not horrible nor great

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

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.

I was a partly-involved spectator during the filming of the movie, and it was an incredible experience. The quality of the actors was usurped only by their unending interest in the story of Bill W and the important message they were delivering.James Garner and James Woods were intensely focused on keeping the story of Dr. bob and Bill as true to form as possible. Jo Beth Williams played Lois Wilson incredibly well; first as a confused wife with no options and a drunkard husband; then as a strong willed but understanding partner for life.If anyone has a loved one or knows of a friend whose life is impacted by an alcoholic, then this movie is both an eye opener and an inspiration to keep trying to find a way to fight and deal with the disease.

Not much to add to the hugely favorable consensus here about this made-for-tv-movie, so I will just echo what has been said. Good story about a vitally important organization, the man that founded it and how he did so. Good acting all around, good writing, and good direction.Well worth seeing, not just as a docudrama, but as a well-crafted piece of cinema.

James Woods gives a terrific performance as Bill Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. JoBeth Williams matches Woods as his loving but beleaguered wife. It is one of the best performances of her career. James Garner has a rather small role but as always he is terrific. This is just an inspiring film, one of the better made for tv movies.