My Name Is Bill W | James Woods, JoBeth Williams | A great movie about the beginnings of AA

My Name Is Bill W | James Woods, JoBeth Williams | Insight into Alcoholism

DVDs:

My Name Is Bill W

	My Name Is Bill W James Woods, JoBeth Williams Warner Home Video, 2006 average customer review:based on 72 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Based on the true story of Bill W. James Woods - in an Emmy award-winning performance - plays the successful stock broker whose life falls apart after the stock crash of the 1920's. As a result Bill W. and his loving wife Lois (Jo Beth Williams) must come to grips with his depression and downward spiraling alcoholism. In Bill's quest for recovery he forms a support group with fellow alcoholic Dr. Bob (James Garner) which eventually leads to the formation of Alcoholics Anonymous. In this inspiring portrayal My Name is Bill W. movingly depicts the trials trauma and triumph of people and loved ones coping and recovering from substance abuse. Director: Daniel Petrie. Starring: James Woods Jo Beth Williams James Garner and Gary Sinise.Running Time: 100 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA UPC: 012569741140 Manufacturer No: 74114

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A great movie about the beginnings of AA

I first saw this movie on TV 12 or 15 years ago. It's well played, although a little corny in some spots, and I feel that it moves along too quickly in other places to get the real feel for what was going on at the time. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie as a whole and as I am 20 years sober this year, I am quite glad to find a better copy than my recorded one.
Garner plays a great Doctor Bob and Woods an ambitious Bill W. The scenes at the hospital show how important the doctor there was to the creation of the group and that alcoholism was being recognized as something other than a "moral malady".
If you are interested in how AA came to be and who was involved, this is a great video. Otherwise, find a meeting in your area and keep going until you get your questions answered. Worked for me.

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Insight into Alcoholism

James Woods portrays the alcoholic very well and I would recommend anyone with an alcohol problem to watch this movie. The sheer pain that he inflicts emotionally on his wife and the people around him is frightening. As an alcoholic myself I could feel his desperation.

A classic

This movie is one of the best representations of how Bill W. and Dr. Bob met, thus forming what is now Alcoholics Anonymous. The movie takes place around the 1930's and gives you a glimpse into the world of Bill Wilson, an alcoholic, and the struggles that him and his wife went through as his disease progressed. Not much could be done for an alcoholic in those days. Today, there are many 12-step programs and treatment centers that are able to offer hope to the suffering alcoholic or addict. This movie, though serious in subject matter, is a well-written, heartwarming approach to the history of the co-founders of AA. James Woods and James Garner do an amazing job acting as Bill W. and Dr. Bob. It's a classic.

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Not Only a Great Film, But a Story of an Important Spiritual Movement

James Woods won the 1989 best-actor Emmy for his performance in this film about the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous. The film received six other nominations, as well. So, beyond its value as a fascinating look at the origins of one of the most important spiritual movements of the 20th Century -- it's simply good movie making!

But there's a lot more to learn in exploring the roots of Alcoholics Anonymous. Once thought of as isolated from the realm of religion -- scholars of religious movements now regard the founding of AA with its reliance on a "Higher Power" as a major milestone in the evolution of American spiritual movements. This is especially true in newer books like Phyllis Tickle's "Great Emergence, The: How Christianity Is Changing and Why (emersion: Emergent Village resources for communities of faith)" Tickle argues that "AA opened the floodgates to spirituality by removing the confines of organized religion."

Think about its influence for a moment. Here is a massive national network formed around essentially spiritual principles that cut across religious boundaries -- and even manages to include non-religious people who define "Higher Power" in other ways. The movement was founded and grew with great success -- not as a branch of some traditional religious group -- but as a new way of bringing people together and organizing their reflections.

The movie's a great discussion-starter for groups.

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