"Eight Days a Week," a barely-released teen comedy made in 1997 and now on video everywhere, has one major selling point, and that is Keri Russell, star of TV's "Felicity." Without her, the film would probably still be tucked away into obscurity, and it's easy to see why. In the far-fetched story of an unpopular teenage boy (Josh Schaeffer) who decides to live right outside the home of his true love (Keri Russell) all summer until he wins her heart, the film is painfully obvious and opts to usually be silly rather than honest. Only a few of the more quiet scenes shine through, hinting at a dramatic turnaround that could possibly save the movie, but the exploitative, thoroughly unsatisfying ending only serves to unmask the absolute shallowness of not only the film, but the director, as well.

© 1999 by Dustin Putman