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Clean and Sober Customer Reviews (1 - 3 of 12 Reviews)

Excellent, realistic, intense slice of an addicts life and how he gets clean despite himself.
Michael Keaton is perfect in this role. No one else could have played that part. He is selfish, demanding, self-centered and hard headed and most of all full of fear. Slowly he begins to change even though is chaos all around him. Not only is this a good movie for addicts/alkies, jail inmates, etc. People who are trying to control an addict/alkie would also benefit from this, there is no way to control someone elses addiction.

It is very entertaining. there are some hysterically funny scenes and for once aa is not made fun of.

I couldn't find it to rent it and so i bought and watched if 3 times all ready.

really bad
Oh, this was a bad film. It was acted well, yes. The characters may have been a teeny bit interesting, but boy, was this a bad movie and not at all representative of GOOD treatment centers.

It was clear in the beginning of the film that the center Michael Keaton's character enters was not a prison treatment center. Nevertheless, that's what it felt like. It was dark, old, dirty, and absolutely did NOT FEEL HEALTHY!

No windows, no natural light, just gloom. Furthermore, their was no real warmth displayed by anybody during the group sessions. It didn't look as if the characters were learning how to be healthy without their drugs of choice. Nobody talked about their feelings, nobody talked about staying healthy. As a matter of fact, I'm not sure I heard the serenity prayer said once during this movie. And, it was an AA based program, supposedly, but it seemed as if the treatment was focused on drying out rather than learning to live.

Michael Keaton's character seemed to learn something at the end, but you didn't see him learn it. He didn't have a great epiphany. Kathy Baker's character not only didn't learn anything at the end or the middle, but nobody confronted her on her poor choices. Nobody confronted anyone anywhere throughout the movie. Everyone was sick and seemed to stay sick. There was one crack addict there who had a very unhealthy exchange during his family time. This center was representative of a BAD center.

Also, the center had a dance the last evening. The characters were inappropriately dancing and touching eachother. What place would recommend this for addicts who are clean only 21 days? Sexual contact is frowned upon in treatment centers, as well as suggestive contact and actions. Here, though, nobody said a word.

Life after treatment was just as sick. Charlie went back to her abusive husband to take more abuse. She and Michael Keaton's character get together, though, and nary a word is said by either of them about this type of contact. He wants to get together on a more permanent basis, but she wants to go back to her abusive husband and sick homelife. At one point, she yells, "You don't need me! He needs me!" YUCK. What did she learn at treatment? Nothing, obviously. What did he learn? A little more, but not too much more.

The term dry drunk refers to those who are abstaining from alcohol or drugs, but aren't working the program. That's how all these characters were. Really a waste of time movie.

Poor portrait of treatment
As one of the reviewers (Kendra) stated perfectly, this movie sends all the wrong messages about recovery, and treatment centres. I happen to work in a residential centre for addictions, and if I worked this place, I'd be looking for work elsewhere in a hurry. This is Hollywood all the way. One thing that you do see though, is a character like Keaton's running around like a little horney dog looking for love. It's the trademark of many folks when they've removed the drug of choice. However, this film would give you the idea that once Keaton's character stopped fighting with the councellors, he was all right, and the time was ripe for him to be involved. The fact that his lust interest was in a relationship already (and a dysfunctional one to boot) didn't seem to concern the people responsible for providing him guidance. A centre that doesn't send the message of the potential pitfalls of getting involved in new romantic relationships early in recovery doesn't hold any salt in the field; it's idiotic! This movie was gutless, void of all honesty, and an insult to people in the profession, and their clients. This is a "feel-good" movie that basically says that in order to find yourself, you need someone else, and nothing could be further from the truth. Intimate relationships early in the this stage destroy more people's recovery than anything else. Unfortunately, people who come across our doors will often ask about this movie. I tell them to stay clear of this one. There are much more effective films that deal with the realities of addiction, and recovery.

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