Portrayals of cinematic alcoholism that have the palpable tang of authenticity have always been in seemingly short supply – Jack Lemmon's wrenching turn in Days of Wine & Roses stands out as does Ray Milland's in The Lost Weekend, but often those on the sauce are afforded over-the-top turns in films such as When A Man Loves A Woman, Arthur or 28 Days. James Woods' Emmy-winning turn as Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder Bill Wilson is memorable precisely because it avoids so many of the histrionics that accompany portrayals of those locked in a battle with the bottle.

Directed by Donald Petrie and based upon Wilson's true story, My Name Is Bill W. charts Wilson's post-World War I life; Wilson returns to America a triumphant war hero, begins rebuilding a life with his loving wife Lois (JoBeth Williams) and despite personal and professional setbacks, he fashions a modestly successful career as a Wall Street stockbroker. When the stock market crashes in 1929, Bill finds himself hitting rock bottom, forced to work at jobs he despises and watching as his strained marriage frays under pressure.

Bill soon meets up with Dr. Robert Holbrook Smith aka "Dr. Bob" (James Garner), who also suffers from the paralytic grip of alcoholism - together, the men form a support group that eventually becomes Alcoholics Anonymous. It's to the film's credit that Wilson's transition from yammering lush to clear-eyed crusader for sober reform is handled smoothly, although the film is somewhat front-loaded with Bill's gradual decline; Woods' performance anchors the film, which also features great work from Williams, Garner and Gary Sinise as Ebby, Bill's partner in booze. My Name Is Bill W. isn't the essential cinematic depiction of alcoholism, but it's a subtle, compelling work that will hold your attention for its duration.

The Video:

Presented as originally broadcast, My Name Is Bill W. bows on DVD with an unspectacular but solid 1.33:1 fullscreen transfer, occasionally grainy and flecked but overall, a perfectly fine visual representation of 20-year-old material.

Being a film more concerned with dialogue than whiz-bang action setpieces, My Name Is Bill W. is outfitted with a Dolby 2.0 stereo soundtrack that doesn't wow your speakers but delivers strong, distortion-free sonics that don't drop out or become muddy. Optional French and Spanish subtitles are included.

The lone bonus feature is "The Making of My Name Is Bill W.," a somewhat pompous 14-minute featurette that details the film's production, along with a capsule history of AA.

My Name Is Bill W. isn't the defining cinematic treatment of alcoholism, but stands as a subtle, compelling work that holds your attention for its duration – James Woods' Emmy-winning performance grounds the film with a palpable sense of truth. Rent it.