Customer Reviews

Never Get Outta the Boat

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Never Get Outta The Boat" is probably the best film on drug/alcohol addiction I have seen to date. It certainly transcends "Requiem For A Dream", which I found neither shocking nor moving, and has something that "Traffic" lacks entirely.

The first few clips of the film show how each character fared in their career of addictions, which range from alcohol to crack to heroin, with very little exaggeration or downplay. We see degradation on every level--moral, physical, and sexual.

Cusack does a good job of showing the day to day activities of seriously addicted people trying to get clean, both the camaraderie and the insanity, the betrayals and the friendships which run with such powerful, raw emotion. We come to care about each character, however stubborn or obtuse they may seem. Recovery from addiction is shown precisely as it is: one day of struggle piled on the next, with a vague but definite promise of hope for a happy, or at least hopeful life, above it all. The only unrealistic part of this film are the scenes in which some of the characters attend meetings. N/A and A/A meetings are not ALWAYS that upbeat. They serve more as a framework for the plotline than anything real. Aside from this, I'd recommend this against most of the sensationalized garbage Hollywood churns out about this issue today.

As a recovery counselor I found this movie incredibly realistic in it's portrayal of addiction. The characters are diversed but yet, as in real life, addiction hits everyone the same. The end speech is extremely moving. I use it in groups where I work and it touches everyone. I highly recommend Never Get Outta The Boat!

"Never Get Outta the Boat," directed by John Cusak, is the most powerful and realistic movie I've seen about the struggles of recovery from drug addiction. The characters are a colorful and compelling group of down-and-out addicts with no place left to go but "Recovery House." Events shift from one crisis to another-- the type of crises you'd typically expect among a group of hardcore addicts trying to get clean. What distinguishes this movie is it's authenticity. Each character is well developed and believable. The mood of the movie is reminiscent of Drugstore Cowboy. You really believe these guys (and a few gals in supporting roles) are hardened addicts who could relapse at any moment with dire consequences. I found myself saying "no, don't" out loud when one likeable but seemingly hopeless addict, who is also a rock star in rehab for the 23rd time, relapses yet again. If you want a vivid glimpse at the emotional roller-coaster and high-stakes of addicts struggling in early recovery, this is as honest and powerful account of the struggles, heartaches, and occasional victories addicts experience while battling their demons that I've ever come across. Much grittier and more realistic than the usual sanatized Hollywood treatment of this subject in fims such as "Clean and Sober," "28 Days," "When a Man Loves a Woman" and others.

Addicts struggling to overcome drug dependancy in a rehab center are reminded of the importance of their success when a housemate's relapse ends in tragedy.
for a recovering addict , this is a very interesting movie to watch, in the sense that in the end you will really appreciate your sobriety!

A rambling vignette of a group of recovering ex-con addicts who seem hopelessly glued to their world of narco-narcissism. Imagine stepping into an inner city Drug Rehab Program for forty-something coke-heads and booze-brothers and following them through their daily travails. This is what watching this film is all about.

Superb performances and authentic dialogue are counterbalanced by the tedium of watching the day-to-day meanderings of dope fiends who do very little of a noteworthy nature other than get a girl friend pregnant and overdose on heroin. For its realism, this picture is without equal: it is superb. As a compelling drama, it falls flat thanks to a story that has just too few meaty nuggets to keep one's interest.

I gave this video to a person trying to remain abstinent from drugs but dealing with the obsessions of use. The situations depicted in the movie helped him to realize the potential consequences and motivated him to find more pro-active measures to ensure recovery.

Though somewhat dry reality, I really enjoyed the film myself.

I was looking for a good movie on addiction to show in the rehab i work in. This movie i would not show to anyone. While parts of it are "realistic" i couldn't get past the constant swearing. We get it, real people drop the "F" bomb every once in a while, I think these actors got paid by the expletive. I couldn't get past the exaggerated life style and annoyingly over acted character defects to see much of anything about being in recovery.

Never Get Outta The Boat is an amazing movie depicting the true struggles of addicts trying to stay clean. Being in a halfway house isn't easy. This movie shows how when surrounded by other addicts facing the same dilemma and not following the all - important suggestions of getting a Sponsor, going to meetings, doing the Steps, living Just For Today, as 12 Step programs do, the disease of addiction can bite you in the ass take you back out. Addiction leads to jails, institutions and death. Recovery gives you freedom; Freedom to love, laugh, live...Never Get Outta The Boat takes you from destruction of self to love and a life worth living. This movie with it's true to life characters isn't just about the war stories, it leaves you with a sense of hope ~ and that's what 12 Step groups are all about. Awesome movie for any addict, family member or friend of an addict to watch. Gives true insight. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and everything in between. If you are, or know, someone with a drug problem, this movie is definitely for you.

As a recovering addict of over a decade clean I have shown this movie to others, including those I Sponsor. Every one of them has loved it and found amazingly true to life, before and after recovery began.

This movie captured the journey from the darkness of addiction to the light of sobriety. I say this with brutal honesty and credibility since I am a recovering alcoholic/addict with many years of wonderful sobriety. I have shared this movie with other people in recovery and get the same response- WOW!

Forgive the production value and handheld camera techniques at the immediate onset of the film (which add to the overall realism).
The content is fantastic.

I originally saw this on IFC and bought it immediately. Loaned it to a recovery house for women and then donated it after learning they incorporated it into a group session for after care.

Bought a second copy and a second recovery house did the same thing.

I have now bought my third copy and am trying to hold on to it.

Amazingly, more of these women have stayed clean after their treatment and they all talk about the impact this movie made on them.

A must for all recovery homes and any of those trying to understand it.