When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story (2010) - full transcript

No, no, wait.

Here, here.

My family summered in Vermont.

I was a doctor's daughter
from New York City.

Very sophisticated, I thought I was,

with my college degree,
and my well-to-do suitors.

Bill Wilson was a local country boy

who had never been
beyond the Green Mountains.

I was four years older than he.

An unlikely pair, my father said.

But we had found one another,



and how blessed and lucky
we knew ourselves to be.

It's perfect.

Exquisite.

I just want one look. Just one look.

No, he can't see you. Lo.Lois.

Lois... Lo, we have to get

your veil on.

Reverend... Thank you. I appreciate it.

It's bad luck. Now,
Lois... It is. It's bad luck, Lo.

It's said that, on average,

no fewer than four people

are pulled into the vortex of an alcoholic.

When I think back to my wedding,
I find seven.

There was my mother,
who only wanted me to be happy.



Elise was my most trusted friend,

and I was certain nothing
could ever come between us.

Beautiful.

Sweetheart,
I cannot get this corsage... Frank.

There was Frank, Elise's husband.

Oh, oh, oh, sorry. Here...

There was my father,
Dr. Clark Burnham, who was convinced

that the war was no reason
to rush headlong into marriage.

Ebby Thatcher, our friend,

who was already sick himself.

My trusting younger brother Rogers,

and I, whose life was
evolving just as I had hoped.

I was marrying Bill Wilson,
man of my dreams,

and we were going to start a family.

I believed, with all of my heart,

that any trouble we faced

in the future would be conquered by love.

My darling Lois...

On June 27, at 10:00, look for the moon.

Here in France,
I'll be watching it set before dawn.

I'll hold it in my gaze,

as I would hold you in my arm.

Bill! Oh!

Hi.Bill!

Hey, Lo.Hey.

Hey... Bill,

you're home early.

How are you?

Hello.

Are you hungry?

Yeah. I suppose I could eat.

How was your day?

Well, I quit my job.

Oh?

Yeah,
I'm just not cut out for bookkeeping, Lo.

Anyway, something better will come along.

Always does.

Why don't you give Elise’s husband a call?

Frank admires you.

He might know of a position.

Yeah, I don't know.

Ebby works with him.

I asked him the other day
what he thought of his job

and he said Wall Street's a racket.

So I don't know.

I was transferred today.

Out of maternity into the psychiatric ward.

The extra pay might give us some leeway.

Are you gonna be safe in there?

I think so.

It's terribly sad.

It's mostly just psychotics and drunks.

There's not a lot that
can be done for them.

I'll be fine. Don't worry.

All right.

You know what?

Frank is a smart guy.

He is.

And he makes a trainload of money.

He does.

I think I'm gonna give him a call.

Good.

Nothing wagered, nothing gained, right?

Right.

I'm gonna go put dinner on.

All right.

Lo.

Oh, you doll. Thank you.

Green vase in the pantry.

Frank, look who's here.

Oh,
Bill is so excited to be working with you.

Thank you so much.

I'm lucky to have him.

Good-bye.

Bye.

Bill has exactly the kind
of optimism Frank needs.

Come see Emma.

Hello.

Say hi to Auntie Lois.

Emma, darling.

Hello, angel.

Hello.

May I kiss you?

May I? May I?

There, I've done it. I've kissed you.

I can't tell you what this means to me.

Lo, I've done nothing.

Elise, I think I’m pregnant.

Oh, darling!

Can you imagine?

Here we are.

Here we are. Here we are.

Otis Elevator
Company: 128 and one half.

Standard Gas and Electric
Company: 55 and seven eighths.

American Steel Foundry:46 and one half.

Chrysler Corporation: 56.

Standard Gas and Electric Company:

56 and one quarter.

Reed Ice Cream Corporation: 58.

Otis Elevator Company:

129 and seven eights.

International Shoe
Company:172 and three quarters.

Loews, Incorporated...

You're a bald-faced liar.

I said that to you the first day.

I said that I saw right through it

and it's nothing but a numbers game.

Can we have ginger ales, please? Thank you.

Who's walking the production line?

Who's kicking the tires of these companies?

Nobody has a clue

No, no.

That's because you've got
to read 'em between the lines.

You know, ba-ba-ba-ba.

Lo, is that all you’re going to eat?

No, I had my soup.

You gotta be eating for two with the baby.

I'm not hungry, honey.

Well, you’re in luck, Ebby,

because I got an idea for you.

This is... I have an idea.

Why don't we leave?

It's late.

All right then.

Good night, Ebby.

Oh, good night, Lois.

Good night to you.

Sorry.

I got that.

We will continue this.

To be continued.

Listen, Ebby and I were just big-talking.

I want you to be proud of me. That's all.

I am proud of you.

I just don't like it when
you get sloppy and stupid.

You think I'm stupid?

No, I just,
I don't like it when you drink like that.

You're just different.

All right, fine.

I'll-I'll quit.

Honey, I'll quit for you.

That's easy.

Honey, I'll quit, all right?

I can, I can quit

the booze for ya.

Ow.

What? You don’t believe me, honey?

What, honey? What?

Ow!

What? What honey?

Are you okay?

Call my father. Lo?

Call my father!

Okay, okay. All right.

Operator? Operator!

Brooklyn,
New York! Get me Dr. Clark Burnham!

I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry.

Shh.

It's okay.

We'll have so many children.

We'll have a big family, Lo.

Bill?

Bill?

Welcome to your new home.

What have you done?

It's a tent.

Do you like it?

I...

