Year – 1988
While Arthur came out in 1981, it’s really more of a vestige of the 1970s. It took seven years before Arthur 2 reached theaters and, in that time, our culture had experienced a crucial change of heart – people we used to call “drunks” were now called “alcoholics” and, therefore, no longer funny.
The filmmakers attempt to solve this problem by giving Arthur a reason to sober up…his and Linda’s (Liza Minnelli) quest to adopt a child. But, as is often the case in life, they ended up trading one problem for another. Namely: Arthur is a funny drunk. Once he stops drinking, he stops being funny. Now, that’s not to say that all alcoholics should continue drinking so they can stay charming and hilarious because typically drunks are neither charming nor hilarious. Arthur is the kind of “drunk funny” that only Hollywood can create. So unless you have a team of screenwriters feeding you dialog you should probably stay off the sauce. It is definitely in the character’s best interest for him to be sober. It’s just not in the film’s best interest.
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