GamerTab That was an excellent one.

FeistyUpper If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Claire Dunne One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Jenni Devyn Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

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.

Amy Adler Michael Green (Andy Garcia) and his wife, Alice (Meg Ryan) are living the good life in San Francisco. They are both professionals, they live in a lovely home, and they have two beautiful daughters (Tina Majorino and Mae Whitman). But, they also have a secret. Alice is a "closet" alcoholic, who is on the verge of showing it to the world and Michael is doing his best to cover for her to everyone. Things are complicated, for Alice seems happier when she is in the "party mood" and Michael loves her so much that he actually appears to relish his role as the one Alice calls on to put herself back together. Yet, even a vacation to Mexico does not help Alice find the self-happiness she needs to lose the bottle. Also, Alice injures herself at home, scaring the girls beyond measure and they are suffering from neglect, too. Therefore, Alice has to enter a "Betty Ford" type clinic. But, will Michael and Alice both like and love each other when Alice is sober? This is a great movie for its honest portrayal of the effects an alcoholic has on the family he or she loves and on the long climb out of the world of alcoholism. Alice and Michael are not really living the American dream but the American nightmare, because of Alice's need for one drink after another. Both Ryan and Garcia are truly wonderful in roles that call upon them to be both lovable and repugnant, at the same time. The other cast members, including Ellen Burstyn and the two lovely little girl-actresses, are also just perfect. Naturally, the settings in San Fran and Mexico are great, especially the Green's beautiful old house. Costumes, too, are very well-chosen and all other other productions values of direction, photography and story are most worthy, too. Then, too, the film also has great value as a movie to show the realities of alcoholism to any audience that could benefit from such a view. In summary, if you are a man or woman who loves movies that tell a tale well, with gorgeous stars, even if it might result in a few shed tears, this is a great choice. You might even pop it in when you need a "good cry", for it has wonderful cathartic elements.

gcd70 Less than powerful film about the traumas a young family experiences when one of the adults becomes an alcoholic and goes through the very demanding de-toxication program.Meg Ryan expands her repertoire with a solid performance as alcoholic Alice Green, a young woman who knows that her addiction is tearing her family apart, as she feels helpless to do anything at all. Andy Garcia is not as convincing though, and just doesn't sit right as the leading man, a husband who, however concerned, can't seem to prevent his marriage from self destructing.Luis Mandoki does manage some strong emotional scenes as director especially when the family's two young daughters are involved, yet he is unable to create a consistent and moving drama with Ronald Bass and Al Franken's script. "When a Man Loves a Woman" has a weak beginning, and unfortunately tends to lapse back into the uninspired groove too often. A harsher, more realistic ending may also have helped.Certainly not a complete waste of time, but never constantly hard hitting or disturbing enough to have the desired effect. Also known in the U.S. as "Significant Other".PS I personally struggled with much of the enunciation throughout the movie and consequently missed several lines.Saturday August 13, 1994 - Greater Union Melbourne

VideoJoeD There are times when seeing a quality film for the second time that it does not stack up as well as it did the first time it was viewed. More often, I enjoy the film a little more on the second viewing due to being able to pick up certain subtle aspects that were not as evident on the first go around and on a few occasions, I find a film much more rewarding, as was the case with this particular film. I saw the film in the theater when it was originally released and although I thought it was a fairly good film and the performances by the two stars, Meg Ryan and Andy Garcia, were of a high quality, I was somewhat disappointed in the overall production. It may have been related to my having anticipated a romance that was not based on as much heart-ache and depressing circumstances.I saw it again recently, slightly over a decade later, and was able to view it from a slightly different perspective. The material, dealing with alcohol addiction, is not ground-breaking but is presented in a slightly unique fashion. The film depicts the downward spiral of the addicted woman, but also examines all the tragic consequences forced upon those closest to her. It involves the audience in the tragic and depressing situations that are imposed on the spouse, children, family and friends of the person with the addiction. It has a somewhat unique aspect, in that it examines how those closest to the alcoholic can inadvertently contribute to the problem while attempting to help their loved one recover from the addiction. Although they may have the best of intentions, they can sometimes magnify the conditions related to the problem.I think an IMDb rating of between 4 and 9 would seem appropriate for this intense emotionally charged drama. I personally gave it a 7 out of 10 and would highly recommend it for viewers that are not in the market for light or humorous entertainment.