Movies About Drinking

From George Cukor, starring Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, James Stewart, Ruth Hussey
Rated Not Rated

The Philadelphia Story is a romantic comedy set in the wealthy town of Philadelphia. It follows the story of socialite Tracy Lord, who is about to marry her wealthy fiance George Kittredge when her ex-husband, C.K. Dexter Haven, shows up to disrupt the wedding. Tracy's difficult situation is further complicated when two reporters arrive to cover the wedding and expose her family's secrets. With the help of Dexter, Tracy embarks on a journey of self-discovery to find her true self, and her true love. Along the way, she learns to balance her family's expectations with her own ambitions and desires. In the end, Tracy finds the courage and strength to stand up for herself and follow her heart.

From Blake Edwards, starring Jack Lemmon, Lee Remick, Charles Bickford, Jack Klugman
Rated Approved

Days of Wine and Roses is a 1962 romantic drama directed by Blake Edwards, starring Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick. The film follows the downward spiral of two married alcoholics, Joe Clay (Lemmon) and Kirsten Arnesen Clay (Remick), as they struggle with their addiction to alcohol. Joe, an advertising executive, meets Kirsten at a party and the two quickly fall in love. As their relationship progresses, the couple begins to drink more heavily, eventually becoming dependent on alcohol. Despite attempts to stop drinking and make their marriage work, Joe and Kirsten find themselves caught in a cycle of alcohol abuse and addiction. The film follows the couple's tumultuous journey as they struggle to rebuild their lives and find hope in sobriety.

From Todd Phillips, starring Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha, Ed Helms
Rated R

The Hangover is a 2009 comedy film directed by Todd Phillips and starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis. The film centers around a group of four friends, played by the three actors plus Justin Bartha, who travel to Las Vegas for a bachelor party. After a night of partying, they wake up the next morning to find that their groomsman, Doug (Bartha), is nowhere to be found. Worse, they can't remember anything that happened the night before. The friends embark on an odyssey to find Doug and try to piece together the events of the wild night. Along the way, they encounter a tiger, a baby, a police officer, and a mysterious gangster. In the end, the four of them manage to find Doug and get home without any major casualties. However, the events of their wild night remain a mystery.

From Thomas Vinterberg, starring Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Magnus Millang, Lars Ranthe
Rated Not Rated

Another Round is a 2020 Danish comedy-drama film written and directed by Thomas Vinterberg. The film stars Mads Mikkelsen as Martin, a middle-aged high school teacher who, with his three best friends, sets out to explore the possibilities of maintaining a constant level of intoxication as a way to reinvigorate their lives. As the experiment progresses, the men experience an increase in creativity and confidence, but their explorations also lead to unexpected consequences. The film follows Martin and his friends as they navigate their newfound freedom, ultimately questioning their own ideas of what it means to be happy and fulfilled. Along the way, they find themselves faced with difficult moral and ethical dilemmas, and must decide how far they are willing to go in their pursuit of a new way of life. At its core, Another Round is a film about friendship, self-exploration, and the power of following your dreams, no matter the consequences.

From Ted Kotcheff, starring Donald Pleasence, Gary Bond, Chips Rafferty, Sylvia Kay
Rated R

Wake in Fright is a 1971 Australian psychological thriller directed by Ted Kotcheff. The film follows schoolteacher John Grant (Gary Bond) as he travels outback to the Australian town of Bundanyabba and quickly finds himself immersed in a savage world of drunkenness and gambling. Gradually, John's life spirals out of control and he begins to lose his sense of morality as he gets swept up in the town's culture and its sinister inhabitants. With the help of a local police officer, John is eventually able to get back on track, but the events of his stay in the town have left him permanently changed.

From Mike Figgis, starring Nicolas Cage, Elisabeth Shue, Julian Sands, Richard Lewis
Rated R

Leaving Las Vegas is a 1995 American romantic tragedy film directed by Mike Figgis and written by Figgis and Frank Pfaff. It stars Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue, and is based on the semi-autobiographical novel of the same name by John O'Brien. The film follows Ben Sanderson (Cage), an alcoholic Hollywood screenwriter who has recently lost his job, wife, and family. In a last-ditch attempt at finding meaning in his life, Ben moves to Las Vegas with a plan to drink himself to death. Along the way, he meets Sera (Shue), a prostitute with whom he forms a deep and meaningful relationship. The film contains themes of alcoholism, depression, suicide, and the meaning of life. It is a powerful and heartbreaking story of two people trying to make sense of their lives while surrounded by tragedy and despair.

