10 Best Booze-Guzzling Movie Characters
From self-destructive boozehounds to comical old sots.
Some of the greatest characters on the silver screen have been drunks. Whether it’s ludicrous comical turns or tragic performances dripping in pathos, film has managed to glamourize and demonize drink in equal measure.
Boozy characters have proved to be Oscar bait, too. Whether it's the excuse to go wild with tears, tiaras, and tantrums (The Hangover), or to unearth the depths of the human spirit (Crazy Heart), there's nothing like out and out drunkenness to elevate a character study in the minds of the esteemed Academy.
But how do we compare the kind of college campus pranks of Old School with the more serious fare like The Lost Weekend? Do we go for the amount of booze imbibed by any one character or the effect of the drinking on the character's soul? Well, that's a difficult question. Drunkenness transcends genres and eras and budgets, and it has proved an even bigger mainstay of cinema than smoking.
But amongst the depth and range of alcoholic movie characters, ten heavyweight performances emerge. Some are oft-quoted cult-classic characters who seem to improve with each viewing, others offer under-stated, subtle performances that deserve more attention.
Either way, all of them were terrific performances centred around booze.
10. Captain Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington) - Flight
The sleek and suave airline captain has everything going for him: money, looks, a great career, not to mention he’s one hell of a pilot. The only problem: he’s one hell of a drinker too, and he doesn’t mind indulging in it whilst he’s 20,000 feet in the air and in charge of hundreds of passengers' lives.
A system malfunction leads Whitaker to crash the plane in a field. It’s a daring manoeuvre, one few pilots could pull off and he is rightly hailed as a hero.
But toxicology reports show a dangerous level of alcohol in Whitaker’s blood and a tribunal will decide on his fate. The film chronicles his battle with the bottle over the guilt of the crash, his denial that it was his fault, his exile as he awaits the court verdict and finally, his acceptance. Washington was rightly honoured with an Oscar nomination.