Clean and Sober (1988)

I really love this film. As a recovering alcoholic/addict myself, I greatly appreciate the straightforward, honest telling of this story of the intersecting lives found in a recovery house and AA meetings.The plot is centered around Michael Keaton's character Daryl Poynter, a man whose cocaine addiction has wreaked havoc in his life and those he has touched.Daryl needs a safe haven to hide out while he figures out how to clean up the mess he's made. While having no intention of getting or staying sober, he cannily surmises that he is untouchable in the anonymity of a recovery house.As a recovering addict I can tell you many people end up in recovery believing they are the only person in the room who really doesn't need to be there, and it is only an accident of fate that led to their being in treatment.I greatly admire Tod Carrol for writing a character who at the outset is not meekly begging for relief from addiction and is instead brought to the realization he is an addict in spite of his repeated denials.In 1987 this country was suffering from 2 decades of cocaine saturation yet many people in the grips of addiction were unaware there was a place to go where people successfully conquered their need to self destruct. This timely and honest film brought to the forefront the dilemma of the everyday common man caught in a cycle he is not prepared to acknowledge, whose life improves with recovery despite his every attempt to sabotage it.Along with superb writing and Michael Keaton's unflinching portrayal of Daryl Poynter, Kathy Bates brilliantly portrays Charlie, a fellow addict trapped in a codependent, addictive relationship, with Morgan Freeman playing Craig, a savvy, world weary counselor who believes in recovery. The stellar supporting cast play their roles without a single false note, particularly M. Emmet Walsh as Richard Dirks, the man who becomes Daryl's sponsor.Despite being 20 years old, the premise of this film is as fresh and relevant today as it was 20 years ago, if not more so.I looked up the film awards for 1988 and this film was not on anybody's radar, which was a shame. How many people could have been made aware of the choices had this film received the accolades it deserved? I read the Variety review of "Clean and Sober" describing it as "too grim" and I just have to say I wonder what they were snorting."Clean and Sober", more than anything, is an honest foray into the pitfalls of alcoholism and addiction and the inevitable outcome most of us would succumb to in similar circumstances, yet it is not grim because of it's strong message of the hope found in recovery, if we just give it a chance.

If you've ever thought that all Michael Keaton does is comedy, see this movie! What a performance he gives us. You watch his despair like you are watching a caged animal who wants so desperately to get out but can't. The entire casting is spot on and they all interact very well. Morgan Freeman is superb; no other word can describe his performance. The interaction between Freeman and Keaton is so believable and, at times, funny. You just know that Freeman is going to win, but that Keaton's going to give him a good run for his money. You may not recognize this Michael Keaton and you may yearn for the Keaton of "Beetlejuice", "Speechless", etc., but hang in there, this movie is worth the viewing and watching how Keaton plays Daryl as if he IS Daryl. Now, that's acting.

A spoiler is when you give away the ending, so basically if there is a spoiler warning, it's a warning not to read this review unless you saw the film, so this review is for the fans of this movie. I think it's a great film. Each time I see it I like it even more. But, at the same time, each time I get let-down by the ending. It's so lame and contrived when Kathy Baker is driving and then a car crashes into her car and then she's dead and poof, Michael Keaton is talking to his sponsor crying and the next scene he gives a speech about how much he went through, thus mentioning a funeral - and then the movie ends. Kathy's character only dies for to aid the main character's plight, i.e. to give him closure, and I hate when this kind of thing happens, when a character has to die to help a more important character progress. But no matter, this is a great film for one hour and forty minutes. You'll really feel as if you're anticipating Keaton's every move. His acting is awesome. And it's great to see Morgan Freeman. This is before he got the fame he deserved. One great scene is when Keaton is in rehab and about to move on to the next step, going from his detox pajamas to regular clothes, and he walks out of the television room with the news on and as he does an airplane on the screen that had been taken over by hijackers the day before suddenly explodes. The hijacker story on the TV began when Keaton was first admitted into the hospital and then ended in tragedy after Keaton is done detoxing, and it's symbolic of how, when getting sober, nothing else really matters... the world could be ending on the outside but you're still just trying to get to the next step. It also showed the selfishness of his character, not caring about anything or anyone but himself. Keaton keeps his character as a selfish jerk, even when he gets nice and cleans up, and that's realistic and quite refreshing because sobriety doesn't dissolve the selfish personality traits that led to the addiction in the first place. I recommend 'Clean and Sober' (or as we used to call it: 'Scene and Clover') highly except for the ending. But you know that already having read this review.

Michael Keaton turned in the performance of his career in CLEAN AND SOBER, a somber, yet riveting 1988 drama which starred Keaton as Daryl Poynter, a go-getter real estate agent who is in complete denial about a serious problem he has with drugs and alcohol. A serious night of partying goes deadly wrong for Daryl and he finds himself a fugitive from the law and decides to hide out at a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, aware of their rules regarding confidentiality. Daryl resists the program initially, still in denial, but eventually comes to realize that he is really an alcoholic and a drug addict and that he must deal with this realization if he ever wants to look at himself in the mirror again. This movie is gritty and uncompromising in its realistic depiction of drug and alcohol addiction and where the addiction can take you. Daryl is depicted breaking into his office looking for money as well as calling his parents asking them them to apply for a second mortgage on their house so that they can lend him the money. These scenes are frighteningly realistic for those who have dealt with addiction or have a loved one caught in the grips of addiction. Michael Keaton delivers a powerhouse performance, the best of his career, as Daryl, the big shot who sees his world crumbling around him and continues to deny what the root of the problem really is. Morgan Freeman gives his usual solid performance as the head counselor at the rehab center. Kathy Baker, Tate Donavan, and Claudia Christian also offer solid support as fellow rehab clients and M. Emmett Walsh plays Daryl's sponsor, a relationship Daryl accidentally stumbles into. If you have ever had a problem with drugs or alcohol or care about someone who does, CLEAN AND SOBER is an important film to see and ponder. The film doesn't answer all the questions that may come to mind about the disease of addiction, but it clearly shows where denial can take someone suffering from the disease A riveting and powerful film that should not be missed.