Days of Wine and Roses

Composite Score: 87.4

Starring: Jack Lemmon, Lee Remick, Charles Bickford, Jack Klugman, Alan Hewitt, Tom Palmer, Debbie Megowan, Maxine Stewart, and Jack Albertson

Director: Blake Edwards

Writer: J.P. Miller

Genres: Drama, Romance

MPAA Rating: Approved

Box Office: $8.10 million worldwide

My take on Watching This Film:

                Days of Wine and Roses is the film adaptation of J.P. Miller’s teleplay for Playhouse 90 of the same name about an alcoholic who convinces his teetotaling girlfriend to join in his habit and the turbulent romance that follows. The film stars Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick in the leading roles of Joe Clay and Kirsten Arnesen, supported by Charles Bickford as Kirsten’s father Ellis and Jack Klugman as A.A. sponsor Jim Hungerford. On its initial release, the film helped decrease the stigma around Alcoholics Anonymous, and it was celebrated for its writing and acting, ultimately receiving five Oscar nominations, including Best Actor and Best Actress and a win for Best Song for the theme by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer.

                Days of Wine and Roses is a difficult and honest film, portraying the horrors of alcohol addiction with intense realism thanks to the two stellar leads. The redemptive characters played by Bickford and Klugman offer welcome respites from the intensely troubling sequences of Joe and Kirsten’s descent into alcoholism, but it really ends up being the two leads who carry the film. Remick is fantastic as Kirsten, doing some top-notch drunk acting that feels amazingly realistic and never fails to be human. It’s a tragic and terrifying performance for most of the film, and she is up to the challenge that the role asks of her. At the same time, Jack Lemmon (an actor who feels incapable of delivering a disappointing performance at this point) plays Joe with equal skill and commitment. His alcoholic is as terrifying and troubling as it is authentic and human. While Remick starts as the film’s emotional core, the story progresses to give Lemmon the opportunity to step into that role. Both actors do a fantastic job of pulling on the heartstrings of the audience at the right times. It’s a difficult film to watch because of how well the portray the darkest sides of alcoholism, and despite its promise of the possibility for redemption, it remains a film that probably won’t get a rewatch anytime soon.

                Led by two strongly affecting performances in a raw and real story about addiction, Days of Wine and Roses certainly deserves mention alongside the greatest films of all time. Its dark tone and troubling themes make it a difficult watch that won’t necessarily endear it to viewers, but the great performances and its honest portrayal of alcoholism and the possibility for recovery make it one worth checking out. Currently, this film is available to rent on most streaming platforms if you’d care to check it out.