The Anonymous People

Offering a different take on addiction/recovery, Greg Williams' provocative, borderline-angry documentary focuses on America's 23.5 million addicts and alcoholics in “recovery” (including Williams, a self-confessed drug addict) as a potential political force. Despite success stories fostered by Alcoholics Anonymous and similar programs, and the fact that orthodox medicine has redefined addiction as a disease, The Anonymous People argues that recovering (and potentially recovering) addicts remain the subject of shame, screaming headlines, and harsh prison terms. Much blame is placed on the Reagan/Bush 1980s "Just Say No" war against drugs (and users), painted here as a racially tinged hysteria that created a boom in the prison and law enforcement business, but was a setback to sobriety. Williams also points a finger at another insidious foe: the sacred tradition of "anonymity," which silences many in recovery programs. Instead, he says, these people should campaign visibly and boldly for allowances (more funding for treatment, for example) just as AIDS sufferers did. Featuring interviewees including authors Dan Griffin and William Cope Moyers, and actress/memoirist Kristen Johnston, the film effectively makes a case for addiction being a vital public-health issue that has been stigmatized and mishandled. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (C. Cassady)