- Sandra Bullock (Gwen Cummings)
- Dominic West (Jasper)
- Viggo Mortensen (Eddie Boone)
28 Days is one of the first movies that comes to mind regarding alcohol use disorder, and treatment. It’s a good go-to story that gives a snapshot of how alcohol dependency inserts itself in your day-to-day life, and takes control.
Gwen drinks a lot and comes home late one night with live-in boyfriend Jasper, falling in to bed. Waking up late the next morning Gwen realizes that she is now running late for her sister Lily’s wedding, where she is to be a bridesmaid. First thing she does is to have another drink before getting ready to go. With Jasper in tow they stumble in to a taxi and keep drinking on the way to Lily’s house. When I was drinking I relate to needing a drink first thing in the morning just to get going, and to wanting to continue drinking throughout the day just to maintain momentum.
At the wedding reception, Gwen and Jasper continue to fuel each other’s excessive alcohol consumption, and their erratic behavior is obvious to everyone at the event. Gwen eventually falls over on the dance floor and smashes the wedding cake flat to the floor. In her drunken state she decides she can fix the situation, and steals the bridal limousine in search of a cake shop. Along the way she swerves and misses other cars on the road, before veering through a front yard and smashing through the verandah of a house. As a result, the court orders Gwen in to rehab (or jail) for 28 days.
Gwen knows that she drinks a lot but doesn’t believe it’s a problem, and that if she decides it is an issue that she could stop drinking on her own. For Gwen to make any progress, she has to acknowledge that she has a problem. During her 28 days she develops a bond with staff and other patients that are dealing with their own dependency issues. While mostly dramatic, there is a blend of humor to keep the story moving.
During rehab visits, the ever-enabling Jasper sneaks in both drugs and alcohol for Gwen, continuing his normal way of life and not appreciating the reason Gwen is in rehab. While initially implicit in wanting pills and alcohol, Gwen eventually refuses Jasper’s continued supply. During my drinking days I would always find ways to hide alcohol and have a ready supply in situations where it wasn’t available to purchase, so I recognize myself in Jasper.
Gwen needs to reconcile with her sister, but Lily believes Gwen’s addictions make her difficult, if not impossible, to love. Lily also reveals that Gwen made a speech at the wedding reception that humiliated her and her new husband, yet Gwen has no recollection of that speech. This type of memory loss when drinking excessively was common for me, so I find this scene really relevant and accurate.
The sisters eventually bond and realize that Gwen more closely resembles her larger than life mother, who lived and died as an alcoholic when they were children, and that Lily hasn’t been there for her. This constantly drunk mother character in the movie closely represents my experience of having a drunk for a father, as a child.
Following the 28 days of rehab, Gwen realizes Jasper won’t change and she cannot be with him if she has any chance of remaining sober. This begins to explore the idea that we need to surround ourselves with the right people for success.
