Bullock's `Days' too predictable, formulaic
By CASEY K. McCLUSKEY
Scene Movie Critic
When most people think of Sandra Bullock's movie roles, they think of the nice girl-next-door. Although the role of Gwen Cummings is not too far off the mark from her normal roles, Gwen definitely has much more of an edge than we are used to seeing. The story- line itself proves to be a serious one, but Bullock is still able to add a little charm to her character.
Gwen is a New York City columnist who enjoys the fast life and the big story. Her life consists of swinging from one party to the next without dealing with, or caring to deal with, any of the repercussions.
Gwen is finally forced to deal with her problems — and there are plenty — when she is sentenced to 28 days of rehab after drunkenly crashing her sister's wedding limo into a house while trying to replace the wedding cake she fell into.
Soon, Gwen goes from living life in the fast lane to living a much slower paced life in a New Age rehab center. Gwen walks into a world of singing, chanting, hugging and sharing. She is not ready to join in the festivities.
Gwen thinks that if she can stick out her 28 days, she'll be able to go back to her life. She simply does not see that she has a problem. But like any good-old Hollywood film, Gwen has her moment of realization just in time to get the full experience out of rehab.
The story line of this film is predictable, although a number of the characters in the film are pretty fresh.
Alan Tudyk plays Gerhardt, a fellow patient who is extremely amusing but very puzzling at the same time. He has an accent that drifts from one country to the next, never settling on an origin. Despite being a very emotional guy, Gerhardt still has trouble expressing his emotions. Although he is very much an enigma, he is one of the most lovable characters.
Another interesting character in the film is Gwen's roommate, Andrea, played by Azura Skye. Andrea is a seventeen-year-old heroin addict who has been in and out of rehab most of her life but is still surprisingly innocent. She is Gwen's ticket into the rehab group and the two form a bond to help each other.
During the 28 days in rehab, Eddie Boone (Viggo Mortensen) joins the group. Boone is a rehabbing baseball player who is ready to move on from the pressures of being a big leaguer.
Gwen and Eddie develop a flirtatious relationship that one soon suspects will be a motivation for Gwen to leave her disastrous relationship with her partying boyfriend.
Eddie is interesting, but like most of the characters in the movie, he is too underdeveloped. The audience is not given the chance to get to know these characters intimately and therefore are not given the chance to care about them too much.
Coming from someone who is not a huge Sandra Bullock fan, her role as an alcohol and drug addict was still very impressive. Although the plot may be predictable, she gives a very fresh and honest portrayal of a woman who is struggling with demons that go beyond drugs and alcohol.
We see flashbacks of Gwen's childhood with her mother, who was also an addict, and we can see where her patterns have come from. Director Betty Thomas makes these flashbacks very intriguing, visually as well as contextually, because they are memories that are slowly coming back to Gwen as she finally allows herself to deal with her demons.
Gwen not only has to come to terms with her childhood, but she also has to come to terms with her severed relationship with her sister, Lily (played brilliantly by Elizabeth Perkins). Gwen realizes that to survive outside of rehab she will need help from others, especially her sister. This does seem a bit too perfect for the real world, but these two actresses pull it off without making you feel queasy.
"28 Days" isn't worth much more than a rental, unless you are a huge Sandra Bullock fan. Save your money and wait for the video.
--two out of five shamrocks--
All Scene Stories for Thursday, April 20, 2000
