An Alcoholics Anonymous meeting as ensemble drama -- what a conceit. The laughter, the tears, the searing human drama: It's a wonder no one's exploited it before. And first-time director Peter Cohn puts it to good use. Working from Gary Lennon's adaptation of
his own stage piece,
Blackout, Cohn has assembled a strong cast (including Faye Dunaway, Dianne Wiest and Amanda Plummer), gathered them all in the basement of a Times Square church and let them what they do best. A toned-down Richard Lewis stars as Jim, a recovering junkie and lifelong
drunk whose wife's death poses a daily threat to his sobriety. After opening the meeting, Lewis storms off and enters ...
Released:
1996
Rated:
R
Length:
88 mins