Well, I've been thinking
that we need a fresh start

and uh, get away from the noise,

get out of the city for a while,
so this is it.

Oh, honey, I got this idea that
nobody is ready to back me on

'cause they can't see it,
but it's a good one.

I want to go out and
investigate the companies

that we're selling to the public.

Give them an honest, independent account

of how things are running,

where they're putting their money into,

and I figured you are my
Girl Scout extraordinaire,

that we could just camp across America

and live off the fat of the land, honey.

I could just put my theories to the test.

Bill... Yeah?

What about my job?

Well, you should probably
give your notice tomorrow.

Bill, what about our apartment?

What about your job?

Listen, Lo,
if this work sand we pull this off,

they'll be moving me
up to an executive office.

We'll be buying our own place uptown.

But that's not why we should do it.

This will be a second honeymoon for us.

On the cheap.

Just you and me.

What could be better than that?

What could be better than that, pal?

Open road, Lo.

Whoo!

Hit that throttle.

Open her up! Open her up!

Well, thank you kindly.

It was nice talking to you,

Lois.Yeah.

You folks take care on this thing, yeah?

Oh, we will. It was a pleasure, Tom.

Well...

It was a bust. Mmm?

Management's not talking.

Well, that one over there in the blue...

That's Tom,
and that's Winston and his brother Jim.

Tom pours the molds,
and they finish the tools.

I knew there was a reason I brought you.

"To Frank Shaw, stop.

"Management shakeup at Miggon Tool & Dye,
stop.

"GE strong development.
Recommend buy. Stop.

Await your reply."

We're stuck.

Honey, hop on, I'll give her a push.

All right.

Ready?

No. No. Hang on a sec. Go?

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Kill it.

I'm sorr...

What are you doing?

Ah! Here, you want... I'm sorr...

I'm sorry!

No! No! No! Come here, you.

I'll give you some... William Wilson!

Yeah, how do you like it? No,
don't you dare!

Don't you dare!

Oh.

Ah.

Well, I suppose I should walk into town,
find a mechanic.

See if Frank’s wired us back.

All right. Let me get my gloves.

No, no. You stay here.

Huh? Keep warm, Lo.

I'll be back soon.

Are you sure?

Yeah.

All right.

It's nice.

I love you, pal.

All right. Love you, too.

I'll see you soon!

Come on, guys, open up.

Hey. Hey... Open it.

Hey, open up!

Oh, yes, hello.

I'm-I'm looking for my husband.

He's tall, covered in mud.

Lo! Bill!

I've been waiting for you! Lo,
I just ordered champagne.

No,
we don't want that. We can't afford that!

Why are you drinking, Bill? What...?

I bought it so we could celebrate, Lo.

Look at this. Read it.

"Bill, we're sold on your concept.

"Welcome to the team.

Frank Shaw."We did it, Lo!

This is our ticket, honey.

This is our ticket to an executive position

with the best firm on Wall Street.

Will you... Will you toast with me?

Hey, I want a toast!

To my girl, who bet everything on me.

Ooh!

You picked a winner, Lo.

Mmm! Ah!

Just as Bill had predicted,
we moved uptown

and we were living the life of our dreams.

Rogers. Hey, you.

Hi, sis.

So, what do you think?

Oh, my goodness!

Very handsome.

It's beautiful.

Not bad, sis.

Oh.

You think Bill would invest my money?

Oh,
you're in no position to gamble.

Would you look at this.

I know.

Three years ago,

Bill didn't have two
pennies to rub together.

Look at him now.

He's a genius.

Oh.

Bill's given me carte blancheto
decorate the whole place.

The only thing he insisted
on is the chandelier.

He's just mad about it.

It's from France.

Hmm. Did he rob Versailles?

When will Bill be home?

Oh, he's at the office day and night.

He works so hard.

Oh, good for Bill.

Oh, I want to show you something.

This... is the baby’s room.

Darling.

Yes. My sweet girl.

My dear. How far along?

Six weeks, I think.

I haven’t told Bill yet.

I just... I don’t want him

to be disappointed in-in case...

Darling, you'll be fine.

Oh.

Hey, sweetheart.

Hello.

Your parents come by?

Mm-hmm.

What'd they think of the place?

Oh, they loved it.

Yeah? And my chandelier?

They were dumbstruck.

You look tired.

I am tired.

Why don't you come home early? Oh.

I'll stop by Windsor's, buy you a steak.

Okay.

And I have a bottle of wine
stashed away we can open.

You know it's Prohibition.

I'm gonna have to turn you in now.

I'm home!

Bill?

Oh. Bill?

Bill!

Oh! Bill!

What? Hey, what you stomping around for?

Cut it out.

Bill! Bill, what?

Get up! What?

Just get up. You're drunk!

You passed
out with a lit cigarette, Bill!

What?

You're drunk again.

I'm not drunk!

I'm tired. I'm beat.

I had four hours of sleep this week.

You could have killed yourself.

You could have killed our baby!

What?

What did you say?

I'm pregnant again.

Bill, I'm pregnant.

Lo.

Lo... honey.

So you're shaking, huh?

I'm gonna be a papa.

Honey.

Oh, Lo.

Oh.

Thank you, honey.

My...

razor's dull as a spoon.

I know you want to stop drinking, Bill.

I know how hard you’re struggling with it.

I want you to make a pledge.

Not to me, but to God.

Lo.

This can't continue,

not with our baby coming.

I know, honey.

I want you to pledge on
this Bible that you'll stop.

Lo, I just... I have to have a...

a drink now and again

with the boys.

Bill. Do what I do.

It's part of the job.

I need you to promise. Well,

I have promised.

