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SMASHED

"Wobbly Recovery"

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What You Need To Know:

SMASHED is a powerful drama about a young married teacher who realizes her marriage and entire life are far too centered on alcohol. The movie opens with Kate coming to school with a hangover and getting sick in front of her elementary students. One young student innocently asks her if she’s pregnant. Kate lies and replies yes she is. Even so, Kate keeps going out drinking. One day she finds herself lying in an alley next to a warehouse in a decrepit part of town. When this happens a second time, Kate starts attending an AA recovery classes. As a result of the program, Kate becomes sober. However, her previous lies start to catch up with her, endangering her recovery.

SMASHED presents a compelling character study of an average young woman trying to overcome her alcohol addiction. Mary Elizabeth Winstead does an excellent job of being sympathetic but troubled at the same time. However, there’s plenty of strong foul language, brief sexual content, and no references to asking help from God. Thus, extreme caution is advised, despite the movie’s uplifting view of recovery.

Content:

(B, PaPa, M) Light moral worldview about a young woman’s beginning recovery from alcoholism, but set in a pagan world otherwise; at least 31 obscenities and profanities, including many “f” words and some GDs, plus drunk woman urinates on convenience store floor after being denied liquor and bathroom access and woman with hangover vomits into trashcan in front of her elementary students; light violence when drunk person on bicycle falls down; depicted marital sex with clothes on and man makes awkward pass at married woman and she reminds him she’s married; no nudity; story is about alcohol abuse, drunkenness and recovery from alcoholism; smoking and crack is smoked in one scene; and, lying but rebuked and woman dissolves marriage because her alcoholic husband won’t quit drinking.

More Detail:

SMASHED is a powerful drama about a married woman who starts to realize that her marriage and entire life is far too centered on alcohol.

The movie opens with Kate, a young married teacher, coming to school with a hangover and getting sick in front of her elementary students. One young student innocently asks her if she’s pregnant. Kate lies and replies yes she is.

Despite the incident, Kate keeps going out drinking with her husband. One night she gives a ride to a woman outside a bar. The woman seduces Kate into smoking crack. The next morning, Kate finds herself lying in an alley next to a warehouse in a decrepit part of town. When this happens a second time, Kate decides to start attending a fellow teacher’s AA recovery classes.

As a result of the classes, Kate becomes sober. However, at her school, her students and the principal keep pushing her about her pregnancy. The principal even organizes a surprise baby shower. If she tells the truth, she could lose her job. If she lies again, and the principal finds out, she could also lose her job. If she doesn’t tell the truth, however, it may endanger her recovery. Meanwhile, her alcoholic husband tries to deal with a sober Kate even though he refuses to quit drinking himself.

SMASHED presents a compelling character study of an average young woman trying to overcome her alcohol addiction. Mary Elizabeth Winstead does an excellent job of being sympathetic but troubled, both at the same time. While the movie presents some of its scenarios of alcohol abuse in a darkly funny way, it ultimately takes alcohol addiction and the battle to overcome it quite seriously. Its strong supporting cast helps elevate this touching tale. However, there’s plenty of strong foul language, brief sexual content, and no references to the female protagonist asking help from God to overcome her addiction. Thus, SMASHED doesn’t have quite the redemptive punch of another recent movie about alcohol addiction, the movie FLIGHT starring Denzel Washington. That said, it might actually be more helpful because it’s a more realistic portrayal of the everyday struggles the average alcoholic goes through on the road to their recovery.

Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.


Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.