50 Movie Characters Who Hit Rock Bottom

Annie Bridesmaids (2011)

The Rock Bottom Moment: Annie (Kristen Wiig) finally erupts like a crazy human volcano at friend Lillian’s (Maya Rudlph) wedding shower.

Cue giant cookie destroying, grass in the chocolate fountain and absolute, unbridled rage.

How It Helps Your Own Life: If you hate cookies, it’s probably best you explore that in your own time.

Jamie Conway Bright Lights, Big City (1988)

The Rock Bottom Moment: New York magazine worker Jamie Conway (Michael J. Fox) mourns his mother’s death and gets hooked on cocaine – which gives him a killer nosebleed right when he bumps into his ex at a shindig. Ouch.

How It Helps Your Own Life: Always attempt to put your best foot forward – you never know when you’re going to unexpectedly bump into somebody worth impressing.

Adam Magic Mike (2012)

The Rock Bottom Moment: Recently-recruited stripper Adam (Alex Pettyfer) gets caught up in the hedonist lifestyle of shedding clothes for a living and winds up in a pool of his own vomit, choking to death…

How It Helps Your Own Life: Partying isn’t fun if it ends in vomit.

Gwen 28 Days (2000)

The Rock Bottom Moment: Gwen Cummings (Sandra Bullock) is so out of control that 28 Days actually starts with her worst moment – she steals the limo at her sister’s wedding, then crashes it into a house.

How It Helps Your Own Life: Don’t attend a wedding if you’re feeling a little fragile. Y’know, emotionally.

Otis Bad Blake Crazy Heart (2009)

The Rock Bottom Moment: Otis ‘Bad’ Blake (Jeff Bridges) isn’t a star anymore – instead, the country crooner is a booze-loving layabout who spends his time in bars and bed.

That is, until he loses Maggie Gyllenhaal’s kid in a mall and realises it might be time to sober up.

How It Helps Your Own Life: Even celebrities have their issues.

Richard Eat Pray Love (2010)

The Rock Bottom Moment: Richard (Richard Jenkins) meets travelling Elizabeth (Julia Roberts) in India and attempts to steer her toward enlightenment.

His past is littered with tragedy, though – his vices (booze, drugs) winded up with him mowing down his own son with his car…

How It Helps Your Own Life: Even if you had a rough time of it, you can always make things better.

Dirk Diggler Boogie Nights (1997)

The Rock Bottom Moment: Eddie Adams (aka Dirk Diggler, Mark Wahlberg) sees his promising career as a porn star royally screwed when he gets hooked on cocaine and methamphetamine – which seriously hampers his ability to get a hard-on.

Meanwhile, he becomes a hooker and attempts to rip off a wealthy drug dealer…

How It Helps Your Own Life: Easy. Don’t do porn.

Marty & Dana The Cabin In The Woods (2012)

The Rock Bottom Moment: Now free from the artificial creepy woods and cabin, Marty (Fran Kranz) and Dana (Kristen Connolly) find themselves in a strange entertainment facility.

There, they release hundreds of horror movie monsters. Which sort of ruins everything for everybody…

How It Helps Your Own Life: When in doubt, let loose the monsters.

What’s the worst that can happen?

Julian Wells Less Than Zero (1987)

The Rock Bottom Moment: Cut off from his family, drug addict Julian Wells (Robert Downey, Jr.) works as a prostitute to pay off his considerable $50,000 debt.

Julian hits bottom after an agonising night spent hiding from dealer Rip (James Spader) and suffering from drug withdrawal symptoms. He ends up begging his father for help.

How It Helps Your Own Life: Julian ends up dead. Don’t do drugs, kids.

The Lisbon Children The Virgin Suicides (1999)

The Rock Bottom Moment: Five sisters, among them Lux (Kirsten Dunst), who are dominated by their overprotective parents, finally can’t take it anymore and make a pact to kill themselves.

How It Helps Your Own Life: If you’re feeling low, have a chat about it. Much better idea than what the Lisbons do.

Josh Winning has worn a lot of hats over the years. Contributing Editor at Total Film, writer for SFX, and senior film writer at the Radio Times. Josh has also penned a novel about mysteries and monsters, is the co-host of a movie podcast, and has a library of pretty phenomenal stories from visiting some of the biggest TV and film sets in the world. He would also like you to know that he "lives for cat videos..." Don't we all, Josh. Don't we all.