Lo, I...

I do promise you.

I won't get drunk anymore.

Well, then, I want you to write it here

and make that pledge,
and with God's help and grace...

I... don’t have time.

You'll keep it. Bill! Bill.

Lois, I don’t have time,

honey, to discuss this right now.

You... We will talk about this after work.

I love you.

I'm so nervous.

Nonsense. You'll be the
best mother in the world.

The best mother. In the world.

In the universe. Oh.

We're going to throw a shower for you.

A magnificent shower.

An extravagant shower.

Oh, no, no, no. Yes, yes, yes!

My dear,
you're officially a Wall Street wife,

and therefore, you have to...

You must suffer

the consequences. Now's a wonderful time

to spoil you.

Just give us an invitation list,
and we'll take care

of the rest.

All right.

Shh! Shh!

Are you okay?

Are you okay?

Hi.

Hi, Lois.

We-We came in the back door.

Hope you don’t mind.

Just drop him down there, please.

Get you down here, big fella.

Okay, there we go.

Okay.

That's Clint.

Uh, uh, we...

Now...

Bill thinks you’re gonna be mad,

but you're... but you’re not mad,
are you, Lois?

You're not mad.

We-We were just

celebrating his impending fatherhood.

I'm going to bed.

You're gonna...

It's big.

You're-You're in trouble.

Quiet.

You're in so much trouble.

Really...

This is my last drink.

I got to prepare to be a papa.

Oh, I love this one.

This would be perfect for a boy or a girl.

I think Bill will love it, too.

Oh, good.

Oh, it's beautiful.

Darling, this is an awkward subject,

really.

There are rumors... just...

rumors, mind you...

That members of our firm are appearing

quite drunk

in public, and Frank is worried.

Have you...?

I've noticed it, too.

It's...

It's just... It's all that social drinking.

Um, I've spoken to Bill

about it, and he's promised to stop.

It's really quite awkward.

It's absolutely

right to set things straight, and they are,

at least in this home.

Good. Thank you.

Bill Wilson, please.

Please tell Bill Wilson to call his wife

as soon as possible.

Bill?

Your father and I are here.

Bill will be here soon.

Tell me.

You're gonna be fine.

Dad... tell me.

The fallopian tube burst.

Oh, no.

The only choice was a hysterectomy.

Lo!

Honey? We've been
trying to find you for hours,

and now you show up like this?! Lo. Lo!

My daughter almost died!

Do you understand me?

Thank God she reached
me before she... Bill.

Lo?

Honey?

Honey?

Bill.

Bill.

Bill.

Honey.

Bill.

Lo.

Oh, Lo.

Honey.

Honey, won't you talk to me?

Oh, Bill.

I know you blame me.

It wasn't your fault.

I want to make a pledge for you.

Before you and before God.

To my beloved wife...

who has endured so much.

Let this stand...

as evidence of my pledge to you...

that I've finished with drink...

forever.

I'm so sorry!

I need you to have faith in me, Lo.

I do have faith in you, Bill.

I have faith in you.

Mr. Brown, Mr. Phillip,
we'll meet you out front.

Hey, big shot,
we're gonna grab a few at O'Mally's.

Oh, hi, Lois.

Hello. Picnic, huh?

Look at this. Well, well, well.

You two have a lovely lunch.

And if there are any leftovers,
kindly leave them on my desk.

See you later, Ebby.Bye.

We'll catch up later.

I'm here.

Yeah, you are.

I love you, Lo.

Love you, too.

I've opened that drawer a dozen times today

just to look at it.

There's another one in the box there.

About three hours from now,

Clint and Ebby will be by

asking me to have a few before

we head home.

Why don't we just get out
of New York for a while?

Well...

Remember our trip?

Remember how happy we were?

Yeah.

Yeah, I could swing something.

I was talking to Frank the other day

about this steel company in Canada.

Another fact-finding mission.

Yeah.

All right. Why not?

Why not?

What I do is a-a soup-to-nuts report

on a company such as yours,

and I-I-I release it on the
wider market in the U.S.

And I'll tell ya,
the investors flock like flies to honey

and everyone profits.

Well,
we already publish a biannual statement

for investors.

Sure, but the question is,
is it real or imaginary?

Right? Because a third
of the companies out there

are-are-are smoke and mirrors.

They're magic acts, you know?

They release, uh,
false claims and fake charts and graphs.

Listen, I want to buy a horse,
I'm gonna go look at that horse,

see if it's healthy and check her teeth,

and feel her legs, that sort of thing.

Well, Bill, don't feel my legs.

I was tight as a drum back there, Lo.

And they saw it, too.

I was talking horses; everyone
else was talking English.

Didn't make a lick of sense.

You tried your best.

No, honey.

You know, Frank's not paying me

for a polite report on Canadian steel.

I'm gonna get some cigarettes.

I'll be... I'll be back.

Oh, honey.

I passed a store a few blocks back.

Take me five minutes.

Hey, sweetie pie.

Hey, toots.

Get off of there!

Get out of here!

All right, he's out, he's out.

Oh, yeah...?

Get off me!

All right, get out of here.

Let me at him.Move.

Let me at him! He's had enough.

You stay away.

Handle this. Handle this.
You stay away from me.

All right...

Hey, Lo!

Hey, honey.

Honey, hang on.

Hang on, honey.

Lo, hang on.

Where are the keys? Give them to me!

Hey, stop it!

I'm-I'm driving. You stop it! You stop it!

I'm driving!

You stop it. You swore on the
Bible you weren't gonna drink again.

I said we weren't gonna speak on that.

