Emotional drama about a man afflicted by a bad childhood. It's engaging and well acted but it doesn't really last beyond the film.

Excellent direction and screenplay from Paul Schader make these superb performances by Nick Nolte, Sissy Spacek possible. Not to mention James Coburn, who is marvelous as Nolte's old man and gives what is--with the possible exception of Pat Garrett--the best performance of his career.

Pretty good drama. A little unfocused. Nolte is solid.

"Subtle performances from Nolte and Coburn combine to make this one of Shrader's best."

Nolte and Coburn rock this. Absolutely terrifying individuals headed for a downward spiral. Unfortunately, most everything else about the film is mediocre. Dafoe is misplaced and his narration is BAD.

Solid drama but hard to watch. All the actors are good, with Coburn stealing the show.

I guess the title was a hint that this was not going to be a barrel of laughs - there's not even a suggestion of redemption. The acting is great, and this tackles an important subject: the devastation wrought by alcoholism. Powerful.

AFFLICTION is a worthwhile drama, but lacks the focus needed to ever make it emotionally compelling. [Full Review]

Solid drama, but could have done without the narration

excellent, one of nolte's best performances

Not exactly a lighthearted film. In fact it's almost difficult to watch. There is so much pain in this film. Every actor in this is at the top of their game, though, and it's well worth watching for the great performances.

find difficulty in rating dramas since they really aren't my thing & i tend to get caught up in them quite easily. I thought the narration was heavy handed (as well as the flashbacks) and the acting excellent. While this may bring to the forefront a problem somewhat unconsidered, the framework makes the morality feel stilted, particularly when the environment seems to indicate this couldn't happen just anywhere. Causes me to be over analytical.