One recent morning, by accident, I dropped a couple of pieces of my fresh pineapple in the milk I had poured for my banana. It curdled. 28 Days' director, Betty Thomas (Private Parts, Doctor Dolittle (1998), The Brady Bunch Movie), gets a similar result when she tries to mix situation comedy with the very serious business of drug dependency rehabilitation. Based on the skills displayed in her feature film directorial attempts so far, I'm sure that she was more successful as an actress on television in Hill Street Blues, even though I never did watch that show regularly. I am especially concerned about her next project, The Dreyfuss Affair, a controversial and popular book that has had a very troubled journey on its trip from the page to the movie screen. I can't even guess what any producer saw in any of her previous films that would suggest that she is the right person for this particular project, but I'm still glad that the film seems likely to finally get made. I'm hoping for the best..

28 Days claims to be a comedy/drama. I consider it simply a comedic take on serious issues and it just doesn't work. The plot has Gwen (Sandra Bullock) get drunk, get arrested, get sent to a Betty Ford like rehab center for 28 Days. Most of the remainder of the 100 or so minutes takes place at the rehab center.

I have been a Sandra Bullock fan from Love Potion No. 9 and Demolition Man on up thru Speed, While You Were Sleeping, A Time To Kill, Hope Floats, and Forces of Nature. I even forgive her for Two If By Sea, if not Gun Shy, but 28 Days really wasn't a good choice for her. For it to follow so closely on the heels of the totally wretched Gun Shy makes me wonder if she doesn't need a new agent. For a change, now, I'd like to see her play a more restrained individual in a film that she didn't have to carry alone. She has proven that her popularity will "open" a movie, but each of her recent successes has done a little less boxoffice on its first weekend than the last did. Her character in 28 Days does have an arc and her performance is good, but the silly drunk parts at the beginning were not fun to watch. The trailer sets up the situation just as well in two minutes as the film does in its first 20 minutes, and I grew impatient waiting to see something that I wasn't already familiar with! Also, maybe it's just me, but I don't find loud drunks funny or loveable...

Viggo Mortensen(A Walk On The Moon, A Perfect Murder, GI Jane, and the upcoming trilogy of The Lord Of The Rings) co-stars as baseball pitcher Eddie Boone, another "guest" at the rehab center who becomes romantically involved with Gwen. He looks great here and is completely convincing. Expect lots more from him.

It is also nice to see Elizabeth Perkins (The Doctor) as Gwen's sister. She deserves more work.

Exit polls indicate a pretty even split between viewers that liked this film and those who didn't.

Count me among the "didn't"!

Wayne Case works in the film industry in Hollywood, and still can't help himself - he loves the movies.

Got a problem? Email Wayne at filmmonthly@hotmail.com