Bill W.

As the founder and driving figure of Alcoholics Anonymous for almost four decades, Bill Wilson (called simply "Bill W") has been hailed for his role in promoting sobriety. However, Wilson calls himself a "stinking rotten drunk," ruled by an obsessive thirst for alcohol. Directed by Kevin Hanlon and Dan Carracino, Bill W. portrays Wilson as the product of a broken home and lonely childhood, which led the young man to begin drinking at social functions while he was a soldier in World War I, mostly as a way of masking his awkwardness. Always something of an entrepreneur, Wilson moved to New York City with his new wife, Lois, but continued to drink heavily with clients and on road trips, a possible byproduct of his lifelong struggle with depression. Lois thought she could change him, but nothing seemed to work. After periods of sobriety alternating with relapses and hospitalizations, Wilson realized that by yielding to a higher authority ("God as we understand him"), doing an "internal housecleaning" and "moral inventory," and maintaining a focus on one individual helping and supporting another, he could formulate a path to an alcohol-free life. Wilson always walked a fine line, knowing his personal story would inspire others while respecting AA's principle of anonymity. The documentary recounts Wilson's articulation of the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, his precept of putting "people before principles" (which meant avoidance of political or religious affiliations), his constant struggle to earn a living while working with AA, and his surprising later experimentation with LSD. From its early struggles to maintain a few chapters, AA now boasts two million members worldwide. Drawing on Wilson's speeches (which provide often humorous and salty testimony), as well as comments from alcoholics who knew Bill (in respect of their anonymity, they appear in shadow), Bill W. serves up an honest portrait of a major social figure—flaws and all—whose difficult journey launched a lasting movement. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)