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When a Man Loves a Woman (1994)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
13 May 1994 (USA) moreTagline:
Through the good times. Through the bad times. When a Man Loves a Woman it's for all times. morePlot:
An airline pilot and his wife are forced to face the consequences of her alcoholism when her addictions threaten her life and their daughter's safety. While the woman enters detox, her husband must face the truth of his enabling behavior. | full synopsisAwards:
3 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(3 articles)
Lady Gaga And Michael Bolton Join Forces On 'Murder My Heart' (From MTV Music News. 30 August 2009, 10:54 PM, PDT)
Ryan To Reunite with Hanks?
(From WENN. 13 May 2004)
User Comments:
Surprisingly relevant... more (87 total)Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Andy Garcia | ... | Michael Green | |
| Meg Ryan | ... | Alice Green | |
| Ellen Burstyn | ... | Emily | |
| Tina Majorino | ... | Jessica Green | |
| Mae Whitman | ... | Casey Green | |
| Lauren Tom | ... | Amy | |
| Philip Seymour Hoffman | ... | Gary | |
| Eugene Roche | ... | Walter | |
| Gail Strickland | ... | Pam | |
| Steven Brill | ... | Madras tie guy | |
| Susanna Thompson | ... | Janet | |
| Erinn Canavan | ... | Shannon | |
| LaTanya Richardson | ... | Dr. Gina Mendez | |
| Bari K. Willerford | ... | Malcolm | |
| James Jude Courtney | ... | Earl |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated R for language.Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
126 minCountry:
USAColor:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 moreSound Mix:
DolbyCertification:
Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | Singapore:PGFun Stuff
Trivia:
The original title was "Significant Other". moreGoofs:
Crew or equipment visible: When Michael takes the bottles out to the trash, a cameraman can be seen slinking past the open doorway of the house. moreQuotes:
Alice Green: I think I could love you again if you could, for once, say 'I don't know.' moreSoundtrack:
Crazy Love moreFAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (87 total)
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Meg Ryan is very good in this role, but after watching this again, and noticing the Andy Garcia role more pronounced, his contribution is more complicated and nuanced.
Anyone who has experienced similar issues of substance abuse, whether a family, friend or significant other, will recognize the patterns; denial, rage, hostility. Particularly effective is the role of Alice's child; the older daughter who is often on the receiving end of her drunken hostility.
The time she spends in detox could have been delineated more clearly; Philip Seymour Hoffman is good in a brief role, as a fellow patient. The pain and rage that Meg Ryan lives with is just beneath the surface, even as Garcia, puzzled, says ..."well you work, you are functioning"..., and she reveals to him that she drinks a fifth of vodka every day, even at work. It shows how the non-alcoholic cannot fathom how someone can function and seem straight, even while on the job. She is a "functional alcoholic". Her brief encounter with her mother (Ellen Burstyn) indicates why she would not be willing to admit to the problem for many years.
This is a good film because it shows there are no concrete answers, while Garcia would like to save his marriage, he sees that there are several reasons he may have enabled Ryan and her addiction. While she is attending AA and getting better, he realizes he almost feels jealous of her. There are many layers to his performance, and as he realizes he can no longer live with himself as a co-dependent, he eventually chooses to separate.
Overall a very good and effective film about substance abuse issues, the breakdown of family, and communication issues. 10/10.