Customer Reviews

28 Days

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Sandra Bullock is the industry's favorite girl next door, much to her own well-reported chagrin. But there is just something about her that exudes "next-door" charm, whether or not she supports the label's overuse. Maybe it's because she's such a gem of a person, especially compared to the coldness of many of today's big stars.

So when you are about to see this film you will anticipate that it be light-hearted, not serious, in other-words, totally Sandra. But the only thing light-hearted about the movie are the circumstances several of the supporting cast members get themselves into. Sandra plays this alcoholic with all of the angst she's got. And it's a heck of a lot more than anyone would have pegged her for.

So is she depressing to watch like this? Yes and no. Depressing because, based on those nasty preconceptions us lazy viewers have, you're waiting for her to jump out and say "Just kidding!" throughout the movie - her usual style - and, to everyone's surprise, she really doesn't. She gives every ounce of credibility and intensity to a role that many would like to write off simply b/c it is too hard to change one's preconceptions.

I am so excited when I stumble upon a performance, such as this one, that allows me to deepen my respect for an actor. Sandra has deepened everyone's respect with this role. She is a consummate professional actress: She plays every role as if it were herself and only herself on the screen.

And hey, even if it IS only acting, she fooled me . . .

Maybe you are thinking what I was thinking when I first heard about this movie. "Oh great, they are making a cute movie out of a horrible problem called addiction, and are going to sum up rehab in a darling, romanticized way." I refused to watch it for a long time because of this presumption. Relax, and give the film a try. Although cute in places and using some subtle but great humor, '28 Days' does not romanticize the problem of addiction.

What it does manage to show, much to my amazement, is how trite and cheesy 'Recovery' can seem to the addict. The scenes of chanting, serenity prayers, and singing 'Lean On Me' are not portrayed as inspiring or moving, but as irritating customs of the Center. Perhaps portions of the movie go to the far edges of each condition, drunkenness and sobriety, but it does not come across as contrived. People really do these things, and some people really recover from it, and '28 Days' follows Gwen Cummings story, who is an exceptionally "gravitational" personality, easily allowing for a larger than life story.

Gwen (Sandra Bullock) is a writer, and along with party-time boyfriend Jasper (Dominic West) show up late and manage to ruin her sister Lily's (Elizabeth Perkins) wedding. After being late, Gwen ruins the mother-in-law's dress, takes a spin on the dance floor and winds out crushing the wedding cake, then steals a limo to drive to a cake store and replace it. Careening down the road, Gwen wrecks the limo into the side of a house. Sentenced to twenty-eight days in rehab or prison, Gwen finds herself at the Serenity Glen Rehabilitation Center.

Gwen's lifestyle as a New York writer/columnist is not conductive to sobriety, but even Gwen never realized the extent of her reliance on booze and prescription drugs. Not until she breaks the rules of Serenity Glen and her counselor Cornell (played by the amazing Steve Buscemi) arranges to have her sentence continued in prison. Only when Gwen practically leaps from a third story window in an attempt to retrieve the pills from Jasper that she earlier threw away does Gwen realize something is wrong with her. She decides its time to do something for herself, and convinces Cornell to let her stay at Serenity Glen.

Gwen must face many aspects of herself that she finds intolerable while sober, while also facing visits from Jasper who doesn't see the point of leaving their old life behind for sobriety. What follows is a touching, and yes, comical romp through Gwen's rehab, but it fits well because Gwen has a tendency to use humor to deflect emotional response.

The characters in this movie are outstanding. Sandra Bullock plays Gwen to perfection. Steve Buscemi is amazing as always, Dominic West as fun-boy Jasper is perfect, and look for a ridiculously intriguing performance by Alan Tudyk as Gerhardt, the funniest character in the movie. Gerhardt is an eccentric, over-the-top, emotional, stammering geek, and steals the movie with only a few lines. ("Oh my God, look at my package!" and "I want my foreskin back, no one asked when they took it, they just took it.") Also, at the very end of the movie, check out Gerhardt's T-shirt that he's wearing. Hysterical!!

