The Face of Addiction in Cinematic Art: A Review

ABSTRACT

Substance use disorders (SUDs) have long been misinterpreted as character flaws rather than ailments. With the evolving body of medical research, a dichotomy has been formed between drunkenness and the disease we now know. Art has served a special role in the reflection of the human condition. It serves as both a third-party storyteller and an influencer of our perception of the world around us. For a modern analysis of SUD streaming technology was used to study film and the depiction of addiction through the last 70 years. This paper will explore the topic of film’s ability to reliably report on this issue. Beautiful Boy is the most modern and the central film to the analysis. Research questions include: Can film accurately portray SUD? Specifically, the human suffering associated with addiction on the individual level and the family unit. Can it help people, who might not otherwise be exposed to its effects, understand the intricacies of addiction and reform? Now that we understand SUD to be a disease, art’s role in portraying it to the public is crucial to recovery for all.

KEYWORDS:

• Substance use disorders
• film
• alcohol use disorders

Acknowledgments

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. T. McGovern. My success on this project has been accomplished through his diligent work, genuine interest in this project, dedication to my success as a researcher, student, and human. With his guidance, I have been able to learn so much. Dr. McGovern passed away in March of 2022. He will be greatly missed. Again, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with such a humble and remarkable human. Thank you to the leadership of Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly for allowing me to share our work in this platform. I would like to thank Dr. Comiskey, the secondary director on this project. Thank you to Dr. S. Bergeson for granting me this opportunity and for her persistence in editing the project. Dr. R. Baronia contributed a considerable amount of time editing and encouraging me to complete this paper. Thanks to Dr. Caswell for his contributions during the original draft of this work.

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Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.