# Films That Dealt Realistically With Alcohol/Drug Addiction **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 21, 2005, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-dealt-realistically-with-alcohol-drug-addiction/332135 "2005-11-21T20:32:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Carm6773](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/2bfe46/32.png) [@Carm6773](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carm6773)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-dealt-realistically-with-alcohol-drug-addiction/332135/21 "2005-11-21T23:30:54Z")
_The Basketball Diaries_ deals with it rather well. Matter of fact, we watched and discussed it in a Substance Abuse class I took. ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-dealt-realistically-with-alcohol-drug-addiction/332135/22 "2005-11-21T23:40:48Z")
> [@True Blue Jack](#): > > I only have vague memories of it, but I wonder if LESS THAN ZERO counts as realistic. > > Any thoughts on this? > > * * * > > True Blue Jack “Traffic” starring Michael Douglas was pretty good. Great portrayal of parent denial and teenage drug abuse. This is an excellent movie and I’d highly recommend it. “The Salton Sea” starring Val Kilmer wasn’t really family oriented but still a very good portrayal of the insane world of speed addicts. Vince D’Onofrio was scary as hell in that movie. And I thought “Boogie Nights” really captured the cocaine scene pretty well. Though the only family thing about it was that nobody really had one anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-dealt-realistically-with-alcohol-drug-addiction/332135/23 "2005-11-22T00:14:14Z")
Drugs addicts, and the effect it has on their marriages or families: Edward José in _A Fool There Was_ (1915); Ronald Colman in _The Masquerader_ (1933); Vincent Price in _Dragonwyck_ (1946); James Mason in _Bigger Than Life_ (1956); Frank Sinatra in _The Man with the Golden Arm_ (1956); Don Murray in _A Hatful of Rain_ (1957); Katharine Hepburn in _Long Day’s Journey Into Night_ (1962); Barbara Parkins and Patty Duke in _Valley of the Dolls_ (1967); Erika Christensen in _Traffic_ (2000). ---
**Author:** ![HoldenCaulfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/22d042/32.png) [@HoldenCaulfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoldenCaulfield)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-dealt-realistically-with-alcohol-drug-addiction/332135/24 "2005-11-22T00:34:20Z")
_Trees Lounge_ was pretty accurate. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-dealt-realistically-with-alcohol-drug-addiction/332135/25 "2005-11-22T01:21:07Z")
_Naked Lunch_ the “William Tell Game” scene really happened to Burroughs. _Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas_ gives a pretty accurate portrayal of what it’s like to be on drugs. ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-dealt-realistically-with-alcohol-drug-addiction/332135/26 "2005-11-22T01:24:32Z")
> [@Sir Rhosis](#): > > I should have put more thought into my OP. Specifically, I’m thinking more along the lines of “Alcohol/substance abuse’s effect on a family unit/interpersonal relationships/romances, etc.” > > Any of those films fit that criteria? > > Sir Rhosis I really feel that my suggestion does fit your bill. (“A Sensitive, Passionate Man.” ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-dealt-realistically-with-alcohol-drug-addiction/332135/27 "2005-11-22T01:49:24Z")
Permanant Midnight with Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson (it’s not all funny like Zoolander or Meet the Parents). ---
**Author:** ![ms.deanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@ms.deanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ms.deanna)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-dealt-realistically-with-alcohol-drug-addiction/332135/28 "2005-11-22T03:35:53Z")
I agree with Carm6773 on “The Basketball Diaries” with Leonardo DiCaprio. I also saw that in my Substance Abuse class. It must be required viewing for drug diversion class. I probably never would have seen it if I wasn’t court ordered to do so. Still, a pretty good movie. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-dealt-realistically-with-alcohol-drug-addiction/332135/29 "2005-11-22T04:29:06Z")
> [@Sir Rhosis](#): > > I should have put more thought into my OP. Specifically, I’m thinking more along the lines of “Alcohol/substance abuse’s effect on a family unit/interpersonal relationships/romances, etc.” > > Any of those films fit that criteria? > > Sir Rhosis I think that _When a Man Loves a Woman_ qualifies. It’s about Meg Ryan being an alcoholic, and how Andy Garcia (her husband) is an enabler without meaning to be. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-dealt-realistically-with-alcohol-drug-addiction/332135/30 "2005-11-22T06:19:13Z")