Even through the horrid cheesiness of ridiculous rehab ritual, Gwen manages to make friends. Aside from Gerhardt, there is Daniel (Reni Santoni) the doctor who used to pump his own stomach, Andrea (Azura Skye), Gwen's roommate, a seventeen year old heroin addict who is far wiser than her years, Betty (Margo Martindale) as the crotchety but not humorless receptionist, and Eddie Boone (Viggo Mortenson) a professional baseball player addicted to booze and sex.

I was surprised at how well this movie actually turned out, comparing in my opinion to the classics 'Days Of Wine And Roses' and 'Lost Weekend'. Pay special attention to Cornell's speech for the group, where he talks about using whether something happened or nothing happened. While there is good humor in this movie, and it realistically portrays the cheesiness of all those rehab clichés, it still winds out to be a good (though somewhat tragic) story about a good person. Gwen is obviously a loveable personality, both drunk and sober, which makes her choice more realistic than someone who makes a "dramatic change". There is a very funny scene where Gwen uses her talents as a writer to create an impromptu play based on Andrea's favorite soap opera, Santa Cruz. The clips of this soap opera are so over the top that you will laugh your hinder off at them.

Great acting, fantastic characterizations, good photography, a healthy dose of realism, a great script, and insightfully surreal flashbacks made this movie much better than it should have been. Oh, and it made me thirsty (he he he). Definitely a 'buy', but I always recommend rent first. Enjoy!

Some movies are just fluff, while some can change lives. 28 Days falls solidly into the second category, although it is by no means it is a documentary. It is a light Hollywood treatment of a serious topic. You can take the point of view that at least maybe people who ARE addicted will see it without realizing the full import up front, and realize they need help.

We begin with Sandra Bullock's character, who is a New York lady living the high life with her boyfriend. After a night of heavy drinking, she wakes up late for her older sister's wedding. She completely destroys the wedding, crashes the wedding limo and ends up in rehab.

You get the typical transition from surly, angry newcomer to understanding, coping recovery person - learning more about her past and the characters around her along the way. Situations are extremely two dimensional and oversimplified, but to be fair, the movie only has so many minutes in which to tell the story. There are the traditional set-backs and problems, and small victories.

So where is Viggo, the 2nd billing, in all of this? If you're a Viggo fan, you spend about half the movie waiting for him. He eventually shows up as a baseball pitcher tossed into rehab to fix his drugs-and-girls habit. He's got southern charm and a laid back personality, as always. And yes, there are horses. It seems Viggo likes to be in horse-movies. In this case, the horse is one of the key "characters" - it symbolizes Sandra's ability to finally let things go and trust in life.

It's actually suprising that Viggo got second billing here. He doesn't have many lines, and he isn't even a 'romantic partner' for Sandra. In fact he is quite innocent when Sandra's boyfriend accuses Viggo of stepping into the situation. Viggo does deliver the final message to her as she leaves rehab, though - to learn how to forgive, and to cut her boyfriend loose in order to face a new world alcohol-free. Sure enough, it turns out her boyfriend is trying to drag her right into the same world, and she does better to go it alone.

The scenes with Viggo were a little contrived, but they had their own charm. Viggo had his low key country charm, but punched Sandra's boyfriend pretty quickly when things got rough. He showed Sandra how to pitch, and had her throw the ball with her eyes closed, to teach her trust. On the other hand, he was literally caught with his pants down, showing that he hadn't quite given up the sleeping around yet.

The only thing missing here in the "Viggo Standards" was another language - Viggo only gets to speak "southern American" in this film!

Interestingly, this was Viggo's last movie before the Lord of the Rings series. So he went from a very understated role, to one which made him world famous.

