Movie Review - Thanks for Sharing

Thanks for Sharing ***½ (R) This dramedy, with more emphasis on the serious side, offers some insights into sex addiction and methods of dealing with it. Despite the subject matter, there’s very little titillation or voyeuristic content. Mark Ruffalo, Tim Robbins and Josh Gad are the main characters dealing with that (and some other types of addiction) through 12-step programs. They’re in various stages of admitting to and coping with their problems. We also see how the disease affects those around them at work, in their families and in all facets of life. The fine ensemble cast notably includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Joely Richardson and singer Pink, in a solid dramatic live-action feature debut.

I have no idea how realistic any of this may be. Some consider sex addiction less of a medical/psychological illness than a personality weakness, compared to the chemical varieties. This film makes a compelling presentation for the legitimacy of that as a diagnosis - at least in appropriate cases. The script gives us a seemingly honest look into several lives without sugar-coating or idealizing the characters or any solutions. The last five minutes may seem a bit overly florid, but at least co-writer and director Stuart Blumberg delivers a sensibly non-Hollywood ending. Certainly there are plenty of people with addictions who remain in denial, or averse to seeking help. If films like this model the potential value of at least looking into such programs, it won’t really matter how true-to-life they are. Inspiration can come from fiction just as surely as from a documentary. (9/20/13)