News / Health & Wellness
The New "Arthur" and Addiction In Film: Is It Funny?
Russell Brand’s remake of the classic comedy Arthur is meant to get laughs, but it also addresses topics that are no laughing matter.
The entertainment industry has the potential to educate and through the years they have shown the darker side of addiction and substance abuse. Films like Leaving Las Vegas and Bright Lights, Big City have sparked discussion about the bigger issues of addiction and shown the gritty reality. But TV, music and movies are also happy to make light of addiction, too.
A remake of the 1980s hit comedy Arthur releases April 8, 2011, and stars Russell Brand, Jennifer Garner and Helen Mirren. The lead role was originated by Dudley Moore, and is played this go round by Brand, who has a history of alcohol and drug abuse in real life. The British comic has been clean and sober for eight years and says he still attends AA meetings three times a week.
“The only way to cope is with a program,” Brand recently told Details of handling addiction. “If you stop doing the recovery, even eating too much chocolate, something will flare up, and I know where that leads, because I've been there before. To me, the gravity is heroin, and then death. You know, to sleep.”
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