Release: Sabbatical Recovery

Sabbatical Recovery
Genre: Drama/Comedy
Director: Mike Mills
Writer: H.G. Hansen
Cast: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Jason Bateman, Kate McKinnon, Noah Wyle, Fiona Shaw, Columbus Short




Budget: $24,000,000
Domestic Box Office: $16,130,402
Foreign Box Office: $10,447,975
Total Profit: -$26,188,503

Reaction: There goes the streak of five consecutive profitable films, including two dramas. It’s hard to see exactly why this one performed so poorly at the box office, but we at the studio suspect that Tobey Maguire may not have the same kind of draw at the box office that he once had and the film’s subject matter isn’t exactly a marketing department’s dream come true.

“Despite being labeled as a drama/comedy, there is little to no comedy to be found here. The film tries to tackle sensitive subjects like suicide, rape and AIDS, but doesn’t handle them with much subtlety. It was a serious drama with a couple slightly light-hearted moments, but that doesn't exactly say comedy to me. If the filmmakers would have simply on the drama they may have been able to more successfully walk the tightrope they put themselves on with their chosen material.” - Lisa Winger, Newsday

“I’m not usually one to have issues with more depressing subject matter. The problem with Sabbatical Recovery though is that the characters themselves are so depressed and negative about their lives that it begins to wear thin pretty quickly. The actors did a good job with the material, but I would say I had a problem with the material they were given.” - Janelle Arbor, Vogue

“It’s been a while since Tobey Maguire has graced the big screen, and here in Sabbatical Recovery he is given a showy role to show off his talents. He wrings every ounce of energy out of the role, easily giving the film’s best performance.” - Richard Park, Globe and Mail

Rated R for language, some sexual content and strong thematic elements