Editing Days of Wine and Roses (film) (section)

==Plot==
[[San Francisco]] [[public relations]] executive Joe Clay meets secretary Kirsten Arnesen. At first, he mistakes her for a call girl, but then when he learns she is a client's secretary, he tries to apologize and court her but she brushes him off. Eventually she warms to him and they begin dating. Kirsten is a [[Teetotalism|teetotaler]] until Joe introduces her to [[Drinking culture#Social drinking|social drinking]]. She is initially reluctant, but after her first few [[Brandy Alexander]]s, she admits that having a drink makes her "feel good." Despite the misgivings of Kirsten's father, who runs a [[San Mateo, California|San Mateo]] plant nursery and landscaping business, they marry and have a daughter, Debbie.

Joe and Kirsten slowly go from the "[[Three-martini lunch|two-martini lunch]]" to full-blown [[alcoholism]]. Joe is demoted due to poor performance, and is sent out of town to work on a minor account. Kirsten is alone with their daughter all day and finds drinking the best way to pass the time. While drunk one afternoon, she causes a fire in their apartment that almost kills her and Debbie. Eventually, Joe is fired, and he spends the next several years going from job to job.

One day, Joe sees his reflection in a bar window and realizes in horror that he hardly knows his own face. He tells Kirsten that they must stop drinking, and while not keen on the idea, she agrees. Seeking escape from their addiction, Joe and Kirsten work together in Arnesen's business and stay sober for two months.  But the urge is too strong, and during a late-night drinking binge, Joe destroys his father-in-law's greenhouse while looking for a stashed liquor bottle.

Joe is committed to a sanitarium, where he suffers from [[delirium tremens]] while confined in a straitjacket. After his release, Joe finally gets sober with the help of [[Alcoholics Anonymous]], a dedicated [[Twelve-step program|sponsor]] named Jim Hungerford, and regular AA meetings. Jim explains to Joe how alcoholics often demonstrate obsessive behavior, pointing out that Kirsten's previous passion for chocolate may have been the first sign of an [[addictive personality]]. He advises Joe that most drinkers hate to drink alone or in the company of sober people.

Meanwhile, Kirsten's drinking persists, and she disappears for several days without contacting Joe. She is eventually located at a nearby motel, drunk, but when Joe tries to help her, he ends up drinking again. When their supply runs out, Joe happens upon a [[liquor store]] that has closed for the night. He breaks in and steals a bottle but trips and is taunted by the store owner. The result is another trip to the sanitarium, where he is stripped down and tied to a treatment table. Jim appears at his side and warns him that he must keep sober no matter what, even if that means staying away from Kirsten.

Joe finally gets sober, becomes a responsible father to Debbie, and holds down a steady job. He tries to make amends to his father-in-law by offering him payment for past debts and wrongs, but Arnesen accuses him of being indirectly responsible for Kirsten's alcoholism. After calming down, Arnesen says that Kirsten has been disappearing for long periods and is picking up strangers in bars.

One night, Kirsten, shakily sober for two days, comes to Joe's apartment to attempt a reconciliation. Joe tells her she is welcome back anytime if she stops drinking, saying he will not abandon sobriety for her or anything else. Despite acknowledging she can't stop, Kirsten refuses to admit she is an alcoholic and suggests Joe give up on her before leaving.

Joe fights the urge to go after her, calling her name as she turns away from a bar. His cries wake a sleeping Debbie, who asks if Kirsten is coming back. Joe tells her Kirsten is sick and, after deflecting her questions about Kirsten "getting well," stares out at the empty street, the bar's flashing neon sign reflected in the window.