Even though I haven't seen this movie since it was first shown in 1974 I still recall much of it vividly. Dick Van Dyke gives the performance of his life as an alcoholic, self-hating man who just can't accept the help he needs to get better. For anyone who has seen it, the last scene is just chilling and unforgettable. One of the best tv movies ever made.
28 Reviews
A "Sobering" Look at a Deadly Disease...
ijonesiii3 December 2005
Dick Van Dyke earned a well deserved Emmy nomination for his powerhouse performance in THE MORNING AFTER, a 1974 ABC Movie of the Week where Van Dyke played a successful public relations man who begins to forsake everything in his life for the bottle. This intense look at the disease of alcoholism is uncompromising in its approach to the story and Van Dyke pulls out all the stops to turn in this gut-wrenching performance, which, if the truth be told, probably wasn't a real stretch as Van Dyke was drinking very heavily at the time. Van Dyke had been drinking for years but kept it well hidden. A few years later, he made his alcoholism public and got sober a few years after that. I was 16 years old when this movie premiered but I remember Van Dyke's performance haunted me long after the movie was over. I remember a scene where his wife, played by Lynn Carlin, won't give him the car keys so he can go out and get more liquor and he practically beats her up to get the keys. I also remember the final scene of a drunken Van Dyke, all alone in the world, on a beach, with his bottle, drinking and passing out. The movie is a powerful indictment against drinking and vividly portrays the isolation from everything important in a drinker's life that alcohol can cause. Another landmark TV movie that should be made available on video if it is not.
Depressing TVM With Dick Van Dyke Cat In A Serious Role
Theo Robertson6 August 2013
Charlie Lester is a public relations marketing officer for a corporate company with a successful career and a family . He's also someone who enjoys a drink , so much so that he finds himself drinking more and more endangering both his career and family
This come with a slight amount of baggage . I never saw this made for television film when it made its initial broadcast on British television in the late 1970s but in those days we only had two TV guides the Radio Times for shows broadcast on BBC and the TV Times for those ones shown on the regional ITV station and each magazine would have a film review column about the films being shown on the station that week . Obviously singing for your supper over integrity in this type of publicity that tried not to look like publicity and marketing while plugging the stations films . Apparently the TV guide of whatever station broadcast the film had their reviewer saying it was a very funny comedy starring Dick Van Dyke on good form which led to an avalance of letters saying the reviewer couldn't have seen the film . Indeed many years later I remember listening to an interview with some film critics on Talk Radio and this very film with the fall out associated was brought up . Some foolishness is too stupid to be forgotten and this film is a testimony to that
As everyone is stating on this page - I'm sure they've all seen it - THE MORNING AFTER is despite starring Dick Van Dyke is in no way a comedy . If there's an amusing scene in it I must have blinked and missed it . Everything is written in a serious and dead pan tone that it's almost in danger of becoming unconvincing in its manner simply because it is too serious . It also has a very short running time and this brevity of structure sometimes feels we the audience are merely just getting the bullet points of the story . That said this is helped greatly by the casting of Dick Van Dyke best known for his affable roles so we quickly warm to his character Charlie . It's truly great Oscar winning material but is very much one of the better 1970s TVMs from America
This come with a slight amount of baggage . I never saw this made for television film when it made its initial broadcast on British television in the late 1970s but in those days we only had two TV guides the Radio Times for shows broadcast on BBC and the TV Times for those ones shown on the regional ITV station and each magazine would have a film review column about the films being shown on the station that week . Obviously singing for your supper over integrity in this type of publicity that tried not to look like publicity and marketing while plugging the stations films . Apparently the TV guide of whatever station broadcast the film had their reviewer saying it was a very funny comedy starring Dick Van Dyke on good form which led to an avalance of letters saying the reviewer couldn't have seen the film . Indeed many years later I remember listening to an interview with some film critics on Talk Radio and this very film with the fall out associated was brought up . Some foolishness is too stupid to be forgotten and this film is a testimony to that
As everyone is stating on this page - I'm sure they've all seen it - THE MORNING AFTER is despite starring Dick Van Dyke is in no way a comedy . If there's an amusing scene in it I must have blinked and missed it . Everything is written in a serious and dead pan tone that it's almost in danger of becoming unconvincing in its manner simply because it is too serious . It also has a very short running time and this brevity of structure sometimes feels we the audience are merely just getting the bullet points of the story . That said this is helped greatly by the casting of Dick Van Dyke best known for his affable roles so we quickly warm to his character Charlie . It's truly great Oscar winning material but is very much one of the better 1970s TVMs from America
a classic
dtucker861 September 2003
I cannot say enough good things about this film. I guess it is the mark of a classic that a film that was made almost thirty years ago could still touch people today. Dick Van Dyke deserved an Emmy for his mind-blowing performance as a tragic alcoholic. This movie has the grimmest ending you could imagine but it makes it a better film and a cut above the typical "disease of the week" fare tv has so often served. What is so amazing to me is that Dick Van Dyke had never played a dramatic part before he took on this one. He has played two other dramatic parts I remember well, he was a priest accused of murder in The Runner Stumbles and played another alcoholic in an HBO presentation of The Country Girl. Its so ironic that all three of these fine performances that he gave are now almost impossible to see. I have gotten e-mails from people after I got my copy of TMA asking me how they could get it because they have family members who are alcohlics. All right,go to "Google" on your computer. It is the most effective search engine and type in Weird World Of 70's Cinema Video Library. They have many, many rare videos that I didn't even know existed and The Morning After is one of them. Thats how you can get a copy. The e-mail address of this site is fantasma@negation.net. A man named Fitzgerald owns the site. He will gladly send you a copy at a very reasonable price.
