1. Days of Wine and Roses(1962)
Alcoholic PR exec Jack Lemmon pulls his wife (Lee Remick, her finest performance) into alcoholism. He finds AA, she doesn’t. Hollywood’s toughest, most compelling tale of experience, strength and hope. Released shortly before the AMA changed its diagno­sis of alcoholism from an illness to a disease. Far and away the best Hollywood treatment for newcomers, sponsors, co-dependents, re­lapsers, everyone.

2. Under the Volcano
Albert Finney is the alcoholic counsel in John Huston’s stark 1984 drama set in Mexico, based on the autobiographical novel of Malcolm Lowry. With Jacqueline Bisset as his wife, Katy Ju­rado, as a cantina owner. This is a death trip and it’s not pleasant, but you won’t take your eyes off the screen or Finney.

3. Voice in the Mirror
The premise of this lost and fascinating 1958 drama is that AA doesn’t exist, and so two drunks (Richard Egan, Arthur O’Connell) have to invent it. Julie London is the supportive wife making pots of coffee. Sincere, frank and innovative, it updates Bill and Dr. Bob’s ’30s forming of AA into the late ’50s. Troy Donohue plays the Ebby character, acted by Gary Sinise in “My Name Is Bill W.”

4. Come Fill the Cup
Another lost one (1951), James Cagney’s rarely seen and unforgettable performance as a recovering Chicago newspaper editor who only hires re­covering alkies and 12th-steps the publisher’s nephew (Gig Young). With Phyllis Thaxter. Follows AA principles and practices without directly involving the program.

5. Something To Live For
Direc­tor George Stevens’ 1954 sequel to “The Lost Weekend” with Ray Milland, also lost but far more accurate. Ray’s married to Teresa Wright and in AA, but makes the mistake of sponsoring (and falling for) a drunken actress (Joan Fontaine). Will she make her Broadway curtain? Will Ray save his mar­riage? AA lite.

6. I’ll Cry Tomorrow
Susan Hay­ward as Follies beauty and Hollywood star Lillian Roth in the pioneering 1955 bio­graphical drama. As in real life, Roth finds AA and Eddie Albert plays her sponsor (in real life they married but he left her and she relapsed forever). Hayward and Jo Van Fleet as her mom are powerhouses.

7. The Bridge Documen­tarian
Eric Steel’s 15 cameras filmed the Golden Gate Bridge 24/7 through 2004, catch­ing 23 of 24 suicides. Tense, hypnotic and heartbreaking, his 2006 film intercuts seven leaps with the backstories of drugs and booze told by fam­ilies, lovers and friends. In stunning color, the prettiest ode to death ever made.

8. A Scanner Darkly(2004)
Director Richard Linklater refines his live-action-with-animation-coating on Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder and Robert Downey, Jr., in Philip K. Dick’s autobio­graphical drug opus with a science-fantasy overlay. Few including Phil got out alive.

9. Lou Reed’s Berlin(2006)
Reed’s 1973 concept LP of the glam model Caroline, caught in a spiral of pills, speed and “the thrill of the needle.” Finally, brilliantly per­formed in Brooklyn’s St. Anne’s Warehouse with full band and chorus, artistically layered by Director Julian Schnabel. A concert film that’s a killing ground.

10. Let’s Get Lost
Chet Bak­er’s trumpet and chorus boy looks built West Coast ’50s cool jazz as his heroin habit rav­aged his features beyond recognition. Fash­ion photo Bruce Weber’s 1988 Oscar-nom­inated homage is icily intimate, closing on Chet barely able to whisper “Almost Blue” before falling out a window to his death.

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The alcoholics and addicts in Hollywood films of the past century can be divided into three categories. None of these films are repeats from the above list.

Those Who Don’t Make It.

There are plenty, and many are worth seeing: “Leav­ing Las Vegas” (Nicholas Cage), “Scarface” (Al Pacino), “Abigail’s Party” (Alison Stead­man), “The Connection” (The Living Theatre Company), “The Rose” (Bette Midler), “Iron­weed” (Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep), “Barfly” (Mickey Rourke, Faye Dunaway).

Those Who Recover Via a Loved One.

There are plenty, and should be viewed through their reliance on willpower, which rarely works in real life: “The Struggle” ( D.W. Griffith’s final film in 1931), “Smash-Up: The Story Of A Woman” (Susan Hayward), “The Lost Weekend” (Ray Milland, Jane Wyman), “The Country Girl” (Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly), “Man With The Golden Arm” (Frank Sina­tra, Kim Novak), “Bottom of the Bottle” (Van Johnson), “The Verdict” (Paul Newman).

Those Who Recover Via AA.Not too many but all worth seeing: “My Name Is Bill W.” (James Woods, James Garner), “When A Man Loves A Woman” (Meg Ryan), “Come Back Little Sheba” (Burt Lancaster), “Drunks” (Faye Dunaway, Howard Rollins).

Kurt Brokaw is an Associate Teaching Professor at New School University and teaches literature and film at the 92nd Street Y. He’s film critic for The Independent. www.Independent-Magazine.org