28 Days (2000)

28 Days (2000)




Synopsis

In this romantic comedy, a journalist who's become too much the life of the party finds a new lease on life in a drug and alcohol treatment center. New York newspaper columnist Gwen Cummings (Sandra Bullock) has a fondness for liquor, a boyfriend (Dominic West) with a similar taste for the bottle, and a party girl image that camouflages plenty of emotional baggage. At the wedding of her sister (Elizabeth Perkins), Gwen's pursuit of a good time goes a bit too far when she topples the wedding cake and steals the bridal party's limousine. The result is a court-ordered, 28-day stay in a rehabilitation facility for drug and alcohol abusers. Gwen's failure to get with the program causes her to butt heads with the clinic's director (Steve Buscemi), but her attitude begins to change when she meets Eddie Boone (Viggo Mortensen), a baseball player trying to deal with his substance abuse problems. Diane Ladd, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, and Azura Skye play Gwen's fellow rehab inmates, and legendary roots rock band NRBQ performs at the wedding reception.

What Critics Say


How does a woman in a rehab center recover when surrounded by other equally dysfunctional individuals?

Story

Gwen Cummings (Sandra Bullock) drinks too much, pops too many pills and avoids taking responsibility for her misguided life. That is, until the day she ruins her sister's wedding by falling into the cake and crashing the newlyweds' limo into a house, and lands in a recovery center. The story, while tailored to fit Bullock's acting style, doesn't break any new dramatic or comedic ground. Much of the humor is contrived, and many worse-off celluloid addicts have redeemed themselves more convincingly.

Acting

There's just no end to Bullock's girl-next-door sweetness. Even when she's playing a self-abusive addict, she's still warm and fuzzy. But Sandra as bad-girl Bullock falls short. Dominic West as carefree boozer boyfriend Jasper, who justifies his drug use with shallow friendships, is everything Bullock's execution should have been. Gritty and cynical yet endearing, he steals the show.Thursday, May 18, 2000

Direction

Director Betty Thomas' characters stand out with strong identities but don't work well together. Sadly, the cast of the patients' favorite soap opera, "Santa Cruz," is more entertaining and believable than Sandra's posse. Thomas tries to blend humor and drama but loses her direction in the process.

Bottom Line

28 Days could use a little rehab of its own.

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Movie News


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