Many of the nonfiction books that combine motherhood and drinking—Sippy Cups Are Not For Chardonnay, The Three-Martini Playdate—could be classified as lighthearted in kind of a boozy, Bombecky fashion. Others take a harder, more personal look at the tie between drinking and motherhood, like Diary Of An Alcoholic Housewife or Mommy Doesn’t Drink Here Anymore. Solidly in the latter camp, Jowita Bydlowska’s Drunk Mom has already received a movie deal even though it hasn’t been released in the U.S. yet. Variety has announced that LD Entertainment acquired feature film and TV rights to the book.
Published last year by Doubleday Canada, Bydlowska’s memoir chronicles her return to alcoholism after her baby is born, including her “binges, blackouts, lies and humiliations as well as her fight toward recovery.” The book opens with a horrific account of the off-the-wagon author snorting cocaine and then wondering how long it will be before she can safely breastfeed her baby again (answer: 72 hours). Penguin will release the book in the U.S. in May.
Although no stars have been mentioned in connection with the project yet, no doubt scores of Hollywood actresses will fight for the chance to play what promises to be an epic portrayal of a mother battling the bottle (maybe Amy Adams will finally get that Oscar!). The switch from fun martini playdates to the grim reality of recovery seems a little sudden, but possibly points to a change in the motherhood tide: Even Sippy Cup Chardonnay author Stefanie Wilder-Taylor doesn’t drink anymore.