Most of the time, when I go see a Sandra Bullock movie, I say to myself, "I can't believe I'm going to see this." But, the fact is, she's an awesome actress. She makes any movie she's in worth seeing. Examples-- I visit my mother for the holidays a few years ago and she wants to see Miss Congeniality and it turns out I liked it a lot. Go to a friend's house and she wants to watch Hope Floats on TV and I end up glued to the screen. Put any other actress in movies like these and I probably don't like them. 28 Days is no different. I never thought Bullock would be believable as an addict but she portrayed the desperation and regrets of an addict and the struggle an addict faces for hope beautifully. Plus, the supporting characters in the movie were great. Just like every Bullock movie, there's a scene that seems a bit over-stated or goes beyond believability (who would put up with the way Bullock was acting at the wedding?) but I guess they have to do that to quickly advance the plot of the movie. This isn't an academy award winning type of movie but it's entertaining and you get a glimpse into addiction. I thought it was a very special movie but I'm sure most people who see this would end up feeling entertained.

As an addiction counselor, who happens to be an addict and alcoholic in recovery, I found the film to a great depiction of various aspects of addiction. The satirical comedy scenes of the chanting were delightful and depicted the sense of silliness that most addicts or alcoholics see them as at first. The dramatic scenes of withdrawal and attempted suicide are very true. The need to change from an addictive social network to a sober support network is also true. I loved the horse scene at the end where the main character finally got a sense of spiritual victory when she finally submitted to the need for help. This is a film that captures the serious nature of addiction with a hint of humor in a manner that will allow the largest audience to gain insights into addiction and recovery. I am using this film in a family systems approaches in addiction course that I teach at a university. I also use the film in groups to serve as a conversation starter. Watch, laugh, cry, and learn.

I have read a lot of negative reviews of this film and the one thing I can say is that I doubt if any of the people who wrote those reviews have ever been addicted or in rehab.

I first saw 28 Days when I was doing my own stint in a mental institution/rehab. I had attempted suicide and was struggling with chemical and sex addiction, as well as compulsive self mutilation (cutting).

The movie really spoke to me, and I have news for you, director Betty Thomas' use of humor was right on the mark. People in rehab do make use of humor, sometimes its the only thing that keeps you sane.

I also found that sharing this film with friends and family who are trying to understand what I am going through is an effective tool, because it allows them to be detached and just observe whats going on.

I think this is one of Sandra Bullock's best films. I also think that as time passes this film will garner more and more critical approval and a huge cult following of addicts and non-addicts alike.

I myself am not a huge fan of Sandra Bullock, but I do respect her a lot more after viewing this film. Like most guys, I was made to watch this for the sake of a woman. I thanked her right after the credits.
Bullock is forced, by court order, to under go detox after a series of bad drunk moments. She tackles a very sensitive subject head on in this film and really shows a side of her talent that is incredible. Of course, she has a superb cast behind her including Steve Buscemi and an always great Viggo Mortensen.
Trust me this is not a "chick flick". It is a funny and touching story that I never would have thought by the title. Pick it up, you can thank me later.

The previews, at least the theatrical ones, for 28 Days are misleading. They put the emphasis on its comedic moments. The movie is actually a drama, a cautionary tale about the toll substance abuse has on one young woman. Because the character is rescued before she hits bottom or does anything she will forever regret, the humor has its place here.

Sandra Bullock is Gwen Cummings, a writer who loves to party. She lives with an Englishman named Jasper [Dominic West], who makes the perfect playmate. They drink, they go out to dinner, they drink some more, they go dancing, they go home and drink even more. When they can remember, they pop a few pills to make things even merrier. One night they light some candles to enhance a lovemaking session. In the process they nearly burn their apartment down. Things come to a head when they arrive late and higher than kites at her older sister's wedding. Gwen ruins the special day, then commandeers a limo, wrecks it and winds up in jail. The judge gives her a suspended sentence but orders her to go to a rehab center. Typical of an addict, Gwen minimizes the extent of her problem. She does not think she needs to be in the center because she believes she can give up her habit on her own. She is in for some surprises, not all of them pleasant.

