| Clean and Sober | |
|---|---|
Promotional movie poster for the film |
|
| Directed by | Glenn Gordon Caron |
| Produced by | Ron Howard Jay Daniel |
| Written by | Tod Carroll |
| Starring | Michael Keaton Kathy Baker M. Emmet Walsh Morgan Freeman Tate Donovan |
| Music by | Gabriel Yared |
| Cinematography | Jan Kiesser |
| Editing by | Richard Chew |
| Studio | Imagine Entertainment |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| Release date(s) | August 10, 1988 (United States) |
| Running time | 124 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Clean and Sober is a 1988 American drama film directed by Glenn Gordon Caron starring Michael Keaton as a real estate agent and his trouble with substance abuse. This film was a dramatic departure from comedies for Keaton. The cast also includes Kathy Baker, M. Emmet Walsh, Morgan Freeman and Tate Donovan.
Ron Howard, who previously directed Keaton in the comedies Night Shift (1982) and Gung Ho (1986), served as co-producer.
Contents |
Daryl Poynter is a successful but self-destructive Philadelphia real estate salesman who is addicted to cocaine. He embezzles $92,000 of his company's money from an escrow account and then loses it all to his addiction and the stock market. Waking up one morning next to a girl who suffered a heart attack from a cocaine overdose, he tries to cover up the drug use, but the police make it clear that they know what happened. There is also the matter of the company's money. Daryl tries to flee the country but all flights are held up due to bad weather. His colleague Martin also refuses to put him up for a couple of weeks. Daryl then learns of a drug rehabilitation program which lasts about a month and which guarantees anonymity. He thus applies for it. There, he meets Craig, a tough but supportive drug rehabilitation counselor. With great difficulty, Craig helps Daryl to realize he is an addict and his life is complete chaos. He says to him, "The best way to break old habits is to make new ones."
At a 12-step meeting, Daryl meets the older, reformed addict Richard Dirks, who will act as his sponsor. Richard eventually encourages Daryl to confess at work what he's done with the money. He is promptly fired. Daryl becomes attracted to a fellow patient, a woman named Charlie Standers. She is a steel foundry worker who is addicted to alcohol and cocaine. Charlie is involved in an abusive relationship with her boyfriend Lenny, a fellow addict to whom Charlie acts as a codependent. Daryl falls in love with Charlie and urges her to leave Lenny. He finally succeeds, only to witness Lenny's manipulative way of winning her back. Daryl tries to remain in Charlie's life to help her stay sober. After another fight with Lenny, she leaves the house, attempts to use drugs and is killed in a car accident. In despair, Daryl also feels a strong temptation to return to drugs. He visits Richard, who talks him out of it. Near the story's end, Daryl, confused but hopeful and reborn, accepts his 30 Day Sobriety Chip in front of an audience of fellow members, joking with them.
The film received generally favorable reviews at the time. Ebert praised the "superb supporting performances" and noted that "Although the subject matter of this film is commonplace in our society...the actual process of surrender and recovery is hardly ever the subject of films, maybe because it seems too depressing.".[1] Variety wondered if the film was "perhaps too grim"[2] The film holds a 55% (rotten)score on Rotten Tomatoes[3] and 6.6/10 at IMDb[4]
Micheal Keaton won the 1988 National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor for his combined performances in this film and Beetlejuice.
|
|||||