28 Days (2000)

Director:

Betty Thomas

Writer (WGA):

Susannah Grant (written by)

Release Date:

14 April 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Wedding | Car Accident | Drug Addiction | Intoxication | Alcoholic Mother

Cast

Sandra Bullock	...	Gwen Cummings
Viggo Mortensen	...	Eddie Boone
Dominic West	...	Jasper
Elizabeth Perkins	...	Lily Cummings
Azura Skye	...	Andrea
Steve Buscemi	...	Cornell Shaw
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
Meredith Deane	...	Young Lily
Elizabeth Ruscio	...	Mrs. Cummings
Kathy Payne	...	Aunt Helen
Lisa Sutton	...	Dr. Stavros
Joanne Pankow	...	Saleslady / Night Tech
Corinne Reilly	...	Vanessa
Andrew Dolan	...	Andrew, the Groom
Maeve McGuire	...	Groom's Mother
Jim Moody	...	Chauffeur
Christina Chang	...	Bridesmaid
Adam Pervis	...	Adam, Younger Boy at Gas Station
Dan Byrd	...	Dan, Older Boy at Gas Station
Ric Reitz	...	Father at Gas Station
Suellen Yates	...	Andrea's Mother
Frank Hoyt Taylor	...	Equine Therapist
Brittani Warrick	...	Traci
Elijah Kelley	...	Darnell
Mike Dooly	...	Marty
Wendee Pratt	...	Elaine
Bill Anagnos	...	NY Cabdriver
Jack Armstrong	...	Falcon, Soap Opera Cast
Judith Chapman	...	Deirdre, Soap Opera Cast
Suzanne Davis	...	Darian, Soap Opera Cast
Rod McCary	...	Dr. Griffin Hartley, Soap Opera Cast
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Matt Cedeño	...	Bob Ramirez (uncredited)
Patricia M. Fairchild	...	Cafeteria Worker (uncredited)
Bruno Gioiello	...	Michael Anderson (uncredited)
Christopher Murphy	...	Paul (uncredited)
Harsh Nayyar	...	Newsstand Vendor (uncredited)
Brent Ponder	...	Partier (uncredited)
Stan Wood	...	Parker House Patient (uncredited)

Directed by
Betty Thomas

Writing credits (WGA)
Susannah Grant		(written by)

Produced by
Celia D. Costas	....	co-producer (as Celia Costas)
Jenno Topping	....	producer

Original Music by
Richard Gibbs

Cinematography by
Declan Quinn

Film Editing by
Peter Teschner

Casting by
Francine Maisler

Production Design by
Marcia Hinds		(as Marcia Hinds-Johnson)