A must see for all!!!
mcdaniel195115 February 2007
I would love to have a copy of this movie. I saw it when it was on TV and I was actively drinking very heavily. I have been sober 30 years now but I will never forget this movie. Anyone know where to get a copy??? I feel like it would be an impact on may lives of alcoholics as well as drug abusers. It has a very profound message for all ages. The realism stems from Van Dykes own personal bout with alcohol abuse. He brings to the movie what no other has done and I have seen a lot of movies about addiction. Recovery programs this is a must see!!! Individuals with addictions should see this movie. It will make you self examine your addictions. Please, someone get this out to the public again. It should never have been stopped from viewing in the first place.
Brutally honest; horrifically real.
Hup234!18 October 1999
Richard Matheson has given us another masterful screenplay, and Dick Van Dyke is perfectly cast in the dramatic role of his career. I saw this on its initial television release date, and I recall the wide recognition that it garnered; but "The Morning After" seems to have slipped from visibility lately. Still, at the time of this film, "lovable drunk" jokes and comics were prolific on television and since "The Morning After", and its terrific eye-opening impact, they disappeared almost overnight. Now there were other, numerous efforts in those days to increase the awareness of alcoholism ... but I maintain that the impact of this unforgettable, much-discussed television film, with its chilling end, had a huge impact on the American consciousness. But we'll never be able to measure the number of lives it must have saved. Highly recommended to all.
"I'm not half the man I used to be..."
moonspinner5513 August 2010
Dick Van Dyke does very fine work in this thoughtful movie-of-the-week about a once-successful speech writer for a public relations firm who has hit the skids: he's a heavy drinker and doesn't know how to get help--or know for sure if he even wants help. Thriller-writer Richard Matheson was a surprising choice to adapt Jack Weiner's novel, but he does a terrific job at setting up the circumstance and then allowing his central character to free-fall with his ever-present bottles of booze. Lynn Carlin as Van Dyke's enabling spouse is put in the somewhat unbearable position of playing mommy to both her sick husband and her shaky kids, and one longs for her to stop being a victim and take charge. But, this being 1974, the avenues which are now present for people in this unfortunate situation simply weren't commonplace yet, and Van Dyke's struggles--his broken promises, his self-inflicted downward spiral--are gut-wrenching to witness. Matheson seems intent not to make this a cookie-cutter domestic drama, and at that he succeeds. The final shot (extremely well executed) leaves the viewer with a lot to consider. It becomes clear this isn't solely a hard-hitting portrait of alcoholism--it is also a story about giving up.
The Morning After, staring Dick Van Dyke
pjwpellegrino17 January 2006
I am a HUGE fan of Mr. Van Dyke, and this is my favorite performance. I remember watching this movie in the '70's on TV, and have been looking for a copy ever since. Dick Van Dyke is not only a genius comedic actor, but he is also a wonderfully moving dramatic actor as well. If anyone knows where I can purchase a copy of this movie, please let me know at pjwpellegrino@hotmail.com. I have been waiting for years!!! Mr. Van Dyke reminds me so much of my father, and I have been watching his shows since I was a little girl. A couple of years ago, I received a DVD of a few of the old "Dick Van Dyke Show", and I watch it over and over. PLEASE email me if you know how to obtain a copy of "The Morning After", as I have been searching for this movie forever. Thanks so much, Paula Pellegrino pjwpellegrino@hotmail.com
Major performance, though dated production
anthonyjlangford14 August 2022
Having only just seen this for the first time in 2022 I do not have the same nostalgic binds that others do. It is a oowerhouse performance no doubt, but the film has lost some of its impact due to the many depictions of alcoholism and addiction since. In the 70s I imagined had a much more significant effect though other films on the subject were also quite realistic such as The Lost Weekend and Days of Wine and Roses. All are heartbreaking.