> [@ColonelDax](#): > > And [Leaving Las Vegas](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113627/). I have always felt that this was more about suicide than alcoholism. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-dealt-realistically-with-alcohol-drug-addiction/332135/31 "2005-11-22T10:58:36Z")
There’s always “Stuart Saves His Family”. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-dealt-realistically-with-alcohol-drug-addiction/332135/32 "2005-11-22T13:11:12Z")
> [@Carm6773](#): > > _The Basketball Diaries_ deals with it rather well. Matter of fact, we watched and discussed it in a Substance Abuse class I took. Great fuckin’ movie. And DiCaprio was at his best as far as I’m concerned. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-dealt-realistically-with-alcohol-drug-addiction/332135/33 "2005-11-22T13:13:22Z")
> [@Oslo Ostragoth](#): > > I have always felt that this was more about suicide than alcoholism. The line definitely blurs… ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-dealt-realistically-with-alcohol-drug-addiction/332135/34 "2005-11-23T15:18:12Z")
How about “Postcards From the Edge?” I don’t recall how well drugs were dealt with in the movie, but in the book, Carrie Fisher was a drug addict and her mom was an alcoholic. Fascinating book, by the way. ---
**Author:** ![liirogue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dbc845/32.png) [@liirogue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liirogue)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-dealt-realistically-with-alcohol-drug-addiction/332135/35 "2005-11-23T15:58:02Z")
This ones really new, but **Walk the Line** deals pretty extensively with how his father’s alcoholism affected his family and then how his prescription drug addiction affected his family. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-dealt-realistically-with-alcohol-drug-addiction/332135/36 "2005-11-23T20:44:17Z")
I’m sure everyone with an alocoholic friend or family member has a different sense of what’s realistic. Still, for me, Dennis Hopper’s portrayal of the town drunk in “Hoosiers” was right on in that it showed how helpless and at a loss his character was when he was sober. Gene Hackman, the basketball coach, deliberately gets himself thrown out of a game to give the newly sober Hopper a chance to coach the game and regain the respect of his son… but it really doesn’t work, because Hopper (who’s dangerous but very confident when drunk) has no idea what to do when he’s sober. I’m a teetotaler, so I can’t claim to understand what makes someone choose to drink. But “Hoosiers” gave me some small understanding. For SOME people, drinking seems like the only way the only way to get through life’s ordinary challenges. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-dealt-realistically-with-alcohol-drug-addiction/332135/37 "2005-11-23T20:52:36Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > Great fuckin’ movie. And DiCaprio was at his best as far as I’m concerned. Side hijack: I’ve always thought DiCaprio was actually a halfway decent actor–not Oscar-worthy, but certainly not terrible–who got hampered by his teen-heartthrob status post-_Titanic_. Seriously, watch him in _What’s Eating Gilbert Grape_ or _The Aviator_. ---
**Author:** ![Emily\_Litella](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emily_litella/32/3370_2.png) [@Emily\_Litella](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emily_Litella)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-dealt-realistically-with-alcohol-drug-addiction/332135/38 "2005-11-23T22:32:37Z")
Then there’s Go Ask Alice, from 1973, with Mackenzie Philips. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-dealt-realistically-with-alcohol-drug-addiction/332135/39 "2005-11-23T23:18:35Z")
> [@SeeNoReason](#): > > Then there’s Go Ask Alice, from 1973, with Mackenzie Philips. Yes. Yes there is. Maybe if _Go Ask Alice_ dealt realistically with drug addiction, McKenzie Phillips might have avoided getting so messed up. (Doubtful, though.) Seriously, though-- William Shatner and Andy Griffith on the bill, and you mention the girl from _One Day at a Time_? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Emily\_Litella](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emily_litella/32/3370_2.png) [@Emily\_Litella](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emily_Litella)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-dealt-realistically-with-alcohol-drug-addiction/332135/40 "2005-11-24T00:04:42Z")
> [@Larry Mudd](#): > > Yes. Yes there is. Maybe if _Go Ask Alice_ dealt realistically with drug addiction, McKenzie Phillips might have avoided getting so messed up. (Doubtful, though.) > > Seriously, though-- William Shatner and Andy Griffith on the bill, and you mention the girl from _One Day at a Time_? 😉 I wuz a geek in the 70’s. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-dealt-realistically-with-alcohol-drug-addiction/332135.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-dealt-realistically-with-alcohol-drug-addiction/332135.md?page=3)