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As the opioid epidemic continues to rage on, more and more families find themselves struggling with a loved one’s addiction. And in Four Good Days, a mother and daughter try to work together to get a young addict’s life back on track.
Four Good Days struggles with addiction and withdrawal with Molly (Mila Kunis), a long-time addict who’s fighting for recovery. When she shows up at home, begging for another chance, her mom, Deb (Glenn Close), drives Molly to the detox center that she’s frequented over the last decade. But when the center’s doctor gives Molly the option of a monthly shot that could help her get clean—as long as the drugs have been out of her system for a full week—Deb takes her home to help her get through four critical days.
Though opiate addiction can take on a variety of different forms, Four Good Days tackles the most obvious form. Molly isn’t a suburban housewife who’s stealing from her friends’ medicine cabinets or a wealthy teen who started using at parties. Her addiction started out innocently enough—with pain medication prescribed for an injury—and grew out of control. Molly can’t keep her addiction hidden. She’s living on the streets, stealing and fighting for her next high. She’s lost her children, she’s hurt her family, and she’s destroyed herself both physically and mentally, time and time again. And her story will break your heart.
Really, though, this isn’t Molly’s story; it’s Deb’s. It isn’t about the damage that Molly has done to herself but about the pain and guilt that her mother has endured—and the toll it’s taken on the family. It’s about the hope that this time might be different, mixed with the fear that it’s still the same. When Deb refuses to let Molly back into the house, it’s just as painful—if not more—for her than it is for Molly. The years have taught her to be cautious and suspicious—to keep her daughter at a distance—yet she feels guilty for not welcoming her with open arms. And she worries that, somehow, she’s to blame for all of it. There is so much to explore here, and both performances bring all of those feelings to the surface.
All of the pain and hope and fear and difficult choices make Four Good Days an emotionally taxing experience. It’s painful to watch, and it’ll leave viewers feeling exhausted. But it’s also an eye-opening film about some of the painful realities of addiction.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
