77 Days, a short from first time director Shailene Garnett, tells the story of a woman returning home to her family after a stint in rehab. The family has been through a lot with Shay and her time in rehab is the latest in a long series of attempts to heal. In returning to her family, including her son, Shay has to figure out a way to mend relationships and discover what it means to be a present and active parent for the first time.

Director Shailene Garnett also stars in the film and both her direction and performance are strong. The direction is efficient and straight forward and her performance contains the nuance required to tell a story of this scope in such a brief runtime. There is not a lot of room for development here but 77 Days manages to present a number of perspectives and moral dilemmas that feel honest and rooted in real experiences. That sense of realism is where the film finds its success, making it a sneak peek into the life of what could be the family next door.

[star v=35]