Art Direction by
Bo Johnson

Set Decoration by
Debra Schutt

Costume Design by
Ellen Lutter

Makeup Department
Judith H. Bickerton	....	hair stylist
Dale Brownell	....	hair stylist (as Dale E. Brownell)
Colleen Callaghan	....	key hair stylist
Kymbra Callaghan	....	makeup artist
Sharon Ilson	....	key makeup artist
Stephen Kelley	....	makeup artist
Sandra S. Orsolyak	....	makeup artist
Janine Rath	....	key hair stylist
Karen Reuter Fabbo	....	makeup artist: New York
Kerrie Smith	....	hair stylist: New York
Robert Steinken	....	hair stylist: Asheville
Pamela S. Westmore	....	key makeup artist
Jim Beinke	....	makeup effects producer (uncredited)
Tony Gardner	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Celia D. Costas	....	unit production manager
Patricia Anne Doherty	....	unit production manager: New York (as Patricia Doherty Hess)
Monica Levinson	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Chad Graves	....	second second assistant director
Richard Graves	....	first assistant director
Susan J. Hellmann	....	second assistant director
Michael Pitt	....	second second assistant director: New York
Bac DeLorme	....	second assistant director: second unit (uncredited)
Bruce Milton	....	trainee assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
C. Scott Baker	....	set designer
Diana Burton	....	property master: New York (as Diana E. Burton)
Rick Butler	....	art director: Asheville
Paul Cheponis	....	set dresser
Glen R. Feldman	....	assistant property master (as Glen Feldman)
Geoffrey S. Grimsman	....	set designer
Robert Guerra	....	art director: New York
Alan Hook	....	assistant art director
Ed Jones	....	greensman: Asheville
Tom Jones Jr.	....	construction coordinator
Bill King	....	set designer
Paul Oliver	....	lead scenic (as Paul W. Oliver)
Marthe Pineau	....	set dresser
Robert Butch Samarzich	....	greensman
'Polar Bear' Shaw	....	leadman (as Polar Bear Shaw)
Andrea 'Drew' Sywanyk	....	on-set dresser (as Andrea Sywanyk)
Margot Therre	....	charge scenic: New York
Dick Tice	....	leadman: New York
Dean Wilson	....	property master
Kenneth Bryant	....	set dresser: North Carolina (uncredited)
Elisabeth Clay	....	assistant art department coordinator (uncredited)
Danielle Couture	....	painter (uncredited)
Frank Didio	....	head carpenter (uncredited)
Thurston Edwards	....	construction auditor (uncredited)
Patrick Fuhrman	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Michael J. Hall	....	construction foreman (uncredited)
George Harding III	....	greensman: Columbia (uncredited)
Brian Kontz	....	scenic painter (uncredited)
Janet Kusnick	....	concept artist (uncredited)
Alicia Lowe	....	art department coordinator (uncredited)
James F. Oñate	....	scenic gang boss (uncredited)
Ron Petagna	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)
Michael Shapiro	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Michael J. Benavente	....	supervising sound editor
Jeffree Bloomer	....	boom operator
Gary C. Bourgeois	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael J. Broomberg	....	foley artist
Ali Derakhshan	....	assistant sound editor
Richard Duarte	....	foley mixer
Alison Fisher	....	dialogue editor
Christopher Flick	....	foley editor
Gary A. Hecker	....	foley artist (as Gary Hecker)
Tricia Linklater	....	first assistant sound editor
Tod A. Maitland	....	sound mixer
Josephine Nericcio	....	assistant sound editor
Greg Orloff	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mark Pappas	....	foley editor (as Mark Papas)
Jeena M. Phelps	....	dialogue editor
Michael Scott	....	boom operator
George Simpson	....	sound effects editor
John Joseph Thomas	....	sound effects editor
Hugo Weng	....	adr editor
Steve Bartkowicz	....	re-recording engineer (uncredited)
Mark DeSimone	....	adr engineer (uncredited)
Alison Sanford	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Connie Brink	....	special effects coordinator
David Hill	....	special effects technician (uncredited)
Walter Kiesling	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Stunts
Daniel W. Barringer	....	stunt coordinator
Sandy Berumen	....	stunts
Vic Bucossi	....	stunts (as Victor Bucossi)
Donna Evans	....	stunts (as Donna Evans-Merlo)
Don Hewitt	....	stunts
Cal Johnson	....	stunts
Jalil Jay Lynch	....	stunts
Steve Mack	....	stunts
Dean Mumford	....	stunts
Don Picard	....	stunts
Jodi Michelle Pynn	....	stunts
Manny Siverio	....	stunts
Jim Stephan	....	stunts
Dick Warlock	....	stunts (as Richard Warlock)
Amy Yanagisawa	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
K.C. Bailey	....	still photographer
Patrick Capone	....	camera operator: "a" camera
John Choi	....	second assistant camera: New York
Thomas Ford	....	assistant chief lighting technician (as Tommy Ford)
Harry K. Garvin	....	Steadicam operator: New York (as Harry Garvin)
Harry K. Garvin	....	camera operator: New York (as Harry Garvin)
Carlos Omar Guerra	....	first assistant camera: New York (as Carlos Guerra)
Charles Laughon	....	video assist operator
David Noble	....	second grip
Mark O'Kane	....	Steadicam operator
Mark O'Kane	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Patrick Quinn	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Gerard Sava	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Robert Sciretta	....	chief lighting technician
Derek Smith	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Kevin Smyth	....	key grip
Van Starling	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
John Verardi	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Troy N. Wade	....	dolly grip
Chris Dambra	....	rigging electrician (uncredited)
Tom Dean	....	electrician (uncredited)
Ben D. Griffith Jr.	....	rigging grip best boy: Asheville (uncredited)
Eric Jones	....	rigging key grip (uncredited)
Ben Noble	....	electrician (uncredited)
Cristiano Palermi	....	lighting technician (uncredited)
Art Schultz	....	rigging electrician (uncredited)
Art Shultz	....	electrician (uncredited)
Sean Yaple	....	video assist assistant (uncredited)