You left me without the keys

for hours! Shh!

All you could think about was
getting another drink in you.

I don't want to talk about
it anymore. That is sick!

I am done!

That's sick!

You're sick! Not another word.

Not another word. You're sick!

That is sick! Shh!

Yeah, I'm sick!

I'm sick and tired of
your harangue-atanging

and caterwauling

and henpecking.

I'm sick and tired!

I want you to swear to me...

on a Bible.

Swear to me.

You stop all the backbiting.

Oh, Lo.

I struggled with
both guilt and anger,

a swing of emotion that
kept Bill the center of my life.

I left him with the belief
that it would make him stop.

I don't see
how leaving him will help.

Patience and prayer are the only answers.

You made a vow, Lois, before God:

in sickness and in health. for richer,
for poorer.

You know he loves you.

It's not enough, Mother.

Darling, it's all there is.

I mean, none of us know how long we have.

Well, what does that mean?

Why waste any time grandstanding

with the person that you love?

When he's sober, I'll come home.

Yes, hello, this is Mrs. Wilson.

Are there any messages for me?

No one's called?

All right.

Okay. Yes, thank you.

Bill...

Lo, I know I can lick this.

But I can't do it without you, pal.

I need you, honey.

Oh, Bill.

Bill...

I know what's wrong.

We wanted to have children

and I couldn’t give them to you.

But we could adopt.

We could adopt a child.

This little one has another
family waiting for her.

Now, for your adoption,
there's a whole procedure...

We... Here you are.

Hello. May I?

Oh, well, hello.

We'll need a full history
of both of your families,

your work history and salary,

and, of course,
the necessary recommendations

to assure us of your
suitability as parents.

Of course. Of course.

Oh... Oh.

Lo, my heart is melting. Oh, I know.

Yeah, well, a dip like this,
I didn’t want you to miss out on.

Yeah, now's the time to buy.

Yeah, all right.

Yeah, I'll call you from the office.

All right, then.Toodle-oo.

Honey, don't let me forget.

I promised Roger I’d
get him in on this deal.

And try to convince your father to stop

putting his money under his mattress.

What? What's the matter?

Why haven’t they called yet, Bill?

Why hasn't the adoption agency called?

Do you think it'd seem too
pushy if I went down there and...?

No, honey.

Listen, don’t be so worried.

Listen, our little Matilda's
probably just being born, you know?

We'll be changing diapers and
warming up bottles in no time.

Okay? All right.

All right.

Here. Wave that under your brother's nose.

Tell him to call me.

Love you.

See you tonight.

Mrs. Wilson? Yes.

Please.

Hey, Lo.

Twelve hours ago you
said you were coming home.

Twelve hours ago,

I wanted you to take me in your arms

and tell me that it wasn't too late.

No, don't!

You disgust me!

You disgust me!

Anyone stupid enough
to trust you is betrayed

again and again!

I know that you...

you blame me for... not getting the baby.

You're right to think that
you’d be better off without me.

Lo, I should have called ahead.

No, no. I'm glad you're here.

They wouldn't let me have the baby.

They wouldn't even tell me why.

I'm so sorry.

This is a very bad time.

I'll make some tea.

I've come to warn you.

I, uh, wanted to be the first to tell you.

Frank's under a great deal of pressure

from his partners to fire Bill.

He gave him his final warning.

Today, there was an
episode at the partners' lunch.

Bill was... quite drunk.

I knew he was slipping.

I could feel it the last few days.

The last few days?

Darling, it's been years.

At least three years.

Maybe this is just what Bill needs, a jolt.

"A jolt"?

Lois, he needs help.

He needs professional help: a sanatorium,
a specialist.

But there must be something I can do.

It can't be hopeless.

For God's sake,

you can't control it.

You'll never control it.

I grew up with a drunk at home.

And I could never

wish that on any child.

And it breaks my heart...

It breaks my heart to tell you this.

I had to do it.

What?

And you still don't understand.

I told the adoption agency

about Bill's drinking.

I had to tell them the truth. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

I want you to leave.

Please leave my home.

He's not here, Mrs. Wilson.

Um, do you know where he is?

Lois...

If you've read the papers

you know we're in a bit
of a crisis at the moment.

Just trying to iron it out.Yes.

Uh, Bill's... He's not here and,

and he won't becoming back.

We, uh...

I, I had to let him go.

Do you know where I might find him?

The nearest speakeasy
would be my best guess.

Lois.

I need help.

Bill hasn't been home for days.

I've checked everywhere.

I've been to the police, to the morgue.

He's disappeared. I'd disappear, too,

if I were him.

Thanks to Bill, half of New York is broke,

including me.

Most certainly you.

Well, it'll go up.

It always does."And now's your chance,
Roger.

"You want to be a big shot,
you got to bet on margin."

Why are we even talking about this now?

Mother's in trouble.

She got a bad report.

What are you talking about?

For months now, she's been in pain.

Of course, she never

said anything to anyone.

She never complained.

She has cancer.

Oh, no.

Mama?

I love you, Mama.

I'll be fine. I'll be fine.

Don't worry. You okay?

Mm-hmm.

Bill...

Well, I finally did it, Lo.

We're broke.

We're worse than broke, honey.

I'm done with the booze.

But I don't have your faith.

I don't have your faith
and I... don't know how.

I don't know how.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Hey, Rog.Bill.

Hi.

Oh, thanks.

This is hardly the time

for Mother and Father to
take on another burden.

We won't be staying long.

I'm not talking about you.

We're just here until Bill finds work.

And I don't think it’s such a bad idea

for me to be hereto help Mother

when she gets home from the hospital.

