A few weeks ago, I came across a movie that I've heard about for years, a 1962 film called Days of Wine and Roses. It's a film directed by Blake Edwards, a filmmaker known more for comedies like the Pink Panther series, Victor/Victoria and 10. And it stars Jack Lemmon, an actor who prior to 1962 was known more as a comic actor.
But Days of Wine and Roses is no comedy. It is a dark, raw exploration of alcoholism.
The light comedic touch of Edwards and Lemmon lures you in as we're introduced to the "opposites attract" dynamic of San Francisco public relations executive Joe Clay (Jack Lemmon) and secretary Kirsten Arnesen (Lee Remick). He likes to drink and she doesn't but they eventually hit it off. Despite her reluctance, she admits that having a drink "made me feel good."
They get married and have a daughter.
And the drinking gets worse.
Joe's career is in a downward spiral, enduring demotions until he's ultimately fired. From there, he spends years going from job to job.
Kristen spends her days drinking just to pass the time. While drunk one afternoon she causes a fire in their apartment that almost kills her and their daughter.
Joe realizes their drinking is destroying their lives and convinces Kristen to stop. And they do... for two months.
But the urge to drink is too strong and an overnight binge drives them to ruin.
Joe is committed to a sanitarium where he suffers from delirium tremens. After his release, Joe finally gets sober with the help of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings as well as a dedicated sponsor named Jim Hungerford (Jack Klugman).
Joe's sobriety is tested when he seeks out Kristen to save her and save their marriage. Kirsten's drinking causes her to disappear for days. Joe tracks her to a nearby motel, drunk, but when Joe tries to help her, he instead ends up drinking again. It is an alcohol fueled binge that sends Joe back to the sanitarium for a painful, delirium filled detox.
Joe manages to stay sober, hold a steady job and be a responsible father to his daughter.
But fair warning: there is no happy ending for Joe and Kristen, happy and sober together. Kristen just can't make the same commitment to sobriety that Joe's made.
The last time Joe sees her is through his apartment window as Kristen staggers down the dark street in the vicinity of a bar. Our last view is the bar's flashing sign reflecting in Joe's window, Kristen no longer in the street.
I must clarify that this is no 1950s over reaction morality play like Reefer Madness or something. Days of Wine and Roses tracks the descent of Joe and Kristen into alcoholism one drink at a time, a slow erosion of what is good in their lives under the flood of drinks they consume every day. When Joe seems himself in the bar window one day and is shocked he doesn't recognize himself anymore, it is a shock for the viewer to realize just how far he and Kristen have fallen from the headier days when they first began dating.
The film takes place over the course of years as Joe and Kristen struggle with their descent into alcoholism. It takes time for them to hit bottom and it takes time for Joe to climb up from that nadir and try to make something of his life.
The movie ending with Kristen not in the same place as Joe is a bold choice, a daring repudiation of a Hollywood ending. But it is a necessary choice to show that victory in the battle against alcoholism is not guaranteed. Everyone's story is different.
Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick did their research, attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and visiting Lincoln Heights jail to observe inmates in the drunk tank and the dry-out rooms.
Days of Wine and Roses is not an easy film to watch. Even in the happier days of Joe and Kristen at the start of the film, you know what's coming. And when Joe and Kristen do collapse into rage and ruin, it's brutal and harsh but it is also compelling drama.
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