Plot Summary
In this latest film from director Lije Sarki, Johnny Knoxville stars as Morris, an alcoholic music video director whose life changes when he enters a sobriety house for other addicts.
During his stay in the house, Morris bonds with his housemates, becomes the coach of their softball team and learns to take accountability for his actions.
In this ending explained article for Sweet Dreams, we take a brief look at the film’s story and ask the question: Does Morris overcome his addiction?
How does Sweet Dreams begin?
At the beginning of the movie, we are introduced to Morris who wakes up on a park bench, hungover and with a bloody nose. His mother finds him in this terrible state and drops him off at a sober living facility called Sweet Dreams.
At first, Morris isn’t happy to be in rehab. He almost looks down on the other men in the house, including his roommate Garvey, who has a hygiene problem and is no fun to be around.
But after realizing that he has no choice but to remain in the house, for his own sake and the future of his relationship with his daughter, he decides to follow the house rules and attend the AA meetings that are set up by Pete, the owner of the facility.
What happened to Morris’s daughter?
During one of the group meetings, Morris talks about his 8-year-old daughter and how he left her home alone after getting drunk one night. When he was gone, his daughter locked herself out of the house when she went looking for him.
Thankfully, a neighbour found her and contacted the police. But Morris is torn up about what happened and feels guilty for the drunken behaviour that has stopped the girl’s mother from letting him see his daughter.
It’s the guilt he feels that drives him to get sober again. He manages to do so while living at the house, thanks to the bond with the other men and the intervention of Pete who helps him on his recovery journey.
Does Morris turn his life around?
Morris’s life is on a downward spiral. His ex-partner won’t let him see his daughter and the record company he worked for has dropped him. To make matters worse, the sobriety house is in danger of foreclosure if Pete doesn’t find the money to pay the mortgage. If this happens, Morris and the other men will be without a place to stay, which could put their rehabilitation in jeopardy.
Things aren’t looking good for Morris or any of the men but then their fortunes are turned around when they hear about a softball tournament. They decide to enter, with Morris as the coach of their team. They lose their first game but through determination and teamwork, they manage to make it to the final.
On the day of the last match, Morris is absent. He has been given the opportunity to do a music video shoot and so chooses that over his team. Or at least that’s what he planned to do. At the last minute, he realizes his team and his sobriety are more important so returns to the softball tournament to complete the final game.
It’s a good job that Morris attended the game as there is somebody special waiting for him in the crowd. It’s his daughter, who has been allowed to see her father again because of the effort he is making to manage his addiction.
Seeing his daughter gives Morris a morale boost, giving him the incentive to give his all to the game. The rest of the team also perform well and this gives them the edge over their opponents.
The team wins the tournament, which is good news for everybody as Pete now has the money to pay his mortgage.
Morris gets a special prize – the opportunity to be with his daughter again. At the end of the film, we see them reunite and head out on a trip together, along with Morris’s mom and one of the guys from the house.
The film ends happily as Morris has managed to get his priorities straight. But is he now free of his alcohol addiction?
Does Morris overcome his addiction?
Morris was able to turn his life around but that doesn’t mean he has lost his addiction to alcohol. Life isn’t that easy, as any addict will testify, but in the film, it’s clear that Morris is making good steps on his sobriety journey.
We don’t know what happens to Morris after the movie has ended. But it’s hoped that he stayed on the right track, with the support of the guys from the house, his sponsor, and his family. There’s unlikely to be a sequel so this is obviously just speculation. But while relapse is possible for Morris, it’s nice to think that he never faltered again after the end credits rolled.
Read More: Sweet Dreams – Movie Review