Clean and Sober

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Matthew D Michael Keaton’s dramatic debut is something else. Powerful, fiery, alive, hilarious, and heartbreaking. Moonlighting director Glenn Gordon Caron’s comedy-drama Clean and Sober (1988) delivers a harrowing and hysterical film. I love how Caron keeps us with Keaton the entire film, so we see his progress in getting sober. He balances comedy, drama, and even romance in the pendulum swing of these recovering addicts’ lives. I loved seeing how Michael Keaton went from Mr. Mom to Clean and Sober, then Batman later. Writer Tod Carroll’s script is brilliant. He considers every character’s feelings, thoughts, fears, motives, addictions, and shifting storyline. I love the hard opener that leads to following a cocaine addict through his thirty days in rehab. His realistic portrayal of addiction, rehab, and continued recovery is so refreshing to see. Good Will Hunting, Glengarry Glen Ross, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ordinary People, Running on Empty, and Uncut Gems all feel similar to Clean and Sober. They are shades of sympathy for those in pain, who are troubled that remind me of this story. Michael Keaton is on fire in his raw dramatic debut as cocaine and alcohol addict Daryl Poynter. Keaton portrays Daryl as deeply unlikable to the point of being horribly cruel, cynical, and erratic. He gets raging mad and yells with a frustrated anger to quiet and pathetic. It’s alarming to see his fury stem from such self-loathing. Then Keaton breaks your heart as this guy slowly tries to seriously get sober. Keaton makes every line sting with a biting dark humor or harrowing dramatic weight. He messes around with the stock market with reckless abandon just like how he carelessly uses drugs for a quick high. Keaton plays Daryl’s hopeless addiction with real sympathy for how pathetic this guy is, while also making this performance totally enthralling. Keaton ranges from obnoxious, anxious, wrathful, spiteful, flippant, sincere, worried, nervous, embarrassed, dishonest, deceitful, frustrated, brash, and considerate. Michael Keaton should have gotten an Oscar Award for his stunning dramatic performance in Clean and Sober. Casting directors Marion Dougherty, Kathy Wickline, and Glenn Daniels cast a fantastically talented ensemble of killer character actors. Kathy Baker is beautiful, heart-wrenching, romantic, sympathetic, engaging as the addict lady Charlie Standers, who Daryl falls in love with in rehab. She sees through his charade of pretending to care. She’s fabulous and brings out the honesty in Keaton’s performance. Seeing her struggle with her sobriety as well as trusting Keaton is fascinating. Morgan Freeman is hypnotizing as the kind, patient, and stern therapist Craig. He leads the rehab with a firm, but understanding hand. Freeman feels so real and engaged with this material. M. Emmet Walsh starts out chilling as the drug addict Richard Dirks, who in his opening monologue tells us how Richard brutally hurt himself with a hammer in a haze. He’s very friendly and sweet as Richard. He brings so much warmth to Richard as he opens up to Daryl as his sponsor. Terri Hanauer is fun as the blunt admissions lady helping Keaton get into rehab due to their privacy laws. Luca Bercovici is so mean as Charlie’s awful, abusive, crook boyfriend Lenny. Tate Donovan is amazing as the very sad and lonely young addict Donald, who is ignored by Daryl. Mary Catherine Martin is also pretty sad as Cheryl Ann. Claudia Christian is pretty and sympathetic as the woman Iris, who really wants to get sober, but cannot help but keep using. Brian Benben is excellent as Daryl’s co-worker Martin, who is upset and worried seeing his friend struggle with addiction. Henry Judd Baker’s massive furious addict Xavier, J. David Krassner’s quietly sad Tiller, and Dakin Matthews’s forlorn fat addict Bob are great as the addicts who want to get sober. Porn star Rachel Ryan portrays the hot blonde Karen Peluso, who has overdosed in the cold opening. Editor Richard Chew’s smooth cutting keeps us with Daryl as 124 minutes of Clean and Sober. So we’re feeling his boredom, anger, and resentments as he tries not to drink or do drugs. Composer Gabriel Yared’s soft piano playing is serene and calming for his jazz film score. It’s quite lovely. Cinematographer Jan Kiesser’s stunning close-up shots of Michael Keaton follow Daryl’s every emotion in a revealing visual style. Executive producer Ron Howard is awesome for getting Michael Keaton his first dramatic role after all his comedies with Keaton like Night Shift and Gung Ho. Costume designer Robert Turturice gives everyone cozy sweaters for the outfits for a down to Earth aesthetic. In all, Clean and Sober is moving, entertaining, and thoughtful with a brazen and incredible dramatic turn from Michael Keaton. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/06/25 Full Review Georgan G 3.25 stars. A pretty good drama about getting off drugs and alcohol. Michael Keaton does terrific acting. However, AA interactions are not right, including a sponsor who pushes yet doesn't point out that starting new romances is not good during the first year of sobriety. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 11/15/24 Full Review Geke g Clearly sobering. Move on Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/07/24 Full Review Bahad j The idea behind this movie moved me a lot, but it was a movie with really satisfying expectations Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/06/24 Full Review Munkhchimeg T Kinda loved the whole story and lovely to see his overcoming and hardworking Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/06/24 Full Review Steve D Not always an easy story but a powerful one and a believable one. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/28/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Clean and Sober

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