The link to his family past was a good one as well as his struggles to get sober. Despite many realistic depictions there are a couple of moments that seem little over-the-top such as the shuffling along the beach with a blanket and the bottle, as though conjured by someone without personal experience. Perhaps Matheson's injection. It's a little over-the-top and almost pantomime.
Where as the violence and the tears and the throwing up are completely legitimate. Having spent a lot of time in AA and rehab and decades on the boozey merry-go-round, most of it is all too familiar to the alcoholic.
It's those two or three over the top scenes that bring the film quality down a peg or two.
(One reviewer here suggested if someone watched this they wouldn't drink. A lack of understanding on alcoholism. The film rightly demonstrates how it's linked to childhood and/or in the lineage).
It's also a little hard to avoid the feeling of the TV quality in the production and it does suffer a little from that.
Leaving Las Vegas covered this story in similar vein and perhaps was influenced by this particular film, also with the downbeat ending.
This film though, left with an open ending, which is a little unsatisfying. Quite bold to be so downbeat which works in its favour.
Even though they got most things right, the film is good but not great and has aged somewhat. Dick Van Dyke however is great and carries the entire production. Solid and at times very emotional.
The link to his family past was a good one as well as his struggles to get sober. Despite many realistic depictions there are a couple of moments that seem little over-the-top such as the shuffling along the beach with a blanket and the bottle, as though conjured by someone without personal experience. Perhaps Matheson's injection. It's a little over-the-top and almost pantomime.
Where as the violence and the tears and the throwing up are completely legitimate. Having spent a lot of time in AA and rehab and decades on the boozey merry-go-round, most of it is all too familiar to the alcoholic.
It's those two or three over the top scenes that bring the film quality down a peg or two.
(One reviewer here suggested if someone watched this they wouldn't drink. A lack of understanding on alcoholism. The film rightly demonstrates how it's linked to childhood and/or in the lineage).
It's also a little hard to avoid the feeling of the TV quality in the production and it does suffer a little from that.
Leaving Las Vegas covered this story in similar vein and perhaps was influenced by this particular film, also with the downbeat ending.
This film though, left with an open ending, which is a little unsatisfying. Quite bold to be so downbeat which works in its favour.
Even though they got most things right, the film is good but not great and has aged somewhat. Dick Van Dyke however is great and carries the entire production. Solid and at times very emotional.
I didn't know he had it in him
HotToastyRag19 April 2022
Not to be confused with the Jane Fonda thriller, this television movie The Morning After stars Dick Van Dyke - and it's not a comedy. He stars as a man with a good job, two pre-teen kids who adore him, and a wife who makes allowances for him. There's just one little problem: he drinks too much.
This movie is incredibly realistic, showing his problem unfolding slowly so it doesn't feel over-the-top. In one scene, Dick pours a celebratory glass of wine to toast to a raise in salary; when we see he's finished the bottle and fallen asleep in his chair, we hardly think that's cause for alarm. After all, it was a celebration. The next sequence, he's at an office party and calls his wife, Lynn Carlin, that he'll be home late. Lynn is worried, but it's reasonable to think she's overreacting. By the end of the evening, he's falling-down-drunk. When he wakes up in his car, pulled over on the side of the highway, then the audience finally gets how serious his problem is.
I won't tell you any more about the plot, but know that it's extremely heavy. This movie is not a typical Dick Van Dyke Disney flick; in fact, his performance is so incredible, you'll wonder what a different, dramatic career he would have had if he hadn't made a first impression with Bye Bye Birdie and Mary Poppins. As entertaining and charming his comedic talents were, after seeing this movie, I wish his dramatic talents weren't so hidden. Had The Morning After been a theatrical film, he might have won a Rag Award for this multi-layered, realistic performance. He exposes his heart to the camera and doesn't hold back. The result is one of those rare performances that makes the audience almost embarrassed for eavesdropping on a real person, not watching an actor perform.
I couldn't imagine this type of raw performance could come out of Dick Van Dyke. I didn't know he had it in him to sob uncontrollably, violently fight with his spouse, or shake with emotion while discussing childhood hurts in a therapy session. After seeing this movie, I'm dying to get my hands on a copy of his tv remake of The Country Girl.
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, since this movie pretty much turns Mary Poppins on its ear, I wouldn't let my kids watch it. Unless you want your kids to see Bert vomiting blood, wait until they're older.