How long will you keep pretending?

You can bet everything you have on Bill,

but you don't have to
follow him to the glue factory.

That is a horrible thing to say.

He is my husband.

My love.

We all love Bill.

We all believed in Bill.

When does he ever think
about anyone but himself?

He is devoted to us, Rogers. He loves us.

Not nearly as much as he loves his liquor.

He wants to quit.

He is trying to quit.

And I have to believe he can do it.

That's my choice.

Whether it's for extra
seating at the holidays,

or just a simple game of bridge,

the party table is your answer.

You can set it up within seconds,

and each leg locks into position,

with scuff-proof tips
to protect your floors.

Um, it's got

an easy-to-clean surface
that you can decorate

with your favorite tablecloth.

Are you all right?

I want to talk to Lois.

I haven’t always given you

the wisest advice.

No, Mama.

Anything good in me, I've learned from you.

I admire you for standing by Bill.

We all pray for him,

and you help him as you can.

But, Lois,

you must find your own life,

what makes you happy.

Otherwise, I fear, one day,

you'll be filled with bitterness

for being robbed of that life.

Don't let that happen to you.

I won't.

Piece by piece,
we sold off our lives.

All I had left was a
determination to save us.

I remember this piano.

I used to come here when I was a kid.

Your father used to pay me to wax it.

How is the doctor? Is he okay?

He's very well.

He moved to Boston and remarried.

Oh, that's good to hear.

Well, you remember me to him.

I will.

Thank you.

Hold on there, partner.

Put me down.

I can't put ya down.

I'm gonna be sick.

You're gonna... you should be sick.

Careful.

Mrs. Wilson,
could you kindly put on the coffee?!

Mr. Wilson's had some bad whiskey.

How did you get here?

Did you drive, Ebby?

Drive? No, no.

No, ma'am. No, ma'am.

My Bentley's gone.

Put me down. I'm gonna be sick.

I drove it into a house.

I drove it right...

Bill. right into a wall,
and it ended up in the kitchen.

The lady was just in shock.

Bill! And I just looked at her.

Bill! And she's just beautiful.

And I say, "You're lovely."

I knew at that point Ebby!

I was never seeing that
person again. He's not breathing!

Oh, no! Bill!

Bill!

And she was trying to get out.

Ebby, do something!

Speak to him.

Bill, can you hear me?

Bill?

I thought your love for
me would make you stop,

but if you can’t stop for us,

then stop because you’ll die if you don't.

I will fight for you
with everything I have.

I will fight for you,
but I need you to help me.

I need you to fight with me.

We have to do this together, honey.

I'm right here, Bill.

I'm right here.

Bill?

Bill?

I'm home.

Bill?

Bill?

Open the door. Let me in, Bill.

Help me!

Bill?

Help me!

It's me. It's me, Bill.

Bill?

No, no.

No, no, Bill...

Shh... No!

It's just me. I'll jump out this window!

It's your pal. You stay back!

I will jump! Shh.

You're just hallucinating.Sweetheart.

No one's here. You're hallucinating, honey.

No one else is here.

Come...

with me, sweetheart.

It's not safe.

It's not safe. It's not safe.

Shh. I'm right here.

I'm right here.

Please don't...

Don't tell them where we are.

No. We're safe here.

In here.

No one will find us.

Don't-Don't tell them where we are.

I won't. I won't.

Shh.

Mrs. Wilson?

Yes?

Have you finished inventory?

No, not yet.

I'd like a word with you
at the end of your shift.

Of course.

Bill?

Hi, Lo.

How are you feel...?

Where'd you get the money to buy this?

I don't know.

Where?!

I found some extra bucks lying around.

Lo?

This was all the money we had.

I-I'm sorry, honey.

I just got put on final notice.

I'm late every other day.

I can't do a thing right.

Lo, as God is my witness...

As God is your witness?

As God is your witness?

"To my beloved wife
who has endured so much,

"let this stand as evidence
of my pledge to you

that I have finished with drink forever."

October 20, 1928.

Six years ago.

Second entry.

"My strength is renewed

a thousand fold in my love for you."

And four years ago:

"To tell you once more
that I am finished with it."

Do you know that I've stopped praying?

My prayers are like ashes in my mouth.

No, Lo.

No.

No!

I want you to see for yourself

how pathetic and ridiculous
you are when you drink.

No, no. No!

No. Honey, no!

No! If you...

If I can't make you stop,
then you can't make me stop.

You can't make me stop, Bill!

You're just gonna have to take it!

No! No.

You're just gonna have to take it!

And, so, if you can find the spirit,
it heals you.

You should come along.

It would be good for ya.

We're meeting again next week.

Good to see ya, Ebby.

I'll be seeing ya, Bill.

Ebby! So help me,

if you've brought more
liquor in this house...

No, no, no. No booze, Lois.

Just news. Look at me.

I'm sober.

I joined a fellowship...
the Oxford Group...

And, uh, God released me from alcohol.

I came to give Bill a hand up.

I hope he tells you about it.

It's-It's good to see you.

Do you believe that?

Coming into my house,

selling me on his big preacher talk.

Ebby's sober, Bill.

Sober?

I wouldn't give you a penny
for a trainload of that garbage!

Big preacher, big talk, Lo!

You've been had!

You've been had.

I've been had?

I don't know what you two got cooking up,
Lo,

but you poisoned him against me.

Making me out to be some kind of bum.

Well, I'm a man,

and I'm the head of this house,

and I'll be the judge of whether or not

I can handle a drink now and again.

I don't know what you’re looking for.

