This movie was very realistic about the way alcoholism affects the fabric of a marriage. So many movies about the disease simplify it into a three-step process: Gradual onset, spectacular bottom, and eventual recovery. Real life isn't that simple; most alcoholics never even give themselves a chance to recover. Recovery is a beginning, not an end. This movie also dealt with that subject well.
This movie begins amidst Alice's downward spiral to rock bottom. Early into the movie we have seen how much in love he is, how attentive, how accepting. To some degree, he is giving himself points for being such a nice guy. Sure, Alice hid a lot of her drinking (a practiced alcoholic can easily drink three or four more times more
Once home from treatment they have fights, mostly because Michael still has the habit of handling everything, settling problems with the children and making decisions. Now that Alice is ready to participate more fully in the family, he feels threatened. It takes him a long time before he participates in Alanon, primarily because he is in denial himself.
It's easy to see Alice is ashamed of her drinking (hiding her bottles all over the house, drinking vodka to hide the smell, or the incident at the curb with the garbage) and she is relieved to admit her addiction. She readily goes into the treatment facility.
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