This movie is incredibly realistic, showing his problem unfolding slowly so it doesn't feel over-the-top. In one scene, Dick pours a celebratory glass of wine to toast to a raise in salary; when we see he's finished the bottle and fallen asleep in his chair, we hardly think that's cause for alarm. After all, it was a celebration. The next sequence, he's at an office party and calls his wife, Lynn Carlin, that he'll be home late. Lynn is worried, but it's reasonable to think she's overreacting. By the end of the evening, he's falling-down-drunk. When he wakes up in his car, pulled over on the side of the highway, then the audience finally gets how serious his problem is.
I won't tell you any more about the plot, but know that it's extremely heavy. This movie is not a typical Dick Van Dyke Disney flick; in fact, his performance is so incredible, you'll wonder what a different, dramatic career he would have had if he hadn't made a first impression with Bye Bye Birdie and Mary Poppins. As entertaining and charming his comedic talents were, after seeing this movie, I wish his dramatic talents weren't so hidden. Had The Morning After been a theatrical film, he might have won a Rag Award for this multi-layered, realistic performance. He exposes his heart to the camera and doesn't hold back. The result is one of those rare performances that makes the audience almost embarrassed for eavesdropping on a real person, not watching an actor perform.
I couldn't imagine this type of raw performance could come out of Dick Van Dyke. I didn't know he had it in him to sob uncontrollably, violently fight with his spouse, or shake with emotion while discussing childhood hurts in a therapy session. After seeing this movie, I'm dying to get my hands on a copy of his tv remake of The Country Girl.
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, since this movie pretty much turns Mary Poppins on its ear, I wouldn't let my kids watch it. Unless you want your kids to see Bert vomiting blood, wait until they're older.
Why isn't this movie available?
hbsurfer29 June 2009
I too saw this movie as a kid, I was only eleven years old and it made such an impact on me that i thought i would never be a drinker...and here i am both my parents were drinkers and both dead :( And i saw some things and behavior that was very disturbing to me and also very similar to some of the behavior in my own life now. When I'm feeling like my drinking is starting to get out of hand this film is the first thing that enters into my mind especially the end... I recall the chilling and sad feeling i got at the end of this movie as a kid, I believe this keeps me in check, don't misunderstand me I'm a very fit and successful man and father but we all have our demons and drinking and its devastation is not limited to its victims; rich or poor, fit or fat, married or single, this film puts it all on the line... the power of alcohol! I have only seen it once many years ago! but what an impact!! This should be available to the public and all who struggle especially those in AA groups! come on this needs to be released, how can we get this done? I really just want a copy of it for myself, but i think about the impact that this movie could have on the many people out there struggling just like that and like me. what an amazing performance, absolutely memorable!!! If anyone has a copy or knows how to get one let me know please! Steve, 714-655-0284 Peace and many blessings...
If your looking for Rob Petrie you got off at the wrong stop.
thejcowboy2220 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I, personally was hooked on drugs in the 1980's. Addiction of any kind can be hazardous to your health. An addict has one thing on it's mind. The next high or fix. Anything to capture that feeling of euphoria whether the bottle or needle, snort or smoke. But then it manifests into other areas. . It starts to effect everything around you. How you interact with people. Irritability leads to more fixes and highs. Then the addiction overtakes your conscience. The only reason for getting up in the morning is the next high. At some point of our addiction your job performance and family and loved ones suffer. Neglect and verbal/physical abuse are the residue of the problem.. This made for television movie gives the viewer a powerful look at the down hill slide of of Charlie Lester. Played to perfection by real life ex-alcoholic Dick Van Dyke. Growing up the tall lanky lovable Van Dyke was known for his comedy on TV. Most fans of Dick Van Dyke attribute his success on TV and screen due to the fact that the camera loves him. Van Dyke photographs well in addition to his mellifluous voice. In this film you see the darker side . Van Dyke who lives in his beautiful southern California home is sipping wine as guest come over. At evening end his wife (Lynn Carlin) is telling him that their friends were embarrassed by his drunken behavior. This carries over to his job as Charlie spends to long in an airport bar and comes to business meetings hung over. The downhill spiral continues for Charlie as physical abuse and rehab show no improvement. Just a powerful sobering look into the world of an alcoholic. Dick Van Dyke who at the time was fighting his own personal demons with alcoholism give his performance of a life time. The Title song "Yesterday" Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney was about a Man who's love has left him and he wants everything the way it was before. Charlie Lester yearned for those days without addiction. Now that drugs are behind me, other personal gremlins pop up. To this day I battle with my weight seeking the holiest of grail's not making food so important. I also yearn for Yesterday..
