By Geno McGahee
In 1971, Dennis Weaver made horror history in the made for TV classic “DUEL.” He quickly became the “Made for TV” man and was in a lot of fantastic movies including DON’T GO TO SLEEP, INTIMATE STRANGERS and the 1983 drug-awareness film: COCAINE: ONE MAN’S ADDICTION.
Eddie Gant (Weaver) is in real estate but the market is terrible. His reputation as the top salesman is dwindling and his back is against the wall. He cannot make a sale and he is watching as the younger salesmen are getting the higher end sales and making the high commissions. Gant’s son, Buddy (James Spader), is set to go to college and that weighs heavily on the mind of his dad as he tries to rebound and make money again.
The desperation leads down a dark path when he’s introduced to cocaine. He is immediately hooked and convinces himself that it is a good thing. Everyone around him that is doing it is successful and show no ill effects. He justifies it by comparing it to his alcohol consumption. Before he knows it, it goes out of control and the dark effects of the drug are exposed.
Another TV star appears in this. Jeffrey Tambor plays a dentist, Matt Broome, and he is also suffering the same problem that Gant has. He has a young woman in his life and is trying to compensate with the usage of cocaine. He is energetic, but when his girlfriend leaves him, he realizes that the lifestyle was not one he could maintain. It was good to see Tambor in this. I was always amused by him.
Gant begins changing his image. He gets a nice car, dresses younger, and starts acting very strangely. Reality hits when his friend, Broome, attempts suicide, leading to a great scene between Weaver and Tambor. Gant tries to convince his friend that it wasn’t the cocaine screwing up his life. It was depression and that people all over the place do cocaine and it doesn’t do any real damage.
He becomes edgy and lashes out on his family and friends. He even entertains cheating on his wife. The drug is ruining his life but he can’t stop himself from wanting it. There is one final plea from Broome and it is a great delivery by Tambor. He’s known for his comedic roles, typically, but here he shows that he can pull off a drama incredibly well.
Another notable performance is by James Spader. His dramatic scenes with Weaver are incredible. As Gant fights this problem, Buddy does whatever he can do to convince his dad to seek help. When a big deal hits the table and he must respond, he looks for one last hit and that’s when everything falls apart.
The big deal falls apart when he acts like a nut and passes out. That’s when all of his secrets come out and his family sees him for what he is…an addict. COCAINE: ONE MAN’S SEDUCTION ends on a happy note and proves to be one great movie. You can’t go wrong with Dennis Weaver. He delivers every time and this is another example.
Rating: 8/10
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