There is NOTHING more sobering than watching a vivacious
beauty drown herself in booze turning from a soft spoken housewife to a
monstrous gin boozer flowing with the acidic ugliness of pent up frustration at
life. The simple answer being…life is too ugly to face sober. And to that
degree, I completely understand.
The pity party of boozers, as I am though dry now, seems to
be never wanting the party to end. Thus is the life of Joe and Kirsten Clay. A
San Francisco couple whose casual drinking spirals into unspeakable acts.
Jack Lemmon plays Joe Clay, a public relations hotshot who
boozes with his clients. Unhappy with what is required of him, he drowns his
sorrows in alcohol. Along the way, he meets a beauty named Kirsten (Lee
Remick), who is a secretary for his firm. He offers her the first drink, which
becomes a few more. As their life progresses, or rather digresses, booze
becomes central to her life. The pull becomes so strong, it causes her to
abandon her family.
What I love about this depiction is the honesty. It’s a
harsh reality to what boozers do go through. The denial, the binges, the quiet
moments of hiding ones drinking. For example, a scene when Joe is convinced he
had three bottles of booze instead of two, only we realize from Kirsten’s
look…she’s secretly drinking alone. The other great thing about his movie is
the accurate portrayal of Alcoholics Anonymous. Recivitism is massive in that
organization. And they’re honest about it.
Much like “The Lost Weekend” we are wondering when these
people will hit rock bottom. The answer even surprised me. I was expecting a
pat answer, or at least a hopeful one. But it’s amazing how a movie like this
got greenlit considering the topic is specific to those who suffer and suffer
around it. It’s also very rewarding to know…ugly behavior is universal even to
the seemingly well-adjusted.
This was a great reminder of why I became sober a few years back.
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