A movie that packs a emotional subject on Alcoholism that is brutally grand but horribly real
raysond12 July 2002
Its amazing that this seldom seen movie isn't out anywhere on video but it reminds us all of the emotional impact and trauma the affect us all when the painful and bitter subject of alcoholism comes into view. It can affect that lives of everyone we truly loved around us and it can pay a dangerous and painful price. I don't remember much about this movie when I saw it years ago as a child,but I did however got the chance to see this movie again when it aired recently on a cable channel and it stuck me in total awe. Dick Van Dyke's performance is astounding to watch as we see a man who has every to gain but terribly slips away to deep abyss of being a alcoholic losing everything he has worked for including losing his beloved wife and kids. I had an unbelivable impact on me when I saw this and it reminds me of how so much of how this disease can put you in either losing it all,ending up in jail,or sadly six feet under in the grave. Richard Matheson's masterful screenplay is a genuine classic as well as Dick Van Dyke's role of his career in which he should have won a Emmy for his mindblowing portrayal.
Greatest Movie on Alcoholism ever made !
califkid155 March 2002
This movie was my moment of clarity . If you haven't seen it, it is most difficult to locate . Dick Van Dyke should have received a Golden Globe and Emmy for this outstanding portrayal of a alcoholic spirialing out of control. This movie stayed with me for years and it will for anyone with a inkling he or she is a alcoholic .
Don't watch while depressed...
poe4265 July 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Uncompromising and with without a doubt one of the most downbeat endings in the history of Movies, THE MORNING AFTER is about as powerful as they come. Richard Matheson deserves his share of the credit, to be sure, but it's leading man Dick Van Dyke's tour de force performance as a man determined to destroy himself that makes this one one for the ages. (Lynn Carlin, an underrated actress I've always liked, deserves mention as well as the long-suffering spouse.) Anyone who's ever had to deal with Alcoholism in any way (And who hasn't...?) will appreciate the frankness of the filmmakers. I know I did. While I wouldn't recommend watching this one while you're depressed, I WOULD highly recommend it to Anyone and Everyone with an Addiction.
Harrowing account of an alcoholic's decline
mrb198014 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
By 1974 Dick Van Dyke was anxious to shed his happy Rob Petrie stereotype so he began performing in much more serious roles, including the lead in "The Morning After". Most of the talented Van Dyke's comedy films in the 1960s and early 1970s had bombed badly (see the horrible "Some Kind of a Nut" for an example) so it appears he attempted to branch out and diversify his career.
"The Morning After" is a very straightforward tale of respected middle-aged businessman Charlie Lester, who begins to drink to the point that it is affecting his work and his family life. Lester makes several half-hearted attempts to seek help, but continues his downward spiral and finally ends up in a mental hospital after a frightening episode of DTs. He escapes from the hospital, tearfully calls his wife to say goodbye, and begins drinking heavily again, finally ending up on a deserted beach with a bottle in a brown paper bag. By this time, Lester has lost his job, his wife, his children, and his self-respect but he does have his alcohol, which appears the only thing he really cares about. The final scene is very depressing and downbeat, but it was designed that way.
I recently saw this film for the first time in 46 years and it still packs a punch. Van Dyke is very convincing as the alcoholic, and is capably supported by Lynn Carlin as his wife, Don Porter as his boss, and Richard Derr as a sympathetic doctor. It's wonderfully acted, realistic, and very frank. You won't feel happy after watching it but you'll see what has happened many times to many people. It's a powerful film, different from but equal to "The Lost Weekend".
"The Morning After" is a very straightforward tale of respected middle-aged businessman Charlie Lester, who begins to drink to the point that it is affecting his work and his family life. Lester makes several half-hearted attempts to seek help, but continues his downward spiral and finally ends up in a mental hospital after a frightening episode of DTs. He escapes from the hospital, tearfully calls his wife to say goodbye, and begins drinking heavily again, finally ending up on a deserted beach with a bottle in a brown paper bag. By this time, Lester has lost his job, his wife, his children, and his self-respect but he does have his alcohol, which appears the only thing he really cares about. The final scene is very depressing and downbeat, but it was designed that way.
I recently saw this film for the first time in 46 years and it still packs a punch. Van Dyke is very convincing as the alcoholic, and is capably supported by Lynn Carlin as his wife, Don Porter as his boss, and Richard Derr as a sympathetic doctor. It's wonderfully acted, realistic, and very frank. You won't feel happy after watching it but you'll see what has happened many times to many people. It's a powerful film, different from but equal to "The Lost Weekend".
Devastatingly real look at addition
bcdc391 May 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Remember those movies you watched as a kid that left such an impression you were haunted by them for the rest of your life? An example that comes immediately to mind is "The Screaming Woman" based on a Ray Bradbury short story and starring the lovely Olivia de Havilland in the twilight of her career, about a woman who hears a voice from the grave but everyone around her is convinced she's delusional. It fell into such obscurity there was a time I wondered if I had imagined it. Then on a late night talk show one night I heard Quentin Tarantino talking about this exact film — that obviously had the same impact on him — confirming that it hadn't been a vivid childhood dream.
