# 28 Days (2000)

### reviewed by
Edward Johnson-Ott

28 Days (2000) Sandra Bullock, Viggo Mortensen, Dominic West, Diane Ladd, Elizabeth Perkins, Steve Buscemi, Alan Tudyk, Michael O'Malley, Azura Skye, Reni Santoni, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Margo Martindale, Loudon Wainwright III. Screenplay by Susannah Grant. Directed by Betty Thomas. 103 minutes. Rated PG-13, 2 stars (out of five stars)

Review by Ed Johnson-Ott, NUVO Newsweekly www.nuvo.com Archive reviews at http://us.imdb.com/ReviewsBy?Edward+Johnson-Ott To receive reviews by e-mail at no charge, send subscription requests to ejohnsonott@prodigy.net or e-mail ejohnsonott-subscribe@onelist.com with the word "subscribe" in the subject line.

The most honest film I've seen about the Recovery Process is Al Franken's much maligned "Stuart Saves His Family." The 1995 feature, a spin-off from "Saturday Night Live," centers on Franken's Stuart Smalley character, a maddening, but endearing little guy who belongs to several 12-step programs. Flinging around Recovery slogans ("denial isn't only a river in Egypt," "that's just stinkin' thinkin'") like confetti at a parade, Stuart struggles to break free from his obsessive-compulsive behavior patterns, generally taking two steps forward and three steps back.

"Stuart Saves His Family" was a critical and commercial flop, but videos of the movie remain hot properties on the 12-step circuit, because members appreciate the warts-and-all portrayal of a man determined to become a better person.

Although the subject matter is similar, "28 Days" is the antithesis of "Stuart Saves His Family." The film plays like an escapee from the Lifetime Channel, boosted only by the talents of Sandra Bullock. This is a star vehicle and, while there are scattered affecting moments, the production is glib and overly pat, often using humor inappropriately.

Take the wedding scene, for example. After too much partying with her boyfriend, Jasper (Dominic West), Gwen Cummings (Bullock) shows up late to perform bridesmaid duties for her sister, Lily (Elizabeth Perkins). Gwen's tardiness is just the beginning, though. The drunk young woman insults the newlyweds during a toast, loses balance while dancing and falls on the wedding cake, takes off to replace the cake by stealing the couple's limo, then careens for several blocks before crashing into the front of a house.

Director Betty Thomas plays the situation for laughs and, judging from the howling audience at the screening I attended, it appears that driving while intoxicated isn't appalling – it's funny.

The court system in Movie Land doesn't take it that seriously, either. Instead of throwing her ass in prison, Gwen is allowed to opt for a mere 28 days in rehab rather than jail. With a massive chip on her shoulder, she arrives at Serenity Glen, a New-Agey recovery center that specializes in group chants and sing-alongs.

Thomas shoots for a "M*A*S*H" motif – throughout the film, we hear wacky announcements over the P.A. system and Loudon Wainwright III, who served as official camp troubadour on a few episodes of the TV series, does another tour of duty here. Gwen is surrounded by a group of one-dimensional fellow patients: tough-as-nails Roshanda (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), self-loathing Daniel (Reni Santoni), wise guy Oliver (Mike O'Malley), sacrificial lamb Andrea (Azura Skye) and easy-target-for-cheap-laughs Gerhardt (Alan Tudyk), a gay German stripper who comes off like the "Sprockets" version of Andy Dick. What a shame it is to see so many fine character actors used as little more than props.

Two bits of inspired casting offer brief hope for greater things. Steve Buscemi, who has popped up as the weird guy in virtually every film made over the past decade, plays a well-balanced counselor, and Viggo Mortensen, a specialist in portraying smarmy heels, appeared as a baseball star who, substance abuse problems aside, is a clean-cut, stand-up sort of man. Unfortunately, neither actor is given much to do, as the spotlight remains firmly on Gwen.

Sandra Bullock is good – she generally does her best work when given a character placed in an extremely tense situation – but Gwen's journey is too easy. As Stuart Smalley can tell you, breaking self-destructive behavior patterns is tough business. Compared to what most people endure, Gwen's rehabilitation is a cakewalk. Revelations and reconciliation come in tidy little packages, with just enough angst thrown in to allow Bullock to strut her stuff.

Anyone who has dealt with drug addiction, codependency, compulsive eating, gambling, etc. can tell you that a key to the recovery process is learning that, while you are a vital part of the human tapestry, you are most certainly not the center of the world. "28 Days" trivializes what it seeks to honor by placing one character's concerns above all others, and by milking potentially deadly actions for laughs. Sorry, Sandra, but I'll take the awkward, messy "Stuart Saves His Family" over faux grit like this anytime.

    © 2000 Ed Johnson-Ott

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