You've pawned everything.

There's nothing left, Bill.

Yeah, well, I'm sick of it!

You hear me?!

I'm sick of living with somebody

who can't respect me!

I'm done with it! I'm sick of it!

You are nothing

but a drunken sot!

And every time

you get drunk, I feel guilty

like it's my fault.

Like I'm not a good enough wife.

I couldn't have children.

But I don't have to live like this anymore.

I don't have
to lie and cover for you anymore.

I should have put you in a sanatorium

a long time ago

like my father told me to

because that's where you
belong because you're crazy!

I'm not crazy.

I am not crazy!

I am not crazy! Yes, you are crazy,

and you're making me crazy!

No! You disappear for days and days, Lois!

And I wait and I worry
that you won't come back,

and I think maybe this
time you won't come back

but you don't even have the decency to die!

Oh, no!

Hello?

Hi, sis.

Rogers.

I just wanted you to know
Bill’s in the hospital again.

He admitted himself,
and he said that I would cover the bill.

I'll take care of it.

Can you manage this?

Yes. Yeah.

Thank you.

And thank you for calling.

Good-bye, Lois.

Thank you.

Hey, Lo.

Last night I hit the bottom...

as low as I could go.

I was suffocating

under everything I've ruined between us.

But you know I... I
didn't want to die alone.

I couldn't bear the thought

of not living my life out with you.

Honey, I remembered what Ebby told me:

that I couldn't do it on my own,

that I was powerless...

and so I cried out.

I just cried out for help.

I don't know how to describe it, Lo.

It sounds crazy, I know.

Maybe I am.

But a light filled this room...

and I felt the presence of God, Lo...

And it just lifted all the weight.

I feel free

for the first time in my life.

Free of it all.

And I was at rock bottom...

My husband had
indeed stopped drinking.

I just cried out...

Cautiously, I let myself believe

that our old life could be restored.

I just said, I'll do anything.

I don't go for that.

Nice talking to ya.

They don't want to hear it.

They just look right through me

with their hard boiled eyes,

and all they hear is
preaching they’ve heard before.

Look at them, honey.

Two drunks sitting there
telling each other their sob story

and both of them are too drunk to listen.

You know, they'll, they'll swear

to high heaven they'll quit,

but neither of them will stay sober.

Well, it seems just by talking to them

is keeping you sober.

Yeah, but I’m no different than them.

I'm-I'm still a drunk

who hasn't had a drink in four months.

And 27 days.

And 27 days.

You're gonna do fine.

Better than fine.

I've just been out of work for so long, Lo.

I suppose they wouldn’t ask me

to lead their proxy fight

if they didn't think I could do it, though.

They'll see you for who you are:

a man with a superior sense of business

and a level head,

and before you know it,
we'll be back on our feet.

Yeah. They wouldn't have hired
you if they didn't believe in you.

You'll call me as soon as you get to Akron,

and you'll write me every day.

Yes, ma'am.

I love you, pal.

I love you, too.

Yes, hello. I've been trying

to get through to Mr. Wilson's room.

Bill Wilson.

Yeah, well, I've been leaving
him messages for four days.

Are you sure he's gotten them?

All right, thank you.

Hello?

Honey, it's me.

Bill...

where have you been?

Listen, honey, I'm fine.

So much has happened here.

The business deal fell through.

It doesn't matter.

Just come home.

No, I can't. Not yet.

Listen, something else happened here.

You remember, honey, when you told me

that if I, if I talked to drunks
it would keep me sober?

Well, listen, I held onto that,

and when the deal fell through,

I was standing in the middle
of the lobby and I, honey,

I remembered that they had
the list of preachers in the hotel,

and-and I-I called one of them,

and I said to him,
"I need to speak with a drunk."

And he put me onto this doctor, honey.

His name's Dr. Bob.

Dr. Bob?

Yeah, he's another drunk,
and I swear, honey,

he saved my life out here,
Lo, and I-I reckon

I saved his.

That's wonderful.

What's the matter, sweetheart?

Lo, I'm sober.

I'm sober.

I didn't know if you were dead
or alive or hurt somewhere.

I've been worried sick about you, Bill.

I'm sorry, honey.

I just, I miss you and I love you

and I want you to
come here and be with me in Ohio.

I'm gonna send you a ticket,

and you come here and you be with me,

and I will explain everything.

Lo, honey...

pal...

They're good folks, Lo.

You're gonna like them.

You'll see.

They can't wait to meet you.

That's Annie there.

Bob!

That must be Dr. Bob.

Yes, indeed!

There they are.

Lois.

Hello.

Oh, Lois!

Yes.

Hello.

What a pleasure.

It's nice to meet you.

Hello, Lois.Hello.

I'm Bob.

It's nice to meet you, Bob.

Nice to meet you. Come on in.

Thanks to your husband, I'm sober,

which seems like a
miracle after all these years.

I'm grateful not just to Bill here,

but to you, Lois.

Without you and Annie,

Bill and I would be in

drunkards' graves or locked up

in some crazy bin by now.

Now, that's just the plain truth of it.

Thank you.

Honey, last few days

we've been working through things together,

and we realized that we might

actually understand a few things

about how to keep other folks sober.

Until I met Dr. Bob, I was,
I was talking at drunks,

bullheaded like I always was

when I was drinking,

and, honey,
I swear it is something that we're onto

that is making all the difference.

They're going to the hospital.

They talk to the drunks that come in.

Sometimes they bring 'em back here.

I've seen it myself:

lost causes brought back to life.