"Duel" was another example of a disturbingly unforgettable TV movie that many of us watched at that highly impressionable time. By contrast, and probably by virtue of its famous director, "Duel" decidedly didn't fall into obscurity but has become a cult classic of sorts. And, let's face it, Richard Matheson, who wrote the screenplay, based on his own unforgettable short story, had a lot to do with the success of that one.
Add to the list "The Morning After," which was equally haunting for entirely different reasons than the other films mentioned. I happened to be doing an IMDb search and noticed that Richard Matheson had penned yet another film permanently etched into memory. (And let's not forget his other made-for-TV classic "The Night Stalker.") I saw "The Morning After" in school because the teacher obviously saw enough in its message to encourage, or perhaps better put — terrify, her pre-pubescent students away from that most popular of legal drugs. It is a movie that will never leave me. I remember shuffling out of class after the closing credits with an emotion very closely resembling devastation. It was as if a close friend had given up on life and I watched it happen in stark detail. Of course, revisiting those impactful films from our past never holds the same power that childhood naturally allows but I would like to see this one again nonetheless. It was indeed a great one.
"Duel" was another example of a disturbingly unforgettable TV movie that many of us watched at that highly impressionable time. By contrast, and probably by virtue of its famous director, "Duel" decidedly didn't fall into obscurity but has become a cult classic of sorts. And, let's face it, Richard Matheson, who wrote the screenplay, based on his own unforgettable short story, had a lot to do with the success of that one.
Add to the list "The Morning After," which was equally haunting for entirely different reasons than the other films mentioned. I happened to be doing an IMDb search and noticed that Richard Matheson had penned yet another film permanently etched into memory. (And let's not forget his other made-for-TV classic "The Night Stalker.") I saw "The Morning After" in school because the teacher obviously saw enough in its message to encourage, or perhaps better put — terrify, her pre-pubescent students away from that most popular of legal drugs. It is a movie that will never leave me. I remember shuffling out of class after the closing credits with an emotion very closely resembling devastation. It was as if a close friend had given up on life and I watched it happen in stark detail. Of course, revisiting those impactful films from our past never holds the same power that childhood naturally allows but I would like to see this one again nonetheless. It was indeed a great one.
Hit me again
tomsview17 July 2022
Warning: Spoilers
There are a number of movies about alcoholism, but none have ever hit harder than "The Morning After", there is nothing theatrical about this film; it is painfully real.
Dick Van Dyke probably changed lives for the better through this movie. I say that because who would ever contemplate taking up drinking after watching it? Maybe no one would necessarily stop drinking just from watching it, but the thing stays in the back of the mind so that any serious drinker may have a flash of it when they inevitably play out one of the scenes in their own life. It may help trigger needed self-awareness.
The mundane suburban background is disarming. The tragedy is played out amidst neat bungalows and tidy gardens. It's the world of Mum, Dad and two kids, shopping trips, the family sedan, basketball hoops in the driveway and the trusted family GP.
The characters in the best known movies about alcoholism: "The Lost Weekend", "Days of Wine and Roses", "When a Man Loves a Woman" and this one, are intelligent, well educated people in command of their lives until the tipping point.
The detail in "The Morning After" is disturbing as we witness the breakdown of the well-ordered life. The history of alcohol in the family, warnings from the boss, the loss of willpower, the decline of empathy, the selfishness and then the lashing out are harrowing to watch. Compounding the tragedy is the sense of denial. One thing that really resonated was the monstrous hangovers suffered by Charlie Lester, Dick Van Dyke's character. Family life goes on around him as he lies there ill and unmotivated.
The descent goes on until we have a final scene that ranks with the most searing in movies, one to go into the addiction portfolio with James Caan looking at his slashed face in the mirror at the end of "The Gambler" and the camera pulling back on the shattered survivors at the end of Aronofsky's "Requiem for a Dream".
"The Morning After" is simply unforgettable.
Dick Van Dyke probably changed lives for the better through this movie. I say that because who would ever contemplate taking up drinking after watching it? Maybe no one would necessarily stop drinking just from watching it, but the thing stays in the back of the mind so that any serious drinker may have a flash of it when they inevitably play out one of the scenes in their own life. It may help trigger needed self-awareness.
The mundane suburban background is disarming. The tragedy is played out amidst neat bungalows and tidy gardens. It's the world of Mum, Dad and two kids, shopping trips, the family sedan, basketball hoops in the driveway and the trusted family GP.
The characters in the best known movies about alcoholism: "The Lost Weekend", "Days of Wine and Roses", "When a Man Loves a Woman" and this one, are intelligent, well educated people in command of their lives until the tipping point.
