Redundant and unnecessary.

Load of rubbish!!

Captivating movie !

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Full disclosure: I am not an alcoholic (I drink less than a six-pack a year), but someone I'm close to, has been sober in AA for many years. It has frustrated me intensely that I have not been able to understand this part of her life.Now I have a much better idea.I found the movie to be honest. Sometimes Bill Wilson is a hero, sometimes he's a jerk, and sometimes he's a disgusting, drunken bum. In one AA scene, one of the men at the meeting acts sober, but he has the shabby clothes of a wino (which told me that he was very new into the program), and I remember being surprised that nobody making the movie tried to "glamorize" his wardrobe. And the first time that Bill Wilson meets "Dr. Bob," it's pretty obvious that the good doctor is suffering from a hangover! Also, Bill's friend Ebby, who actually leads Bill to sobriety, falls off the wagon and lies about it, in a heartbreaking scene. Like I said, this movie is honest.

Expertly acted, great sets, and an interesting story brought to the screen. How much more could you ask for? Having been sort of forced to watch many recovery movies at the VA, this one shines. Take it from a cynic, this is well worth watching. Most movies dealing with addiction are syrupy, saccharine, and all the problems are solved at the end of 90 to 120 minutes. I understand that this is the nature of movies HOWEVER it is NOT the nature of recovery. Non-members of the AA fellowship can enjoy it for how well it shows the beginning of the movement, friends of people in recovery can identify with the supporting characters, and "friends of Bill W." can marvel at the birth of a miracle. Finally, the straightforward script manages to avoid the aforementioned "sappy" pitfalls inherent to most recovery movies. It beats "28 Days" anytime.

I saw this in a detox here in Australia as "Anonymous Hero". It's a must-see for anybody who thinks they may have a drink problem or their suffering family. The whole crew have done their homework, from the collapsing in the street to the craving for a drink in early sobriety, to the slow growth of a new person, to the relationship that has to be rebuilt - this is the way it is, even today. Religion is tactfully presented as optional rather than mandatory - Bill's symbolic blinding white light in the hospital is a spiritual awakening rather than a religious experience. Plus you get James Garner's quiet humour to prevent it all getting too grim.

This is the story of the founding of the organization Alcoholics Anonymous. I am acquainted with two people who knew Bill W (the main character in the movie) and they say that they believe this is an accurate depiction of the events shown in it.