The Lost Weekend

Composite Score: 87.2

Starring: Ray Milland, Jane Wyman, Phillip Terry, Howard Da Silva, Doris Dowling, Frank Faylen, Mary Young, and Anita Sharp-Bolster

Director: Billy Wilder

Writers: Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder

Genres: Drama, Film-Noir

MPAA Rating: Approved

Box Office: $14.30 million worldwide

My take on Watching This Film:

                The Lost Weekend is Billy Wilder’s Best Picture-winning film about a washed up, recovering alcoholic writer, who goes on a bender rather than take a trip upstate with his brother and girlfriend one weekend, based on Charles R. Jackson’s novel of the same name. The film stars Ray Milland in a role that won him the Academy Award for Best Actor, Don Birnam, an alcoholic whose loved ones have placed him on the road to recovery, though he himself sees nothing in life worth recovering for, as his career as a writer has been in a nosedive for years. He’s joined by Jane Wyman as his girlfriend Helen St. James, Phillip Terry as his brother Wick, and Howard Da Silva as his regular bartender Nat. The film also received Oscars for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay in addition to nominations for Cinematography, Score, and Editing. For the time period, the film feels incredibly groundbreaking in its handling of such mature subject matter without resorting to stereotyping, excessive preachiness, or unnecessary comedy. Milland plays his role of alcoholic incredibly, endearing himself to the audience even as we watch his unrepentant actions, bringing us to root for some end to his traumas. Though the film’s story does end up much more positive than a modern retelling would probably take it, it manages to stay away from any excessive saccharinity, choosing to keep even its optimism grounded and open-ended without working everything out for the best. Ultimately, the film is a testament to Wilder’s boldness and willingness to examine alcoholism through a serious and empathetic lens while encouraging his audience to do the same. Through Milland’s lead performance and Wilder’s writing and direction, it’s easy to see how this film earned the Best Picture Oscar and a place among the greatest films of all time. Some might find its final act a bit too impacted by the Hays Code in its optimism, but the film’s realistic depiction of alcoholism and its effects on not just the alcoholic but those they love remains incredibly poignant and important. Currently, this film is available to rent on most streaming platforms if you’re interested in seeing it for yourself.