The detail in "The Morning After" is disturbing as we witness the breakdown of the well-ordered life. The history of alcohol in the family, warnings from the boss, the loss of willpower, the decline of empathy, the selfishness and then the lashing out are harrowing to watch. Compounding the tragedy is the sense of denial. One thing that really resonated was the monstrous hangovers suffered by Charlie Lester, Dick Van Dyke's character. Family life goes on around him as he lies there ill and unmotivated.
The descent goes on until we have a final scene that ranks with the most searing in movies, one to go into the addiction portfolio with James Caan looking at his slashed face in the mirror at the end of "The Gambler" and the camera pulling back on the shattered survivors at the end of Aronofsky's "Requiem for a Dream".
"The Morning After" is simply unforgettable.
Very powerful tool for recovery.
bweisen2 January 2003
Like many of you, I saw this movie many many years ago. I was probably 14 or 15 years old when I 'stumbled upon it'. Anyway, my father was an alcoholic and had died just a year or so before. As I watched this movie I saw my father in the role of Charlie Lester. I have never forgotten this movie. I am now 5+ years into my own recovery from alcoholism and would very much like to see it again, or even better, to own a copy of this extremely powerful movie. And like most of you, I cannot hear "Yesterday" (Beatles version only) without seeing Charlie (or my father) standing in front of the mirror watching himself lose the battle. I don't think that I have ever heard a more appropriate song in a movie...even ones written FOR the movie.
If for no other reason, this movie should be released as an educational tool for those who are trying to overcome and deal with this most unrelenting and overpowering disease know as alcoholism.
If for no other reason, this movie should be released as an educational tool for those who are trying to overcome and deal with this most unrelenting and overpowering disease know as alcoholism.
It Makes You Hurt!
bigmommafive4 February 2019
I was a young child when this movie came out. A startling portrait of an alcoholic by Van Dyke. One of the most moving performances I've ever seen. Period. He makes you believe in his recovery. You become his cheerleader. Tears of joy at his triumph. Then the morning comes. You hurt. You cry real tears. You feel his loss.
I had the shakes when this was done.
mark.waltz19 April 2022
Warning: Spoilers
It's the dramatic performance of a lifetime for one of TV, movie and Broadway's greatest clowns, and the topic that was very close to him. Dick Van Dyke has pressure in his career and even though he has a loving family, finds that the presence of alcohol is a calming influence at first, but going from hard liquor to wine isn't enough to quest his thirst to drink more and more and more. Things go from already pretty bad to much, much worse, to the point where wife Lynn Carlin becomes angry any time he goes near booze and boss Don Porter begins to make comments about his obvious drinking problem. He makes promises that he's going to either cut down or completely stopped, and finally goes away for first a rest and later into rehab. But there is a weakness deep inside him that goes way back before his career, before his marriage, and before the birth of his two children. When he's drunk, he's suddenly violent when Carlin tries to take booze and his car keys away from him, and eventually she has had just too much.
Having done drama before in the bittersweet "The Comic", America's most popular TV husband and Dad and advertising man of the 60's takes on a challenge that he fully succeeds in. Sober, he's completely charming, but get a few drinks into him, the Mr. Hyde part of his personality comes out. He's not someone who becomes affectionate or silly when tipsy oh, and when tipsiness turns into intoxication, he's dangerous. Van Dyke is amazing as this character, and he really gets to show the depths of despair that a severe alcoholic will go through, leading to an ending that will drop the viewer's jaw. TV's future Alice, Linda Lavin, has a key supporting role as his secretary. Carlin has many great moments as well, showing the tragedies not only face the victim of alcoholism but the victims of alcoholics. The film only deals with his attempts for recovery and never mentions AA so it does not try to push any type of group therapy on the audience through watching what VanDyke goes through. He gives one of the most heart-wrenching performances ever in a TV movie that should never be forgotten.
Having done drama before in the bittersweet "The Comic", America's most popular TV husband and Dad and advertising man of the 60's takes on a challenge that he fully succeeds in. Sober, he's completely charming, but get a few drinks into him, the Mr. Hyde part of his personality comes out. He's not someone who becomes affectionate or silly when tipsy oh, and when tipsiness turns into intoxication, he's dangerous. Van Dyke is amazing as this character, and he really gets to show the depths of despair that a severe alcoholic will go through, leading to an ending that will drop the viewer's jaw. TV's future Alice, Linda Lavin, has a key supporting role as his secretary. Carlin has many great moments as well, showing the tragedies not only face the victim of alcoholism but the victims of alcoholics. The film only deals with his attempts for recovery and never mentions AA so it does not try to push any type of group therapy on the audience through watching what VanDyke goes through. He gives one of the most heart-wrenching performances ever in a TV movie that should never be forgotten.
