28 Days (2000)

A big-city newspaper columnist is forced to enter a drug and alcohol rehab center after ruining her sister's wedding and crashing a stolen limousine.

Director:

Betty Thomas

Writer:

Susannah Grant

Stars:

Sandra Bullock, Viggo Mortensen, Dominic West

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sandra Bullock	...	Gwen Cummings
Viggo Mortensen	...	Eddie Boone
Dominic West	...	Jasper
Elizabeth Perkins	...	Lily
Azura Skye	...	Andrea
Steve Buscemi	...	Cornell
Alan Tudyk	...	Gerhardt
Mike O'Malley	...	Oliver (as Michael O'Malley)
Marianne Jean-Baptiste	...	Roshanda
Reni Santoni	...	Daniel
Diane Ladd	...	Bobbie Jean
Margo Martindale	...	Betty
Susan Krebs	...	Evelyn
Loudon Wainwright III	...	Guitar Guy
Katie Scharf	...	Young Gwen

Storyline

New York based writer Gwen Cummings knows that she drinks a lot but doesn't believe it's a problem, and if she decides that it is an issue that she could stop drinking on her own. She and her live-in boyfriend Jasper fuel each other's hyperactivity with this excessive alcohol consumption, "a normal life" is not in either's vocabulary. Between Gwen and her older straight-laced sister Lily, Gwen more closely resembles their larger than life mother, who was also an alcoholic and who died because of that when they were children. Lily believes that Gwen's addictions makes her a difficult if not impossible person to love. While Gwen is in a drunken stupor at Lily's wedding, Gwen causes one issue after another, ruining the day for Lily. Gwen is forced to examine her drinking with the culmination of bad events she caused at the wedding, leading to her being court ordered to enter into rehab or jail for twenty-eight days, which is only marginally more tolerable an idea to her than the ...

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Plot Keywords:

bare chested male | triple f rated | wedding | f rated | rehabilitation | 

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Taglines:

The Life of the Party... before she got a life.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements involving substance abuse, language and some sensuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 April 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

28 días

Filming Locations:

Asheville, North Carolina, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$43,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,310,672, 16 April 2000, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$37,170,488

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$62,198,945

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Tall Trees Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The use of neck signs was based on real rehab therapy techniques.

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Goofs

Throughout the film, visitors are seen wearing badges with "VISITOR" printed in red, but when Gwen's sister visits toward the end, she is wearing a regular nametag with her name written on it.

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Quotes

[after Andrea has cut herself]
Andrea: Just so you know, I wasn't trying to off myself or anything.
Gwen Cummings: Okay.
Andrea: It's just something I do sometimes.
Gwen Cummings: Doesn't it hurt?
Andrea: Feels better.
Gwen Cummings: Than what?
Andrea: Everything else.

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Crazy Credits

After the credits a scene is shown where a new patient is arriving at rehab. The new patient is the actor playing Falcon in the soap Santa Cruz which is the favorite of both Eddie Boone and Andrea. Eddie Boone asks Falcon for an autograph.

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Alternate Versions

TV version changes Gerhardt's greatest wish. In the original it is to have his foreskin back, this is changed to wishing for an 'Abba (I)' box set.

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Connections

References Run Lola Run (1998)

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Soundtracks

Lean on Me
(1972)
Written by Bill Withers
Performed by Tom Jones
Courtesy of Chrysalis Copyrights Limited

User Reviews

Average Comedy/Drama

Sandra Bullock takes on a more serious role than usual in this light comedy drama set in rehab. Bullock's performance is OK, and the movie is reasonably entertaining, however I would hesitate to recommend this film too highly, even if you're a Sandra Bullock fan.

The problem I had with '28 Days' is in its failing to settle in a genre; it tries to be funny at the wrong times and this distracts from the seriousness of key moments in the film, where it should provoke an emotional response in the viewer.

Overall I generally enjoy Sandra Bullock movies, but I found '28 Days' fell a little flat, and failed to be either a good comedy or a good drama.

6/10