided to save themselves. In this gravity, there is also grace.John Leonard
New York Magazine
New York Magazine

Awards and Screenings
Sundance Film Festival, 1996
Entertainment Industry Prism Award, 1997

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