A well-meaning documentary about people battling substance abuse issues and the feelings of public shame they’ve had to go through, but once the film makes its initial point that people who are addicts shouldn’t be ashamed there’s not much else to it really. The only real debate in the movie is whether the anonymity of Alcoholic’s and Narcotic’s Anonymous has enforced the shame-closet many addicts find themselves in. But then I think about all the addicts I’ve met over the years and how they weren’t afraid to talk about it at all, and the doc’s central point seems even more like the thesis of a short film than an actual feature.
They briefly mention that addict’s would be a huge lobbying group if they really coordinated and how desperately they need politicians to be on the right side of treatment over incarceration. Now a great feature could be made focusing more on those efforts. Grade: C+