'Clean and Sober' By Rita Kempley Washington Post Staff Writer August 10, 1988

Director: Glenn Gordon Caron Cast: Michael Keaton; Morgan Freeman; M. Emmet Walsh; Kathy Baker Under 17 restricted Compare prices for this movie Find local video stores More movie shopping Save money with NextCard Visa

"Clean and Sober" is an actor's movie, a naturally compelling drama with juicy parts (greater than the whole) not only for Keaton, but for costars Morgan Freeman and Kathy Baker. Set mostly in a drug rehab center, it suggests "An Officer and a Gentleman" on cocaine. Keaton plays Daryl, the broker who just can't say no; Freeman is Craig, the counselor determined to save him from himself; and Baker is Charlie, the blue-collar love interest.

Daryl is an impossible patient, not only because he's abrasive and obnoxious, but because he doesn't really believe he's addicted to anything. Even withdrawal symptoms don't convince him of his addiction because Daryl has checked into the center only to get away from life's pressures -- like how to repay the $92,000 he "borrowed" from an escrow account. And there is the matter of the still-comatose woman who had a drug-related heart attack in his bed. Daryl is in the gutter, even though it's a Gucci gutter.

Craig, a former addict himself, makes a special project of his most recalcitrant patient. As the center's DI, he guides the newly drug-free through a 21-day rehabilitation, nurturing Charlie and bullying Daryl. Not a team player, Daryl is surly in group therapy and won't do his push-ups. But when he belittles Craig for his plastic shoes, his nursemaid's job and his $300 salary, he's cheap goods opposite the other man's dignity.

"The addict's least favorite word is no," Craig tells him. And being denied is what drives Daryl, even when it comes to women. Charlie, an enigmatic, self-denigrating addict, is a girl who can say no, at least to Daryl; in fact she gets a kick out if it. She's a crane operator with a husband on parole for stealing telephone cable. School of Hard Knocks meets MBA and MBA falls hard.

None of this sounds particularly funny, but there's comic ire and a little romance to leaven the social relevance. Actually the movie's neither an upper nor a downer but as they say on TV, a "dramedy." Written by "National Lampoon" alumnus Tod Carroll and directed by "Moonlighting" wizard Glenn Gordon Caron, it doesn't take itself so seriously that it becomes preachy. Its good intentions are hardly noticeable, except for the contrived group therapy sessions. The structure is episodic, intercut with group therapy sessions and AA testimonials that only disrupt the momentum. That's quickly restored by the star dramedian, sarcasm on a short fuse.

Except for "Mr. Mom," Keaton's career has been mostly hyperactive, stand-up comedy. He's made fine distinctions between frenzied, like the morgue attendant in "Night Shift," and stark raving, like the title demon of "Beetlejuice." He's developed wondrous characters, but he's never taken them anywhere. This is his first major dramatic showcase. Here the character evolves, touching us with his transformation.

Baker and Freeman, in contrast to Keaton, are serious dramatic actors, whose roles as a pro and a pimp in 1987's "Street Smart" were awarded and acclaimed. Freeman gives a contemplative, instinctive performance here. He's like a nappy-headed Buddha, as serene as his pimp was brutal. Baker is eternally streetwise, again one of those bruised, pretty women who fade too soon and try too hard.

"Clean and Sober" is the brainchild of producers Tony Ganz and Deborah Blum, whose last contribution to cinema was the disastrous "Vibes." Sometimes your glass is full, and sometimes you come up empty. The two, with executive producer Ron Howard, observe cheers for this timely and approachable drama. Keaton deserves an ovation.

Clean and Sober contains profanity and is rated R. It is playing at area theaters.

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