Clean and Sober

Michael Keaton delivers such an intense, realistic and powerful performance in this movie, he should have AT LEAST been awarded an Academy Award nomination. This stands as his best dramatic performance ever, in a career filled with many fine dramatic and comedic roles. As Darryl Poynter, Keaton shows us a character that starts out as a total heel and a user, but is slowly transformed by his stay in a drug and alcohol rehab center (and his interactions with others there)into someone who genuinely begins to see the errors of his life and makes a concerted effort to change.

A fine ensemble cast adds to the drama, including Morgan Freeman, M. Emmet Walsh, Kathy Baker and Tate Donovan. The script by former National Lampoon writer Tod Carroll is filled with memorable characters and realistic situations and is further enhanced by the solid no-nonsense direction by Glen Gordon Caron.

An excellent and WAY under-appreciated movie that was thrown away by Warner Bros., "Clean And Sober is a riveting drama of rehabilitation and redemption that will stick with you long after you see it. True-life drama doesn't come much better than this. **** 4 stars

CLEAN AND SOBER (1988) ***1/2 Michael Keaton, Kathy Baker, Morgan Freeman, M. Emmett Walsh, Tate Donovan, Claudia Christian, Brian Benben. Keaton gives a tour de force performance as chemical addict businessman facing big troubles and decides to cool off in a detox/rehab center run by a no-nonsense counselor (excellent Foreman). Great acting and tight, realistic direction from Glenn Gordon Caron (creator of tv's "Moonlighting" in this his feature film debut) and Baker's scenes with Keaton recall the desperation of Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick in "The Days of Wine and Roses". Watch Keaton's modulated reaction on learning of a tragic event. Heart-wrenching at times.

Keaton is excellent as a cocaine junkie who joins an ex-junkie's recovery group, facing the battles that lie ahead when the dependency for drugs is no more. Touching and often bittersweet, Keaton soars onto the screen in a performance that astounds, shocks and amazes.

Clean and Sober is not a "feel good" movie. It doesn't have Improbably beautiful actors going through the stereotypical and cliche motions seen in other films about addiction. Michael Keaton is astonishingly believable as a smooth talking drug addict whose talents for manipulating others is surpassed only by his own self deception. Keaton's performance resonates as a man fueled purely by need. The essence of addiction is viscerally on display as he desperately tries to mitigate the trouble in which he now finds himself. The walls are closing in all around him and we feel not only his desperation, but also his inability to recognize it as such. Morgan Freeman is in top form as usual in an early performance in his film career. A former addict now sober and working in a rehab he has a proud weariness to him. A kind man but also one who knows Keaton's number and isn't afraid to tell him as much. But ultimately this is Keaton's movie...a testament to the greatness of his performance. The supporting cast is very genuine and their stories are tragically believable. M. Emmet Walsh in particular stands out as a success story for a recovering addict. He has no problem admitting that putting down one addiction sometimes requires picking up another, albeit much less harmful The story itself is familiar enough. Keaton is a business man in a lot of trouble for a lot of reasons. Drug rehab is seen as sanctuary; a place to lay low while he frantically tries to fix the problems he has created. Getting sober is not a straight line for anyone. Keaton's journey is one that at he doesn't always know he is making, Luck, timing, fate, and tragedy all play a part in keeping himself and drugs separated. Clean and Sober really is a fine film and all too often overlooked. It's not cute and it doesn't let us off the hook. But it's that uncompromising honesty that makes it so incredibly moving. Life can be cruel. We can lose ourselves but also muster the strength to find ourselves again. Sometimes we have to prematurely say goodbye to those we love. But through sorrow strength can also be found. Strength to carry on even when surrender seems so seductive. Clean and Sober hits some very powerful notes. We should always dare to hope for a better day. In the end key words are spoken by Keaton that perfectly encapsulate his situation. A sense of defiant optimism in the face of great difficulty is the fuel that helps us achieve new heights. And from there, to go ahead and reach a little higher.

I have been in AA for 21 years. Over that time there have been many films I've seen that try to capture the alcoholic's fight with the disease. Clean and Sober is on the money. Though a minor error here and there, if you want to see and feel the travail, see Clean And Sober. Magnificent performances, by the way.