From Terry Gilliam, starring Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro, Tobey Maguire, Michael Lee Gogin
Rated R

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a 1998 film adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's novel of the same name. Directed by Terry Gilliam, the film follows journalist Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp) and his lawyer Dr. Gonzo (Benicio Del Toro) as they embark on an outrageous, wild and psychedelic journey to Las Vegas. Fueled by a cocktail of drugs and alcohol, Duke and Gonzo's trip quickly spirals out of control and leads them into a surreal and chaotic world of paranoia and excess. Along the way, they encounter a variety of strange characters and bizarre situations as they search for the American Dream.

From Alexander Payne, starring Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen, Sandra Oh
Rated R

Sideways follows the story of two middle-aged men, Miles and Jack, as they take a week-long road trip through California's wine country. Miles is a failed novelist, who is at a crossroads in his life and dealing with a broken marriage. Jack is a soon-to-be-married actor, who is looking for one last fling. Along their journey, the men experience wine country's beauty and culture, confront their own issues, and explore the idea of friendship and loyalty. As their week comes to a close, Miles and Jack must confront the realities of their lives and decide how to move forward.

From Peter Bogdanovich, starring Michael Caine, Carol Burnett, Denholm Elliott, Julie Hagerty
Rated PG-13

Noises Off... is a 1992 American comedy film directed by Peter Bogdanovich and adapted from the play of the same name. It follows the story of a bumbling British theater troupe that rehearses and performs a farce titled Nothing On. The film stars an ensemble cast including Carol Burnett, Michael Caine, Christopher Reeve, John Ritter, Marilu Henner, Julie Hagerty, Mark Linn-Baker, Denholm Elliott, and Nicollette Sheridan. The story centers around the chaotic and increasingly disastrous attempts of the troupe to perform their show. As the performances become more and more of a mess, the characters become increasingly desperate to keep the show running—with disastrous results. Through the various mishaps, funny moments, and romantic entanglements that take place, the characters eventually come to understand the importance of working together.

From John Landis, starring John Belushi, Karen Allen, Tom Hulce, Stephen Furst
Rated R

From Gary Oldman, starring Ray Winstone, Kathy Burke, Charlie Creed-Miles, Laila Morse
Rated R

From John Frankenheimer, starring Lee Marvin, Fredric March, Robert Ryan, Jeff Bridges
Rated PG

From Doug Liman, starring Vince Vaughn, Heather Graham, Jon Favreau, Ron Livingston
Rated R

From Steve Buscemi, starring Steve Buscemi, Carol Kane, Mark Boone Junior, Bronson Dudley
Rated R

From Barbet Schroeder, starring Mickey Rourke, Faye Dunaway, Alice Krige, Jack Nance
Rated R

From Terry Zwigoff, starring Billy Bob Thornton, Bernie Mac, Lauren Graham, John Ritter
Rated R

From Ken Loach, starring Paul Brannigan, John Henshaw, Roger Allam, Gary Maitland
Rated R

From Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe, Abbie Cornish, Albert Finney, Marion Cotillard
Rated PG-13

From Steve Gordon, starring Dudley Moore, Liza Minnelli, John Gielgud, Geraldine Fitzgerald
Rated PG

From Edgar Wright, starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Rosamund Pike
Rated R

From John Huston, starring Albert Finney, Jacqueline Bisset, Anthony Andrews, Ignacio López Tarso
Rated R

From Randall Miller, starring Chris Pine, Alan Rickman, Bill Pullman, Hal B. Klein
Rated PG-13

From Elliot Silverstein, starring Jane Fonda, Lee Marvin, Michael Callan, Dwayne Hickman
Rated Not Rated

From Mike Nichols, starring Meryl Streep, Shirley MacLaine, Dennis Quaid, Gene Hackman
Rated R

From Hector Babenco, starring Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, Carroll Baker, Michael O'Keefe
Rated R