Inspired by Donnell’s blog yesterday, I finally decided to pop in the intimidating-looking DVD-R that a friend gave me a few weeks ago. The title, Drunk In Public, (scrawled in marker on the face of the disk), did not promise a rollicking good time. Especially since said friend and I both belong to an organization that caters to the “overly thirsty.”

Turns out, my reservations were well founded. The award-winning documentary, which follows the alcoholic exploits of Newport Beach, California native Mark David Allen over the course of 14 years, 450 arrests and hundreds of trips to the ER, is a painfully unvarnished look at the ravages of alcoholism.

Shot by amateur filmmaker David J. Sperling (the corrections officer that booked Allen, repeatedly, in Newport Beach -- and continues to book him today), Drunk In Public introduces us to the charismatic former surfer in the year 1994. At 33-years-old, he is homeless and already has a rap sheet that takes up reams in a law enforcement official’s “in” box. In his rare, lucid moments, Allen is a card. Bright, funny and engaging, we get a glimpse of what the raffish blond-haired, blue-eyed Californian must have been like before the bottle took him.

But these moments don’t last long. As the years progress, so does Allen’s disease. The doc is unusual in that Sperling, who is also a suicide prevention and substance abuse counselor, ultimately takes on the role of friend and confidant to his subject. Whenever he’s not arresting him, Sperling is prodding and probing Allen to explain how he lives with his condition – constantly offering suggestions about where Allen, now a panhandler who consumes enormous quantities of straight vodka, can get help.

Sometimes Sperling’s inquisitiveness borders on harassment – the filmmaker frequently engages Allen when it is clear that the man is incapable of comprehension. The lack of objectivity, though unconventional for a documentary, serves a much greater purpose -- the viewer is able to see, long term, how Allen’s denial eventually unfolds into dereliction, mental illness and shocking physical deterioration. If there is an overriding theme to this, it is the astonishment of everyone involved that he is still alive.

If Allen weren’t such a likable character (he can’t tell you what day it is -- but is given to sudden, and surprisingly accurate, renderings of ‘80s rock classics), Drunk In Public would be nearly impossible to watch. But his willingness to self-destruct, and helplessness in the face of it, is definitely not for the faint of heart.

Sperling, who is a pretty interesting character himself, keeps a vigilant record of Allen’s comings and goings at his website. This also appears to be the only place where the film can be purchased.

If you have a strong stomach and a big heart, Drunk In Public is well worth your time. And, if you’ve ever had to ask yourself “the question,” this challenging film is sure to provide some answers.

Wendy Case is the MOLI View's contributing editor for Arts & Entertainment.