"Men of Honor" is an inspiring story about overcoming obstacles and steel-willed determination. It's also about one of those obstacles, alcoholism-fueled racism, from which redemption becomes possible. The result is one of the great unsung alcoholic movies.
Navy dive school instructor Master Chief Billy Sunday, played by Robert DeNiro in a role reminiscent of another alcoholic he played, Tobias Wolff's father in "This Boys' Life," is a typical highly functional alcoholic. Behavioral indications of alcoholism such as those mentioned in my book, How to Spot Hidden Alcoholics: Using Behavioral Clues to Recognize Addiction in its Early Stages, are evident long before we see or hear about any actual addictive drinking. Early on, Sunday is magnificently abusive and likens himself to God. He's vile, filled with hatred and married to a woman half his age (one way by which some alcoholics inflate their egos: "Look at the babe I can catch.").
Carl Brashear, played by Cuba Gooding, Jr., decides he wants to be a Navy diver, and nothing stops himnot even Sunday or his likely alcoholic boss, Capt. Mr. Pappy, played by Hal Holbrook. Against all odds, including the prejudice endemic to the time and the particularly virulent alcoholism-driven racism at the helm, Brashear succeeds in becoming the first Black Navy Master Diver.
Refreshingly, Sunday's alcoholism becomes apparent before the movie ends. After assaulting a superior officer at a function where he is obviously drunk, he is demoted to a position where he is less able to inflate his ego, causing him to slip into late-stage addiction. Sunday's wife Gwen, played by Charlize Theron, is the more obvious drunk but, in recognition of more destructive behaviors, complains about his drinking on their anniversary. He's finally forced into rehab and, while still somewhat cocky and undergoing ego deflation (it doesn't happen overnight), ends up paying a heartfelt amends to Brashear.
One review mentions alcoholism: "When his diving career is cut short, Sunday turns to drink" and ends up in rehab. More accurately, "When his diving career was cut short, Sunday could no longer effectively inflate his ego, resulting in a spiral down into more obvious late-stage alcoholism." Alcoholism is, in fact, the driving force behind the key obstacles Brashear encounters: men who have a need to wield capricious power. Fortunately, Brashear succeeds against all odds. It's a pleasure to recommend "Men of Honor" not only as an inspiring motion picture with great acting by great actors, but also one that accurately represents alcoholism, a very rare event.
Navy dive school instructor Master Chief Billy Sunday, played by Robert DeNiro in a role reminiscent of another alcoholic he played, Tobias Wolff's father in "This Boys' Life," is a typical highly functional alcoholic. Behavioral indications of alcoholism such as those mentioned in my book, How to Spot Hidden Alcoholics: Using Behavioral Clues to Recognize Addiction in its Early Stages, are evident long before we see or hear about any actual addictive drinking. Early on, Sunday is magnificently abusive and likens himself to God. He's vile, filled with hatred and married to a woman half his age (one way by which some alcoholics inflate their egos: "Look at the babe I can catch.").
Carl Brashear, played by Cuba Gooding, Jr., decides he wants to be a Navy diver, and nothing stops himnot even Sunday or his likely alcoholic boss, Capt. Mr. Pappy, played by Hal Holbrook. Against all odds, including the prejudice endemic to the time and the particularly virulent alcoholism-driven racism at the helm, Brashear succeeds in becoming the first Black Navy Master Diver.
Refreshingly, Sunday's alcoholism becomes apparent before the movie ends. After assaulting a superior officer at a function where he is obviously drunk, he is demoted to a position where he is less able to inflate his ego, causing him to slip into late-stage addiction. Sunday's wife Gwen, played by Charlize Theron, is the more obvious drunk but, in recognition of more destructive behaviors, complains about his drinking on their anniversary. He's finally forced into rehab and, while still somewhat cocky and undergoing ego deflation (it doesn't happen overnight), ends up paying a heartfelt amends to Brashear.
One review mentions alcoholism: "When his diving career is cut short, Sunday turns to drink" and ends up in rehab. More accurately, "When his diving career was cut short, Sunday could no longer effectively inflate his ego, resulting in a spiral down into more obvious late-stage alcoholism." Alcoholism is, in fact, the driving force behind the key obstacles Brashear encounters: men who have a need to wield capricious power. Fortunately, Brashear succeeds against all odds. It's a pleasure to recommend "Men of Honor" not only as an inspiring motion picture with great acting by great actors, but also one that accurately represents alcoholism, a very rare event.