One of the trends in drama that I’m actually glad has gone out of vogue is the focus on people going through their alcohol rehabs. Sure, there have been some intense and emotional movies made on this topic, such as Michael Keaton’s Clean and Sober or Sandra Bullock’s 28 Days, but considering that alcoholism has touched my life personally, I just find them a bit too painful to sit through.
One movie, supposedly a comedy, that also ventured into this territory was Stewart Saves His Family, by Al Franken. While he’s not much of a politician, and I don’t care for his politics, Franken hit home in his observations and portrayals of dysfunctional families, without the film coming off like a Hazelden tract.
Perhaps I’m too close to the subject, since I grew up with a father who drank to excess until I was about 12. I’m more blessed than most in that, once he got himself clean and sober, he has stayed away from drinking ever since. But I still can’t imagine formulating a drama or comedy that would be really entertaining, per se. Painful? Sure. Touching? Perhaps. But entertaining? I haven’t seen a single example yet.
