Listonixio Fresh and Exciting

Lollivan It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Siflutter It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Jonah Abbott There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Michael_Elliott When a Man Loves a Woman (1994) ** (out of 4)Michael and Alice Green (Andy Garcia, Meg Ryan) have what appears to be the perfect marriage. They have a great house, great jobs and they have everything that anyone could ever want. From the outside everything seems to be perfect but inside the walls they are dealing with the fact that Alice is an alcoholic.WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN is a well-meaning drama that had a huge impact on my life because it taught me what the term "Oscar bait" was. In case you don't know, Oscar bait is pretty much a movie that is made that hopes desperately to pick up Oscar attention for either a star or a filmmaker. In this case, it was Meg Ryan who tried to change her clean image and show that should could play a challenging role.It paid off because she did get an Oscar-nomination and rightfully so as her performance here is certainly a great one. However, the problem is that the movie is just rather routine and it never really rises above something you'd see on Lifetime. The problem is certainly the screenplay, which appears to follow a textbook on other films that deal with this subject. You've got the great life. You've got the ugly truth. You've got very ugly moments. You've got the destruction. You then have the redemption.The problem with WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN is that everything happens just as you'd expect it to and there really wasn't any shocks or real drama. Yes, it's heartbreaking to see what the characters are going through but there's just not too much of an emotional pull. Garcia was extremely good in the role of the husband who is trying to keep everything from crumbling down. As I said, Ryan is extremely good and proves that she could do a more challenging role.

eban1981 To begin,Meg Ryan jumps to upon Andy Garcia,She swings sexxiest drunk a boat and dives on bay,Throw eggs on Porsche and Meg's swinging on carI love see Meg Ryan smoking!(thing that made me ​for Meg's sexual fetish) Mom 's role,touchable and cute.REM soundtrack,Meg kidding with Jess,beautiful,and many other takes that touchily movie (sinouns Meg Ryan 's Standard Superior Quality label actress)The Al-Anon Lecture and Gran-Finale to take a 2nd chance to loving again (Michael and Alice Green's) reconciliation.Everythings that Meg Ryan was striking in my life....somethings that biggest meg fan never forgets....until Meg's DEATH.

metlis2 In my 40 years of active involvement with recovery programs for family members either addicted to alcohol, or adversely affected by someone else's drinking, this movie 'tells it like it is' better than the majority of other movies I've seen that dealt with similar issues - "I'll Cry Tomorrow'(Susan Hayward),'Days of Wine and Roses'(Lee Remick/Jack Lemmon), 'Bill's Story' (James Gardner) and the Hallmark production of "Love is Never Enough" (Lois Wilson story) left a lot out of the real impact of physical, emotional, psychological and social abuse or damage suffered by alcoholic relationships. This movie depicted a superb example of the pain, confusion, guilt, denial and resistance to change by both the alcoholic and non-alcoholic . . . and the damaging impact to the children and other close associates. The acting by the cast, and especially the children, was phenomenal. The mention and portrayal of an Al-Anon Family Group meeting for the family being affected by either the actively drinking or the new sobriety of an alcoholic was well revealed for the viewer. The final scene was the only part that was 'out of character' for an AA or Al-Anon person at a meeting. All else was 'on target'. 'Thanks for letting me share.' V

MarieGabrielle 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.