Up to the first break, Inside Alcoholics Anonymous offers a contemporary look at the AA experience, from an overview of what meetings are like, to an explanation of the "no-last-names" policy. After the break (a non sequitur courtesy of the A&E editors, who left in host Bill Kurtis' announcement of forthcoming highlights "after we come back," followed by an irritating blip of black screen), the program delves into the history of the organization and explores the concept of the famous twelve steps. Viewers are treated to an abundance of speakers filmed in heavy shadow or with their backs turned to the camera, invoking a kind of ‘50s-ish Bergmanesque feel to the proceedings, which turn out to be a very sympathetic portrayal for an entry in a series called Investigative Reports. To be fair, Kurtis does list common complaints about AA--it's like a religion, you have to buy into the powerlessness thing, etc.--but overall this might as well have been a promotional film. A reasonable choice for collections that need a video to flesh out their AA holdings, but as an unbiased or investigative work, this is purely optional. Aud: P. (M. Tribby)
Inside Alcoholics Anonymous
(2000) 50 min. $19.95. A&E Home Video. PPR. ISBN: 0-7670-3016-8. Vol. 15, Issue 6
Inside Alcoholics Anonymous
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: