Four Good Days Plot Synopsis
Four Good Days tells the story of drug addict Molly and her attempts to get clean with the help of her mother. But as anybody who has ever suffered from an addiction problem will know, staying clean isn’t easy. Throughout this emotional movie, Molly is faced with various obstacles that make her journey towards recovery very difficult. Does she manage to stay clean? All will be explained below.
How does ‘Four Good Days’ begin?
The movie opens with Molly, currently in the throes of addiction, turning up at her mother’s door. At first, Deb, her mother, is unwilling to let Molly in as the young addict has a history of stealing and lying. But after spending the night outside, Molly is able to convince her mum that she is ready to get professional help. Deb takes her daughter to a detox centre where they are informed of a new medication that can help Molly on her road to recovery. Molly agrees to take this treatment but before it can be safely administered, she needs to spend the next four days clean of drugs. Deb agrees to take Molly in and support her daughter during this time but the next four days are not easy for either of them.
Is Deb able to help her daughter?
Deb does what she can to offer Molly support but her job isn’t an easy one. Molly is sometimes resistant to the steps Deb has taken to keep her daughter safe, such as installing a beeper on a door that alerts Deb to Molly’s comings and goings. Deb is constantly suspicious too. Every time Molly’s phone rings, she suspects it might be a drug dealer. And when she leaves the house without Molly, she is worried that her daughter might be stealing from her or using drugs again. Still, Deb does what she can to look after Molly, despite the difficult situation she has been faced with. However, before the end of the four days is up, the two women get into an argument and Molly decides to stay elsewhere.
What causes the argument between Molly and Deb?
The day before she is due to attend her medical appointment, Molly tells Deb that she has had a phone call from the clinic telling her the treatment has been postponed. Deb doesn’t believe her daughter and worries that she might not be serious about breaking free from her addiction problem. They get into a fight and it ends with Molly leaving the house and going to stay at her ex-husband’s home. Before leaving, she tells Deb that she will return on the morning of the appointment, which is now two more days away.
Does Molly stay clean?
As agreed, Molly shows up back at her mother’s door on the day of the appointment. But before they leave to get the treatment, Molly asks Deb for a urine sample. As such, it is clear that Molly hasn’t been able to stay clean. As her own urine sample would demonstrate signs of drug use, Molly’s only hope is to fake her sample with that of her mothers. Molly reveals news of her relapse to the understandably distraught Deb. However, Molly is adamant that she does want to get help so Deb agrees to provide a urine sample.
Does Molly get the treatment she needs?
Yes, but as she has drugs in her system, she has a severe reaction to the medication and goes into acute withdrawal. It then becomes a life or death situation when Molly is rushed to the hospital but thankfully, she survives the trauma that has taken place within her body.
Does Molly turn her life around?
After the scenes in the hospital have been played out, the movie jumps four months into the future. We learn that Molly has been taking the medication that helps her to stay clean and she looks like a completely different person as a consequence. It would appear that Molly has turned her life around although there is a sense of doubt when she tells Deb that she has postponed her monthly treatment injection. This gives her a window to use drugs again but whether she does or not, we never get to know. But as the movie is loosely based on the true story of Amanda Wendler, it can be assumed that Molly does turn her life around. As Wendler says in this article: Here’s hoping that all worked out for Molly in the end and that Deb was finally able to breathe peacefully herself, knowing that her daughter had managed to remain clean. As all addicts will know, of course, staying free of addiction is a daily battle but as there are success stories out there, such as Wendler’s, there is hope for those who are struggling. Read More: Four Good Days Movie Review
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