28 Days (2000)
Speed made Sandra Bullock famous, but the image of that hip, new girl didn't last long because of the abundance of mainstream films that followed that first success. 28 days is a star vehicle for an actress who wants something different without giving up her position as a mainstream star.
The surprising thing about this comedy-drama about an alcoholic in rehab, skillfully directed by Betty Thomas (Private parts, The Brady bunch) and with a certain visual flair, is that the rather transparent set-up still works out quite well.
Bullock is Gwen Cummings, an arrogant bitch with an enormous ego and an alcohol problem, who drives a 'borrowed' car into the front of a house during her sister's wedding and then gets to choose: go to prison or rehab (28 days ).
At heart, however, she remains a vain snob, who looks down not only on 'normal' people, but also on the addicts she meets in the clinic. At least until she realizes that she herself has lost control of her life.
In the end, Gwen makes a virtue out of necessity, but it is more calculated than heartfelt, a means to an end, in order to survive and get her life back. That insight gives the film a sharper edge than you would expect.
The screenplay by Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich) contains a large number of sarcastic one-liners that a strong and remarkably easy acting Bullock can handle very well.
However, the minor characters remain sketchy at best: the talents of Steve Buscemi, Elizabeth Perkins and Marianne Jean-Baptiste are certainly not optimally used.
The story cleverly avoids some pitfalls and then Galls into others (the inevitable death-by-overdose scene), making the star turn better than the movie as a whole.