NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Warner Archive Blu-ray (June 2025): Warner Archive have transferred Glen Gordon Caron's Clean and Sober to Blu-ray. Back in 2003 we compared the Warner - Region 1 and Warner - Region 2, 4 - PAL DVDs of the film, HERE. Jan Kiesser’s (Fright Night, Choose Me) naturalistic cinematography, with its muted palette, stark contrasts, and restrained camera work, visually captures Daryl’s journey from chaos to vulnerability. The 1080p transfer shows more detail surpassing the US DVD’s lackluster, flat 1.33:1 Open Matte presentation and the 1.75 PAL edition that also looks opened-up showing a shade more information in the frame. Both DVDs are notably softer. The Blu-ray has minor high-frequency edge enhancement - and can look saturated, dark, plus has much warmer flesh tones. It has some uncharacteristic green/blue/yellow hues but its a sharpness step ahead from SD although more grain textures would be appreciated. The lighting design mirrors Daryl’s emotional arc, transitioning from harsh, artificial tones to softer, more natural ones as he progresses in recovery. The HD presentation is an improvement if showing some unusual funky characteristics evoking digitization and color imbalance.

NOTE: We have added 74 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Warner Archive use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track (24-bit) in the original English language. Clean and Sober has an effective sound design that is understated but immersive. Gabriel Yared’s (The English Patient, Cold Mountain, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Every Man For Himself, Camille Claudel) score is subtle and emotionally evocative, designed to support the film’s realism without overpowering its narrative. The score is sparse, relying on piano, strings, and soft percussion to underscore key emotional moments. Yared avoids heavy orchestration, ensuring the focus remains on dialogue and performances. There is other music in the film by Archie Bell & The Drells, The Angels, Jimmy Soul, Lenny Welch, The Fleetwoods, Barbara Lewis and the ending has Van Morrison's Domino. Like the dialogue it all sounds clean and clear via the lossless. Warner Archive offer optional English subtitles (although not always accurate to the dialogue) on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Warner Archive Blu-ray offers only a trailer. A commentary would have been ideal but as the film was discarded upon theatrical release - there seems no enthusiasm for supplements despite its strong critical acclaim.

Glen Gordon Caron's Clean and Sober is a poignant and unflinching drama that explores the harrowing realities of addiction and the arduous path to recovery. Starring Michael Keaton in a career-defining dramatic role, the film delves into themes of denial, personal responsibility, and redemption, offering a raw and realistic portrayal of substance abuse. Daryl’s life is depicted as chaotic yet superficially functional. He’s charming, manipulative, and in complete denial about the severity of his addiction. His decision to enter rehab is driven by self-preservation rather than a desire for change, setting up the central conflict: Daryl’s battle with himself. The introduction of key characters like Craig (Morgan Freeman), a no-nonsense counselor, Charlie (Kathy Baker), a fellow addict, and M. Emmet Walsh, as sponsor, Richard, establishes the stakes of his journey. Clean and Sober portrays addiction not as a moral failing but as a disease that affects people across social strata, from Daryl’s white-collar world to Charlie’s working-class background. It's is a cinematic triumph - a profoundly moving, unflinchingly honest exploration of addiction and redemption that resonates with timeless intensity. Keaton’s riveting portrayal of a man grappling with denial and accountability, paired with Glenn Gordon Caron’s sensitive direction and a stellar ensemble, makes Clean and Sober a landmark drama that’s both gut-punching and inspiring. Even in light of the image wonki-ness the Warner Archive Blu-ray provides the best home theater presentation to date... if it is disappointingly underwhelming (I waited 22 years for this?) Clean and Sober is one of my top 10 films of all time - so it still gets a recommendation for the performances - despite the bare-bones status of the Blu-ray package and the video transfer anomalies.

Gary Tooze