The Lost Weekend (1945) – Everyone seems to think that writer Don Birnam (Milland) has a drinking problem. Everyone except Don Birnam. Carefully missing the train that is supposed to take him off for a weekend of “drying out”, Birnam descends deep into the abyss of his addiction over the course of four days.
Directed by Billy Wilder, starring Ray Milland, Jane Wyman, Howard Da Silva and Philip Terry.
Not necessarily an easy movie to watch. “The Lost Weekend” was groundbreaking in its day and the alcohol industry tried to halt the making of the movie. Curiously, a lot of anti-alcohol groups also opposed the movie. They believed it would make people want to drink. This is some pretty gritty stuff for its time and will be unsettling for many folks even today. Birnam’s story is told in a series of flashbacks along with his growing self destruction over the title weekend. Milland is terrifyingly believable as the drinker who finally slips over the edge. Many people advised him to pass on the role, feeling that it would damage or even destroy his career. Instead he earned an Academy Award for the role (the movie won a total of four).
Why I Liked It – I grew up in a family with an alcoholic. That made watching this movie particularly uncomfortable for me. But the realistic look at the subject was inspiring, knowing the resistance that making such a movie (especially right after the war) required. Milland carries this movie and does it well.
Why You Will Like It – Milland’s performance is worth the price of admission.
Unrated, released prior to modern rating system. Not a movie for children.
Financially successful, earning just under 10x its production budget.
Rating – **** Recommended
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