The Lost Weekend
Seen it?1945 | 101 min | Drama
Friday Night FlickWhy it’s a Friday Night Flick
Critics loved it (97% on Rotten Tomatoes), it won 4 Oscars and it made about 9 times its budget. Make plans for this one.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who loves a strong drama. If you loved Sunset Boulevard, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Thoughtful and character-driven.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 41 min.
- What might put you off
- Made in 1945: an older pace and style.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
Longtime alcoholic Don Birnam has been sober for ten days and appears to be over the worst... but his craving has just become more insidious. Evading a country weekend planned by his brother and girlfriend, he begins a four-day bender that just might be his last – one way or another.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
97% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesSolid
7.6 out of 10
- AwardsVery strong
Won 4 Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay. Also nominated for 5 more Oscars. Plus 1 other award.
- Box office & staying powerStrong
$11 million worldwide on a $1 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 95K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Billy Wilder
- Ray MillandDon Birnam
- Jane WymanHelen St. James
- Phillip TerryWick Birnam
- Howard Da SilvaNat the Bartender
- Doris DowlingGloria
- Frank Faylen'Bim' Nolan
- Mary YoungMrs. Deveridge
- Anita Sharp-BolsterMrs. Foley
- Lilian FontaineMrs. Charles St. James
- Frank OrthOpera Cloak Room Attendant