A spoiler is when you give away the ending, so basically if there is a spoiler warning, it's a warning not to read this review unless you saw the film, so this review is for the fans of this movie. I think it's a great film. Each time I see it I like it even more. But, at the same time, each time I get let-down by the ending. It's so lame and contrived when Kathy Baker is driving and then a car crashes into her car and then she's dead and poof, Michael Keaton is talking to his sponsor crying and the next scene he gives a speech about how much he went through, thus mentioning a funeral - and then the movie ends. Kathy's character only dies for to aid the main character's plight, i.e. to give him closure, and I hate when this kind of thing happens, when a character has to die to help a more important character progress. But no matter, this is a great film for one hour and forty minutes. You'll really feel as if you're anticipating Keaton's every move. His acting is awesome. And it's great to see Morgan Freeman. This is before he got the fame he deserved. One great scene is when Keaton is in rehab and about to move on to the next step, going from his detox pajamas to regular clothes, and he walks out of the television room with the news on and as he does an airplane on the screen that had been taken over by hijackers the day before suddenly explodes. The hijacker story on the TV began when Keaton was first admitted into the hospital and then ended in tragedy after Keaton is done detoxing, and it's symbolic of how, when getting sober, nothing else really matters... the world could be ending on the outside but you're still just trying to get to the next step. It also showed the selfishness of his character, not caring about anything or anyone but himself. Keaton keeps his character as a selfish jerk, even when he gets nice and cleans up, and that's realistic and quite refreshing because sobriety doesn't dissolve the selfish personality traits that led to the addiction in the first place. I recommend 'Clean and Sober' (or as we used to call it: 'Scene and Clover') highly except for the ending. But you know that already having read this review.

Without a doubt, one of the most under-appreciated movies of all time. If I had to pick the greatest acting performances of all time, Michael Keaton would be in the top 10. I was floored by the essence of a drug addict that Michael Keaton played. I didn't know until now, but the fact that he didn't even get a best actor nomination is a travesty. He did, however, win a Film Critic Award for best actor. The year this movie came out must have been a year of great movies, either that, or the Academy sucks. The part near the beginning of the movie where he is at his friends house, and his friend is going to play tennis, and Michael Keaton says, "do you mind getting me another one of those beers?" was exceptional, and then you knew this was going to be a great movie. Morgan Freeman does an exceptional job as the drug counselor (but then I expect nothing but great performances by this man). And the casting was also exceptional.The only problems with this movie I felt were that overall it seemed like a very low budget movie, and Kathy Baker was a drag on the overall message. I have never been impressed by her, so I may be a little biased against her.

If you want to truly enjoy this movie, watch it with someone who has been through rehab (well, actually, he did a couple of times) and has some recovery time. (about 20 years at the time we watched this movie together) My friend and I watched this movie and He was fully impressed as was I, having seen this process taking place in the lives of several of my friends.Micheal Keaton's character goes through all the stages of recovery; the crash and burn - hitting bottom, faking it, making it and getting on the road of recovery. With a sponsor who is exactly what he needed - a bastard with a heart - he gains insight into his own life and finds his direction.What I enjoyed was that the movie did not pound a point into us. As if we could not get the concept. It let us gather in what was told and watch what happened. We see some in sight into the mind of the addict, without it being a person we really could care less about. Some how we feel for him and want him to find a good path.My friend told me that the scenes in rehab were authentic, complete with the sex that takes place. 13th stepping as they call it.Keaton plays the role so well you can forget who he is and take in the character.If you know someone who is working a recovery, you might enjoy watching this with them, not only for what they can tell you, but for what you might learn about them.

CLEAN AND SOBER (1988) ***1/2 Michael Keaton, Kathy Baker, Morgan Freeman, M. Emmett Walsh, Tate Donovan, Claudia Christian, Brian Benben. Keaton gives a tour de force performance as chemical addict businessman facing big troubles and decides to cool off in a detox/rehab center run by a no-nonsense counselor (excellent Foreman). Great acting and tight, realistic direction from Glenn Gordon Caron (creator of tv's "Moonlighting" in this his feature film debut) and Baker's scenes with Keaton recall the desperation of Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick in "The Days of Wine and Roses". Watch Keaton's modulated reaction on learning of a tragic event. Heart-wrenching at times.