When a Man Loves a Woman (1994)
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A woman struggling with alcoholism must navigate the complex evolution of her marriage and her children's lives as she seeks sobriety.
The story
Alice Green is a school counselor struggling with alcoholism who is married to Michael, an airline pilot. Despite her loving nature, Alice's reckless drinking often leads to the neglect of her children: nine-year-old Jess and four-year-old Casey. After Alice is found unconscious in her bathroom following a drunken episode, Michael flies home and they decide she must enter a rehabilitation clinic. As Alice begins her painful but stabilizing recovery, Michael struggles to balance his career with becoming the primary caregiver for their children, while the couple faces the difficult reality of their changing relationship dynamics.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Alice Green, a school counselor battling alcoholism, is married to Michael, an airline pilot. Her drinking leads to the neglect of her children, Jess and Casey. After Alice is found unconscious, Michael flies home, and they agree she must enter rehab. While Alice flourishes in the clinic, Michael struggles as the primary caregiver. Upon Alice's return, she is sober but guarded and distant, while Michael feels neglected by her new lifestyle and outside friendships. They seek marriage counseling, where Michael's behavior is labeled 'codependent.' Alice eventually confesses that Michael's desire to be supportive 'makes her skin crawl,' leading Michael to move out. He joins a support group for spouses of alcoholics to process his feelings. Eventually, the couple reconciles their differences. They attend a hospital to celebrate a birth and agree that Michael will take a new job in Denver. The film concludes with Alice giving a sobriety speech where she acknowledges her failings; Michael appears in the crowd, and they share a passionate kiss.
- First release year
- 1994
- Runtime (minutes)
- 126
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Luis Mandoki
- Writers
- Al Franken · writer; Ronald Bass · writer
- Cast and characters
- Andy García; Meg Ryan; Tina Majorino; Mae Whitman; Ellen Burstyn; Lauren Tom; Philip Seymour Hoffman
- Genres
- romantic drama
- Themes
- alcoholism; marriage dynamics; recovery; codependency
- Tone and mood
- earnest; poignant; didactic
- Premise and plot tags
- romantic drama; alcoholism; family drama
- Source material / true-story basis
- song of the same name by Percy Sledge
- Content notes
- alcoholism
- Reception
- The film received a 68% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an A- from CinemaScore. Critics praised the performances and the exploration of the dynamics of marriage and addiction, though some found it didactic or overly long.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 68% · review count: 98
- Awards and nominations
- Screen Actors Guild Award · Best Female Actor in a Leading Role · Nomination
- Production trivia
- Tom Hanks was considered for the role of Michael.; Michelle Pfeiffer and Debra Winger were considered for the role of Alice.; The film's title is taken from a song by Percy Sledge.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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