Gosh, Annie, I'm ashamed to admit this,

but when Bill met meat the station,

and I saw how well he was doing,

I was angry.

I mean, how could a stranger
in Akron make such a difference

when I've been trying for 17 years?

Oh. We really are related.

I felt exactly
the same way about Bill at first,

and then I began to think,

"Maybe Bob does need
someone else to talk to.

Maybe I’m too close."

I can't tell you how wonderful it is

to talk to someone who understands me.

Yeah.

I guess being sober has its own challenges.

Oh, yes.

Yes, it does.

You're right.

They really are wonderful people.

Yeah, they are.

You know, Bob and I were talking tonight

about starting our own group.

No dues, no hierarchy to the thing.

Just-Just a fellowship, you know?

I was hoping when we get back to Brooklyn

that you might consider

letting me bring some folks into the house.

There's so many drunks, Lo,

that want to get sober-all over the city,

and hospitals,

places like Bellevue,

they just don't know
what to do with them all.

I know it's a lot to ask, honey.

Come on now.

Would you please get off my stoop?

What's your problem, buddy?

Father.

Oh, hello, Lois.

It's so good to see you.

It's good to see you, too.

Father, this is, uh, Charlie,

Wes, George, and Hank.

This is my father, Dr. Burnham.

It's an honor, sir.

Dr. Burnham!

It's good to see you again, sir.

Yes, hello,
Ebby. It’s nice to see you, as well.

Lois, what in God's name is going on here?

Father, let me make you something to eat.

Lois.

We can-we can clear a room.

Lois, I can't stay.

Have you turned our
home into a boardinghouse?

These men are our guests, father.

One drunk wasn't enough?

You might as well be living

in the alcoholic ward at Bellevue.

Where's Bill?

He's down at the mission, helping drunks.

Talking to them helps him.

He's sober.

Good for Bill.

You and Bill haven’t been keeping up

with the mortgage payments.

I received a notice from the bank.

They're threatening eviction.

We'll take care of it.

We will. I promise.

You deserve better than this.

The day things changed for me was the day

that I became willing
enough to allow my Creator

to ease my burden, take away my sins,

root and branch.

Mm-hmm. Yep.

And I haven't had a drop to drink since.

You know,
that's not to say it’s been an easy road

because it has not.

Lois can attest to that.

It's the first thing that’s worked for me.

I don't know how it works.

But it’s working.

How you feeling, Wes?

Pretty good.

Well, I'm glad you’re here.

Hey, sweetheart.

I need to talk to you about the house,
Bill.

Yeah, all right.

We got another foreclosure warning.

I'm just, uh, a little late

for the group meeting.

Your meeting.

I got ten minutes to get there.

Lo, can we talk about this-when I get home?

No, I want to talk about it now.

Lo, I promise we can talk

when I get back from-the meeting, honey.

Damn your meeting!

You've been with me all these years,

and you have no idea
what I've been through.

You're my husband,

and I can't depend on you at all!

I have prayed

and I have fought for you like no one else.

Why wasn't my love enough to make you stop?

When is it gonna be my turn?

When are you gonna be there for me?

Hi, honey.

Do you feel like talking?

No.

All right.

So, I've been throwing around the idea

of putting a book together

with some of the, uh, recovery steps

we've been working in on here.

I figure, uh, you know,
we could help some other folks, like us.

And... Thanks, Lo.

Maybe, uh, it'll pay a few bills.

Yeah,
that would help things out a lot.

Yeah.

How do you start that kind of thing?

Well,
I've been trading phone calls with Dr. Bob

and we're sort of, you know,
putting together a few ideas.

And I figure we-we would, uh,
put together a manuscript,

and then, uh...

Excuse me.

Um, do you know someone in the meeting?

My husband.

Oh, mine's in there, too.

Would you like to come in?

I wouldn't want to inconvenience you.

It would be no trouble, really.

Um, I could make some tea.

I could actually use
someone to talk to tonight.

We came all the way
from Westchester County.

I'm Anne Bingham.

Anne, I'm Lois Wilson.

If I don't drive him here,

I can't guarantee that he'll make it,

so I make the drive.

For years, I used

to hide the keys from my husband.

I was afraid he'd kill himself

or someone else.

Exactly.

I don't know why I never gave a thought

as to how all these men
got to these meetings.

Should we invite them in?

Let's do that.

Excuse me.

Do you know someone in the meeting?

Yes.

Well, I'm Lois Wilson, and it's my house.

Would you like to come in?

All right.

Great.

Yeah.

Oh my... Dora!

Lois?

I had no idea.

Please, come in.

Hello. I'm Lois Wilson.

Just straight down to the kitchen,

straight down the hall.

Just-just down the hall.

Hey. What's going on?

Oh, this is for us.

Go back to your meeting.Okay.

Okay.

He'd cuss me out

for wasting good money,

but it was my money
he was stealing to buy it.

I know that one.

For a while,
the only way I could tolerate the situation

was to drink myself.

Sure. My husband's
drinking drove me to drink,

but when I saw what it did to the children,
I quit.

If I can stop, why can't he?

That's just what they’re
trying to do in there,

aren't they?

Not that I'm so understanding.

I threw a shoe at my husband today.

I whopped mine with a shovel.

I had the police haul mine away.

Four times.

But why would I lash
out now that he's sober?

Resentment.

Pure and simple.

I guess I just thought
once he stopped drinking,

everything would be loving
and happy and it's not.

That's because of all the
things they did. That's why.

I mean, you can't forget.

Listen to them out there,
having a good time

while we're in here stewing
from all their garbage.

Yeah, I think they're in
there retrying to get well

while we're in here feeling sick.