I have a Copy on DVD and Rate this Movie a 10 of 10.
blizzard200831 January 2009
This is a Wonderful Movie, as close as it gets when dealing with Alcololic Bread Winner. Dick Van Dyke, gives the best Original Performance of any Actor, ever has given. This is a must see movie for everyone. I finally tracked down and purchased a DVD of this Movie. It is in fair condition, but still a Classic Film all the way through. A great movie for everyone to see, If for Classes or Alcoholic Rehab, this is a "Must See" Wonderful Movie of the Week. Dick Van Dyke is a Classic. Top 5 Comedians to have ever lived. a great added DVD to a Collection, My Best to anyone who has seen this Movie.
A Great Movie.
A Great Movie.
Still etched in my brain
SFNative27 March 2002
I saw this movie when it came out. I was ten or eleven at the time and it's effect on me was profound.
One scene in particular, struck me so hard as to become a recurring nightmare:
Van Dyke's character wakes up on a beach and is going through the DTs. He runs down the beach clawing at himself and screaming. I remember asking my mother what he was doing and she explained the concept behind the DTs.
Years later, as a young adult, I discovered the joys (?) of drinking. Although I always had fun, I had a fear of that exact situation happening to me. On a trip to Club Med, I awoke to find myself face down on a beach. No DTs but I immediately flashed back to that movie and viewed myself as Van Dyke's character. A lonely, lost man with a terrible problem. We will just say that things changed from that point on.
Thank you, Dick.
Another note:
This film has always reminded me of "A Face In The Crowd". In that film, America's beloved Andy Griffith gave a chilling performance as a simple country man who allows fame and fortune turn him into a bitter wretch of a human being. As both films allow us to see very different sides of a pair of comic geniuses, I have often thought that they would make a great double-feature.
One scene in particular, struck me so hard as to become a recurring nightmare:
Van Dyke's character wakes up on a beach and is going through the DTs. He runs down the beach clawing at himself and screaming. I remember asking my mother what he was doing and she explained the concept behind the DTs.
Years later, as a young adult, I discovered the joys (?) of drinking. Although I always had fun, I had a fear of that exact situation happening to me. On a trip to Club Med, I awoke to find myself face down on a beach. No DTs but I immediately flashed back to that movie and viewed myself as Van Dyke's character. A lonely, lost man with a terrible problem. We will just say that things changed from that point on.
Thank you, Dick.
Another note:
This film has always reminded me of "A Face In The Crowd". In that film, America's beloved Andy Griffith gave a chilling performance as a simple country man who allows fame and fortune turn him into a bitter wretch of a human being. As both films allow us to see very different sides of a pair of comic geniuses, I have often thought that they would make a great double-feature.
Made a huge impression on me
gpossley21 May 2004
I watched this film while I was in treatment for alcoholism in June of 1987.
Thanks to God and AA, I have been continuously sober for the past 16 years.
In a few days, it could be 17 but we do this one day at a time. I am going to reveal how the movie ends. Don't keep reading if you don't want to know. However, the movie is not available for purchase anywhere that I know so there's little chance that I'll spoil anything for you. The way it ends is that the Dick Van Dyke character gives up and goes away to drink himself to death. I generally hate movies that end badly but this one had a tremendous impact on me. Van Dyke's portrayal is so convincing. It reminds me of the tremendous power of alcohol and the "life and death" struggle that is recovery. God bless you for reading this and if you know of a way to purchase this film, please let me know.
Thanks to God and AA, I have been continuously sober for the past 16 years.
In a few days, it could be 17 but we do this one day at a time. I am going to reveal how the movie ends. Don't keep reading if you don't want to know. However, the movie is not available for purchase anywhere that I know so there's little chance that I'll spoil anything for you. The way it ends is that the Dick Van Dyke character gives up and goes away to drink himself to death. I generally hate movies that end badly but this one had a tremendous impact on me. Van Dyke's portrayal is so convincing. It reminds me of the tremendous power of alcohol and the "life and death" struggle that is recovery. God bless you for reading this and if you know of a way to purchase this film, please let me know.
A movie with an impact that has lasted a lifetime
wuulfgarr4 April 2002
I also saw this tv movie only once during its original airing. I was only 10 years old at the time. I regret to say that much of the content has since faded from memory. But don't think that has any reflection on the movie, only my memory! To this day I have not forgotten the impact that Dick Van Dyke's performance had on me. His portrayal of an alcoholic steadily descending into the deep abyss of his disease has stayed with me for almost thirty years. My first exposure to this illness came with this film. And it haunts me to this day. Not to mention the fact that I not once since seeing this movie have I been able to listen to the Beatles' 'Yesterday' without feeling a small jab in my heart because of it.
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