Brettcurtissanders Wow. What a BRILLIANT piece of cinema.Drunks has to be hands down one of the most important and accurate films I've seen to date about Substance abuse.As a person with a father who died of Alcoholism, this film really helped me gain understanding.It helped me not only cope with my father's disease but gave me tremendous understanding to what he went through as an addict.Having attended a lot of the AAA meetings in my life, the film was spot on.Brilliant, real, funny, and full of heart... and tears.I would recommend adding this to your library if you haven't already.

ingmanagement I saw Blackout, the play that this movie is based, when it played in Los Angeles. The play itself is incredible and is one of the best plays in theater, in my opinion. The movie, Drunks, captures what is best about the play: the great writing and dialog that when given to talented actors, create unforgettable performances that will make you laugh and cry. The characters, their stories, and their world are real. There is no preaching or message or apologetic reason given. The characters are all in transit in their own lives and for their own reasons. And you're allowed a fascinating glimpse into their lives. If you enjoy great writing and performances and watching people in their nakedly honest moments, you should watch Drunks.

gena_s I had wanted to see this when it came out, but it was playing, I think, in one theater in NYC, for a week, and then it was gone. I am a tremendous fan of most of the actors in this film. I finally got to rent it this week, more than 5 years after it was released. The film is ok, the actors are very good. It isn't preachy at all, but it's still got some problems. Each actor gets to say about a sentence before the camera moves on to the next character. We learn nothing about anyone except for Louis' character, and his plot and personality aren't interesting enough to hold viewers' attentions for 90 minutes. What bothers me most is that there was no point to the film: They meet at an AA meeting, talk about their lives, realize it's tough to kick the habit. I just wish it had been more complex. And the great ensemble cast hardly gets to interact with one another. But, on the plus side, this is your once in a lifetime chance to see these actors in the same film.

K8-2 An inside peek at the goings-on of an unusually attractive Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Richard Lewis's character exists to provide a moral center for the film as it examines his desperate efforts to stay sober. The various members of the AA group provide different glimpses at what contributes to alcoholism and demonstrate that there is no one profile for what constitutes a "drunk."There are very nice performances in this film, particularly those of a pre-Ally McBeal Calista Flockhart and Parker Posey. The film's scene stealer and the most memorable drunk of all, however, is monologuist Spalding Grey, doing a hilarious turn as a church choir member who shows up at the wrong church. In the midst of explaining his blunder to the group he rhapsodizes brilliantly on the importance of Guinness in his life and discovers quietly that gee, maybe he too has a drinking problem.Overall the individual performances divert attention from the main storyline and provide more of a center for the film than Lewis, whose story is ultimately uninteresting. But check it out for Spalding Grey, who is probably the most natural actor in the film and a true pleasure to watch.