Belly on up for the best drinking movies
For those who have dedicated themselves to a Dry January, we salute your restraint. But the following list is not for you.
Drinking has made for some of the funniest storylines and moments in film history as well as some of its most memorable characters. After all, who can forget guzzling frat brother Bluto in “National Lampoon’s Animal House,” California wine-quaffing pals Miles and Jack from “Sideways” or philosophical New York barkeep Doug from “Cocktail”?
They’re all great characters who we laughed at, sometimes cried with and always cared about. Which is what great entertainment is all about. The following are some the best films in that vein.
“National Lampoon’s Animal House” (Streams on Prime Video, Redbox, Vudu, Apple TV+): Director John Landis’ 1978 classic about the hedonistic antics of a 1950s college fraternity cemented stardom for “Saturday Night Live’s” John Belushi as the aforementioned Bluto as well as launched the long careers of Kevin Bacon, Karen Allen and future “Amadeus” Oscar nominee Tom Hulce.
“Strange Brew” (Streams on Prime Video, Vudu, Apple TV+, Redbox): Canada exported the zany misadventures of SCTV’S Bob and Doug Mckenzie to the U.S. with this 1983 comedy that starred Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas as the two dimwitted, beer-swilling brothers and hosts of the talk show “Great White North,” who discover something foul is afoot at the local local brewery where they work.
“Cocktail” (Streams on Prime Video, Apple TV+, Vudu, Redbox): While Tom Cruise was the headliner of Roger Donaldson’s 1988 dramedy about a talented New York bartender with big dreams, it is Bryan Brown who steals the show as Douglas Coughlin, his troubled friend and cohort with a cynical view of life and a self-destructive streak.
“Sideways” (Streams on Spectrum, HBO Max, Prime Video, Apple TV+): No list of great drinking movies is complete without Alexander Payne’s excellent 2004 dramedy about two Southern California pals (Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church) who drink good wine, romance distinctive women (Virginia Madsen, Sandra Oh) and examine their own lives while touring Santa Barbara wine country in the days leading up to one’s wedding.
“Another Round” (Streams on Hulu, Prime Video, Apple TV+, Kanopy): In this 2020 Danish comedy, four teachers decide to test a theory that humans are born with too a low an alcohol level and thus proceed with a social experiment in which they consume limited amounts of it at work with the goal of achieving optimal performance as well as reduced stress and tension. The results are, well, mixed to say the least. Mads Mikkelsen (“Hannibal”) heads the cast.