Review of Film, “28 Days,” Starring Sandra Bullock, Viggo Mortensen, and Dominic West, 2000. Directed by Betty Thomas, USA. Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Releasing.

Excellent story of rehab stay of a journalist, plus interactions with others in the rehab

Dominic West, Viggo Mortensen, Sandra Bullock.

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Counselors and street helpers will enjoy this movie because it is so frank regarding addiction and the power people let it have over their lives.  It isn’t until things get totally out of control, often, that people finally have to do something to recover from their ailments, demons, and disasters.  There is really no “sugar coating” of the life of addicted persons in this film.

The journalist, played by Sandra Bullock, has had years of craziness with her boyfriend and partner-in-crime, played by Dominic West…

The hijinks of her alcoholism and her selfishness become too great for her sister, Lily, to deal with.

The famous scene people remember in this movie is Bullock’s character falling and ruining the cake at her sister’s wedding, and then the scene where her character steals a Cadillac limo and drives drunk to get another cake… running into the front of a house down the street.

The film is very good at showing how the booze takes over the character’s life.  In rehab, finally, she has to explore all of the reasons she drinks, why she does not stop, and how she finally starts considering the lives, issues, challenges, and needs of other people.  Her considering other people’s perspectives and challenges is a very important step in her coming to understand how she fits into the world.

Her relationship with her sister also comes into view…

Elizabeth Perkins plays Gwen’s sister, Lily.

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as Bullock’s character experiences the loss of her young roommate, who is a sister-type element in her rehab experience.  There is nothing in the film without purpose.

Viggo Mortensen and all of the other characters share what their challenges and losses are, also, and all of the “inmates” of the rehab facility, surrounded by beautiful lawns and gardens, deal with a lot of soul-searching and frustration.

Somehow, through huge perseverance and frequent humor, many of the addicted make it to the point they can come out of the facility ready to take on the world… facing its challenges and losses also.  The Bullock character does so, and the viewer is asked to consider the relationship with the sister in light of the needs of both the characters.

It is simply a great movie and another terribly underrated performance by Sandra Bullock, who did an incredible job of portraying a drunken, selfish and desperate individual who has to confront those demons, face new losses, and climb over the fence… of entrance into a different kind of reality…

She decides to leave the world of booze behind.  This time not just talking about it…

This would be a great film to use in classes—especially for students who have not had a lot of contact with persons with addictions.  It might also be a way to bring out some questions from students who HAVE some addiction issues also.

Great film for discussions, great film for looking at Sandra Bullock (and Viggo Mortensen) to study their development as actors.

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For more information, please see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandra_Bullock

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viggo_Mortensen

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0191754/

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/28_days