I've had enough.

Good night.

Good night.

I think our husbands are
doing the best they can

for themselves.

And so should we.

Bill devoted himself to the program

and a book that outlined its principles,

while we, the wives of alcoholics,

began our own meetings.

Hello, Lois! Hello.

Welcome.

Bill.

Oh, Wes, how are ya? Good.

Listen, I, um...

I don't know how I feel about this.

What's that?

The wives in there having a
big gossip session about us.

You think they're gonna learn something

they don't already know about us?

Wes, they're just trying to climb out

from underneath the wreckage we caused.

That's all.

They're in there trying
to get well just like we are.

But if drinking like they do,

the way they do, is an illness,

aren't we foolish

to think that we can do anything about it?

Well, maybe that’s just it.

Thinking that we can do something about it

is our problem.

You know, our-our own obsession

with-with what they're thinking,
what they're feeling.

Are they tempted?

Is he gonna slip again?

When's the next disaster?

I thought if I was more...

only better, he wouldn't drink.

There were times I thought it was my fault.

I couldn't have children.

If
there's healing for them,

there must be hope for us.

Lois, you're right.

Hey.

Can I show you something?

Come on. I want to sort this.

Come on, sit down. Come on, sweetie pie.

Bill, you finished it.

Well, I wish I could have

finished it before the bank took the house,
but,

listen, honey,
we got friends all over the city.

They're gonna put us up as long as we need,
so we'll be fine,

and-and, you know, maybe we'll sell this

and get back on our feet, so...

"Here are the steps we took,

"which are suggested
as a program of recovery.

"Step 1: We admitted we
were powerless over alcohol,

"that our lives had become unmanageable.

"Step 2: Came to believe

"that a power greater than ourselves

"could restore us to sanity.

"Step 3: Made a decision

"to turn our will and our lives

"over to the care of God
as we understood him.

"Step 4: Made a searching and fearless

"moral inventory of ourselves.

"Step 5: Admitted to God,

"to ourselves, and to another human being

"the exact nature of our wrongs.

"Step 6: Were entirely ready

"to have God remove all
these defects of character.

Step 7: Humbly asked him
to remove our shortcomings."

Hey, you. Hey, sis.

"Step 8: Made a list
of all persons we had harmed

"and became willing to
make amends to them all.

"Step 9: Made direct amends

"to such people wherever possible,

"except when to do so
would injure them or others.

"Step 10: Continued to
take personal inventory

"and when we were wrong,
promptly admitted it.

Lo.

Elise.

It was a wonderful
surprise to get your letter.

We hear about Bill’s good work.

Thank you for meeting me.

I just... I wish I had more time.

There's so much to do
for Emma's wedding. It's...

I'm so happy for you, for the whole family.

Thank you.

Elise,

I'm so sorry

for the unkind things I said to you

when I last saw you.

No. That was years ago.

When you were warning the adoption agency

about Bill,

you were protecting a child
from a disastrous upbringing.

I respect you for being
honest with me and for...

for doing the hard thing.

I want you to know

that I am so, so sorry

for my behavior

and that it caused a rift between us.

I've never had a friend

as kind as you.

And I've missed you so very much.

"Step 11:

"Sought through prayer and meditation

"to improve our conscious contact with God

"as we understood him,

"praying only for
knowledge of his will for us

"and power to carry that out.

"Step 12:

"Having had a spiritual awakening

"as the result of these steps,

"we tried to carry this message to others,

"and to practice these principles

in all our affairs."

Bill and I lost my family's home.

We lived out of suitcases
and depended on our friends

to see us through.

We slept on floors and in living rooms...

51 places in two years.

What kept us going

was the knowledge that
the steps were working.

People's lives were improving.

Still, I longed for a place

to call home.

Lois Wilson?

Yes.

Hello. I'm Helen Griffiths.

Oh, hello, Helen.

A very dear friend of mine,

who shall go unnamed,
is part of your program.

You and Bill have done more for her

than you could ever know.

Well, we all help one another here.

That's the way it works.

I heard through the grapevine

that... you're homeless

just at the moment.

Oh, no, no. We're never homeless.

We always have one friend
or another that puts us up

each night.

Well, I have a home

in Bedford Hills.

Not far,

but in the country still.

I never go.

If you like it, you could live there

and pay me as you can.

Oh.

That's so kind of you. I...

It's beau... beautiful, but that's...

The address is on the back.

There's my number.

I...

No.

You keep that,

and you call me.

Bill?

Uh-huh.

I want to ask for your forgiveness.

For what, honey?

I entered our marriage

with such an arrogant
sense of my own goodness

that...

No.

You were good, Lo.

You are good, honey.

You weren't arrogant.

But...

I was arrogant.

I was the king,

prince and pope of arrogance.

I'm talking about me now, Bill.

Bill?

Yeah, it's this way, honey.

No.

Come on, Lo.We're gonna be late.

What? What’s the matter?

I want a home, Bill.

I know, honey. I...

For all these years,

I have lived and breathed
and hoped in Bill Wilson.

I've been as addicted to
you as you were to booze.

I'm going to Bedford
Hills to stay for a while.

I love you, but I-I have to do this.

I'm sorry.

Lo!

I think what I've learned

from my journey

and from the support of all of those

who've traveled the same
road that we've traveled

and from all of your stories

and all of you here is that

there is hope and there is a way

to find our way back to sanity

and to focus on living
our lives to the fullest.

Shall we pray?

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change,

courage to change the things I can

and wisdom to know the difference.

See you soon.

There's my pal.

Oh, here I am.

Here I am.