Casting Department
Marty Cherrix	....	extras casting
Kathy Driscoll	....	casting associate (as Kathleen Driscoll-Mohler)
Sylvia Fay	....	extras casting: New York
Shay Griffin	....	casting: regional (as Shay Bentley Griffin)
Jon Scott Strotheide	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lisa R. Frucht	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Lisa Frucht)
John Glaser	....	assistant costume designer
Vanessa Jenik	....	costumer (as Vanessa Carin Jenik)
Jessica S. Smith	....	costumer (as Jessica Smith)
Joel Voorhies	....	wardrobe
Pauline White-Kassulke	....	wardrobe supervisor
Deirdre N. Williams	....	wardrobe supervisor: New York (as Deirdre Williams)
Kate Sawyer	....	set costumer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Matt Friedman	....	digital assistant editor
Mo Henry	....	negative cutter
Nina Kawasaki	....	first assistant editor
Tamara McDonough	....	second assistant editor
Carrie Puchkoff	....	assistant editor
Stephen R. Sheridan	....	color timer (as Steve Sheridan)
Kelly Reese	....	dailies colorist (uncredited)

Music Department
Randall Poster	....	music supervisor
Patrick Russ	....	orchestrator
Nick South	....	music editor
Jeff Vaughn	....	score mixer
Jeff Vaughn	....	score recordist
Brian Bulman	....	assistant music editor: temp tracking (uncredited)
Sandy DeCrescent	....	orchestra contractor (uncredited)
James Raymond	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Steven Baldwin	....	transportation captain: Asheville (as Steven A. Baldwin)
Robert Gillis	....	transportation co-captain
Neil Hyman	....	transportation captain (as Neil A. Hyman)
Brian Maxwell	....	transportation captain: New York
Stacy Barnhill	....	driver (uncredited)
John McLaughlin	....	driver (uncredited)
Robert Van Apeldoorn	....	transportation (uncredited)
Charlie Wright	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Declan Baldwin	....	location manager
Jason Behrman	....	assistant: Ms. Thomas
Kurt Bonney	....	production assistant
Robert Boyd	....	production assistant
Amanda Brand	....	unit publicist
Benita Brazier	....	script supervisor
Stephen M. Corbin	....	craft service (as Stephen Corbin)
Sundy Corbin	....	craft service
David Curtis	....	production assistant
John DeSimone	....	production coordinator: New York
Carrie Durose	....	production coordinator (as CarrieDuRose)
Rachel Fish	....	production assistant
Laura Franses	....	assistant location manager: New York
Jason Frederick	....	assistant: Mr. Gibbs
Ariana Garfinkel	....	production assistant
John B. Griffin	....	location manager
J. Bradley Hennegan	....	production assistant (as John Hennegan)
Krista Jacobsen Hoey	....	assistant production coordinator: Asheville (as Krista Jacobsen-Hoey)
Lance Holland	....	assistant location manager: Asheville
Steven C. Kavovit	....	medic
Steven R. Klem	....	production assistant
Johanna Klingenberger	....	first assistant accountant
Lara Leonard	....	assistant: Ms. Bullock (as Lara L. Leonard)
Jesse Lutz	....	production secretary
Jen Roskind	....	assistant location manager: Asheville
Erin Stam	....	assistant: Mr. Topping
Anita Sum	....	assistant production coordinator: New York
Hank Troscianiec	....	production assistant
Pamela Williamson	....	first assistant accountant (as Pamela S. Williamson)
Gregor Wilson	....	production accountant
Caleb Womble	....	assistant production coordinator (as J. Caleb Womble)
Heather P. Woods	....	production assistant
Beth Bargas	....	assistant accountant (uncredited)
Dar Billingham	....	stand-in: Sandra Bullock (uncredited)
Bass Hampton	....	location assistant (uncredited)
Sean Ilnseher	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Meg MacRae	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Les McDonough	....	set production assistant (uncredited)
Frank McKenna	....	craft service (uncredited)
Thomas Parris	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Brent Ponder	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Olimpia T. Rinaldi	....	assistant accountant (uncredited)
Ryan Schaetzle	....	location assistant (uncredited)
Ben Selkow	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Chad Slagle	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Rozanne Stark	....	set tutor (uncredited)
Gail Thomas	....	adr voice (uncredited)
Jodi Tripi	....	clearance coordinator (uncredited)
Rae Umsted	....	production secretary (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• Tall Trees Productions

