Every now and then, when I think everything has been done and there is nothing new left to do, a movie comes along to prove me wrong. Thanks for Sharing is a not your standard addiction recovery movie. Instead, it takes a look at a new twist on addition, specifically, sex addiction.
Adam (Mark Ruffalo), is a handsome environmental consultant who is 5 years in recovery for his sex addition. The sex addiction is easily believable because Ruffalo is actually hot enough to have scores of willing women tossing themselves at him. His love interest Phoebe (Gwyneth Paltrow), comes with conflicts of her own, as a former breast cancer survivor and dater of an alcoholic. Also sharing the spotlight is the long-married Mike (Tim Robbins) who plays Adam’s sponsor and Neil (Josh Gad), who plays a fellow sex addict (though with a bit more of a pervy twist). Even Pink plays a part, as Dede, a female addict just coming off her own 12 step program.
For the most part, even though it was a comedy, the subject was handled with a certain level of maturity. The main problems come from the way Gad’s character was treated in the movie. Gad played the part of Neil, a loveable pervert, well. However, some of his actual scenes (particularly where he rubbed up against women on the subway and filmed up his bosses skirt) had me wondering ‘why is this guy not in prison?’
His character becomes significantly more redeemable when he meets up with Dede, a hairdresser dealing with her own addiction. Pink pulls off a great addict and helps Neil work through his issues when he helps her work through her own. While their recovery is awful quick, it is a movie recovery, so I guess it would have to be. [more…]
The conflict between Adam and Phoebe goes on a bit too long, with Phoebe trying to seduce Adam at every turn and Adam resisting, but it’s still interesting to watch. Mike has his own good scenes, when dealing with his newly sober drug addicted son.
Unfortunately, when explaining the motivation behind the characters seeking treatment, the film falls a bit flat. While Neil is in treatment because of a court order (shocker), Adam apparently decided he was an addict after cheating on his girlfriend with hookers? Well then, pretty much every dude I know who’s ever had a regrettable bender in Vegas is a sex addict.
In the end, the movie was done pretty well. The most surprising breakout star in this one was Pink, who proved to be one of the few pop stars capable of making the transition to film. Overall, the subject was approached with just the right amount of humor, without the actors making slapstick fun of an addiction that can be just as serious as substance abuse. Thanks for Sharing could have turned into an awful sex humor, or it could have gone over the top hokey and preachy. Instead, Thanks for Sharing really managed to strike the right balance between drama and comedy.
Here’s the Trailer and if you’ve Seen the Movie – Leave a Review & Earn Some Points!