I will admit that Ms. Bullock is not one of my favorite actresses. She's fairly lightweight. I've also never seen much chemistry between her and her costars when she's chosen to do romantic roles. She has her good points. Off screen, she is a great businessperson. In a movie like 28 Days, she is not afraid to be seen looking unglamorous, and this does lend credibility to her performance. She is also wise enough not to try to dominate a picture.

There are two fine supporting actresses. Elizabeth Perkins is convincing as Gwen's sister, who has spent a lifetime rescuing Gwen and is sick of it. Azura Skye is touching as Gwen's young roommate, Andrea, whose problems are quite serious.

The depiction of a rehab center here is a very Hollywood vision. Most of the patients are stereotypes of what addicts are like. Still, 28 Days is a likable movie, and it does provide a message. For more accurate portrayals of drug and alcohol addiction, I would recommend Postcards From the Edge and Girl, Interrupted. Two of the finest films on the subject are much older - The Lost Weekend [1948] and The Days of Wine and Roses [1962].

Most people haven't seen this movie, which is a shame, since it's one of Sandra Bullock's best movies, and also features Viggo Mortensen (of Lord of the Rings), who is almost unrecognizable, but definitely hot, as baseball player Eddie. The other actors are wonderful too, even the minor characters shine. This movie has some great moments of humor, but also delivers some great life lessons. It's also interesting to see Sandra Bullock do drama, which she pulls off wonderfully. I would highly recommend this film to everybody.

This movie is another in a pretty formulaic cadre of from committed boozer and dope addict to drug free recovery stories. This movie does have the virtue of being genuinely funny in some places. Best of all this movie does not take itself so seriously that the anti-drug message dominates the movie. The Movie has a strong anti-drug message make no mistake about that but it is not preachy, high toned, condescending or overly moralistic.

I do not agree that this movie protrays all teenaged ladies as vapid, self absorbed, trite peices of fluff unable to avoid the snare of drug abuse or addiction. However if you go to a football stadium during a football game most of the people you will see there are football fans. Likewise if you have a movie set in the teen ladies unit of a drug treatment center you will see mostly teenaged ladies who for whatever reason were unable to beat the lure of low life dope dealers. The fact that a small faction of teen aged young ladies end up on the crazy road to drug drained boozed up palookaville does not in any way take from the fact that most teen aged young ladies become awesome contributing members of society. 28 Days wants to be a movie that zooms in on life for a small fraction of teen aged ladies who have surcumb to the evils of dope and booze and are on the road to productive recovery.

Despite the serious subject matter what makes this movie fun, is the cast of odd ball characters on the druggie unit with the main character. You just know by looking at this druggie program that it is populated with the posh more well to do upper crust crowd and their is nothing wrong with that. Everyone is just slightly off kilter just enough to be interesting yet still beleivable. I have found most dope addicts and boozers have their weird quirks. It is said that what most in society consider an eccess of weirdness is the price paid by those whose level of inspired creativity allows them to think outside the box in chosen life pursuits.

In the case of the main character as with so many creative types, she aches to be accepted by mainstream society. Her pleas to be loved by polite society go unrequited as thinking outside the box creatively has become a pain for which drugs and or booze become her crutch. One of the funniest parts of the movie has to be when her enabler boyfriend brings booze, a cheap diamond and his stupid boozed up - pro-druggie ideals to her on a boatride while she is in the treatment center. This guy was such a TOTAL UTTER LOSER, while he sounded sincere in his every word he was also a sad black comedy because, there are really people out there who think exactly like him.

28 Days (Special Edition) is a good DVD because despite its heavy subject matter it is still a "very entertaining movie". Good fun solid Entertainment is something most druggie \ boozer finds redemption flicks usually do not do very well. 28 days is funny, entertaining while still holding on to its strong anti-drug message. Sandra Bullock is not bad to look at in this DVD, she does some good solid acting here and if Sandra is your cup of tea she shines like a diamond ever so nicely in for these 28 Days! If you buy 28 Days you will see for yourself!