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (2000) (USA) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) (2000-2001) (worldwide) (all media)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (2003) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Columbia TriStar Film (2000) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films (2000) (France) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films (2000) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina (2000) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Falcon (2000) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2000) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD) (special edition)
• Columbia TriStar (200?) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (200?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (200?) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Net5 (2003) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Video (200?) (Japan) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Alterian (prosthetics)

Other Companies

• Imaginary Forces  title design
• Loop Troop  ADR group voice casting
• Pacific Title and Art Studio  opticals
• Sylvia Fay Casting  extras casting
• Sylvia Fay/Lee Genick & Associates Casting  extras casting
• Tomkats Catering  catering
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack published by

MPAA:

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

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Alberta) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:PG (British Columbia) | Malaysia:U | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:12 | USA:PG-13 (Certificate #36735) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:12 | Iceland:L | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Norway:11 | Peru:14 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | Philippines:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Asheville, North Carolina, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The band playing at Lily's ('Elizabeth Perkins') wedding is NRBQ.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In a 28 day inpatient rehabilitation center, the men and women would not only be separated but would not be allowed to have any contact with each other. Any sexual contact as depicted in the movie can greatly affect the recovery process.

Quotes:

Gwen Cummings: God, I love afternoons like this. You know what's missing in this afternoon? That I don't have a very dry vodka martini with two olives in a chilled glass. God, I miss that.
Eddie Boone: You know, lately I've been lying awake at night thinking of all the dumb-ass things I've done when i was messed up. One night last year, at dinner, I threw up all over my glazed ham. Then I was thinking, "Well, maybe nobody noticed."
Gwen Cummings: I don't think of it as a garnish.
Eddie Boone: Yeah, I'm a winner. Oh, God. You know what the worse one was? For me? My best friend in the whole world. Grew up playing ball, hunting and fishing. One Sunday morning, he walks in on me and his wife in bed. You never live that one down. Tell me one of yours.
Gwen Cummings: Excuse me?
Eddie Boone: What's the worse thing you ever did when you were messed up.
Gwen Cummings: Oh... Uh. I don't know
Eddie Boone: Oh, come on. Give me a couple, I'll pick one.
Gwen Cummings: I don't really remember any.
Eddie Boone: I just told you some stuff that's... you know.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Office: Initiation (#3.5)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

The Drinking Song

Tipsily overindulges its themes

There is a a very important message at the heart of this Betty Thomas film: Self Control from Indulgent excesses. The problem: the film itself tipsily overindulges its themes by balancing good drama with over-acting and imbalanced doses of comedy.

In a sense, the film knew it was dealing with touchy subject matter when it highlighted the realities of rehab in NY, but why did it need to purposefully throw in the stereotypical comedic archetypes - the viking accented Alan Tursdysk, or O'Malley's strapdown one liners, or for that matter, the debonair English accented intelligent metro lover in Dom West? Perhaps it was in 2000, and you needed to sell films that way to appeal to their target audience of teenagers who did weed and drank too much, but the fact is, when you have Steve Buscemi, Sandra Bullock and Viggo Mortensen in a film you can afford to push the drama-reality envelope and go in that direction.

In fact, the film's best moments are when Thomas does this- in a series of flashbacks to let the audience get in sync and depth with Bullock's character. And, there are scenes where the comedy can be done appropriately and in concordance with the film's thematic content- such as the skit at the end for Azura Skye's character. Sadly, these good moves are coupled with some really tipsy flaws, including the ending where Mortensen's character meets the soap star. Bullock's character also undergoes way too quick a character change (for 28 days) if one was to really nitpick.

However, the themes in this film make this a film i would still recommend to youth and young people. Azura Skye's character's loneliness, depression and suicide are genuinely depicted, and the fragile and important message of hope and redemption amid the perfunctory nature of life in the rehab centre that are celebrated in the plot really help this film regain its footing. When Bullock's character realises that this (the pills and drugs) was not a way to live, and Mortensen addresses her insecurities of not being able to do a single thing right, the film touches significant depths and strikes the chords of viewers. My personal favourite was the scene were Lizzy Perkins' character acknowledges the flaws of hers and her sister's lives and establishes love and hope in reconciliation. You see, it is the film's ability to reach such levels that I know this film suffered from tipsily overindulging its themes-trying to tie in too much to everyone- from being a comedy to a drama.