Lauren Garret is a Newyorker expert in efficiency, she runs a podcast called “ The
27-Hour Day” in which, she teaches how to save time in almost every aspect of life.
Lauren is obsessed with time control, she has every single activity in her day scheduled:
her meetings, her meditation session, the time to interact with her followers,
and even the time to eat. That day Lauren comes to work pretty excitedly, and her personal
assistant reminds her of activities for the day. Among them is a meeting with Barbara Davrow,
our main character can’t believe they are meeting but she is eager to join this woman,
who is currently the leading self-help expert for women. Although she wants to get new ideas
from Barbara, Lauren hopes to talk about Davrow’s speaking tour, which she wants to take part in.
In Meadowland Retreat we know the West family, Jack, his mother, and her sister. They are
signing a contract to double the retreat size so the family is delighted. Back in New York,
Lauren and Barbara are reunited, discussing the evolution of women's self-help industry,
while the former compliments Lauren saying that she is accessible and encouraging,
and that she is always creating new content, which flatters the brand’s owner. Lauren then adds that
she is entirely committed to teaching women how to save time, in that way they could do more. Barbara
shows her excitement, and says that she is looking for female leaders who can inspire the audience,
and even though the girl is willing to join her mission, Barbara asks her what has she done with
all the saved time. Lauren quickly answers, that she put it in the brand and used it to do more,
but as the woman says everything she made, Barbara watches her with a critical look,
and tells her that in the world of business, it is easy to get stressed out so she has to make a
work-life balance. This comment puzzles Lauren, who affirms she is not through burnout, but
the meeting is interrupted because an assistant calls Barbara, so she says that they could round
up the reunion some weeks later, because she is going to her summer house to take some time off,
and recommends Lauren put herself first. The girl reaffirms that she is not losing herself,
and while she is stammering she thanks Mrs. Davrow for the opportunity, but we see a hue
of disillusionment on her face. After telling her assistant what happened in the meeting with
Mrs. Davrow, Lauren realizes that she only works and doesn't relax, so the girl recommends taking
the next week off. As they have recorded the episodes, the podcast will be fully covered.
Later that night, Lauren calls her mother, who is really eager to meet
her and asks about the meeting with Barbara. The girl tells her mother it was really good,
and that Barbara is a fan of her firm, the woman congratulates her daughter and says how
happy she is to hear her voice. After the call, Lauren realizes how hurriedly she is living,
so she decides to book a room in Meadowlawn Retreat in Montana. The woman is on the phone
until she loses the signal, she finds really hard to put it down. When arriving at the retreat,
the receptionist explains she has to leave her electronic devices there, she also mentions that
they don’t use clocks, to encourage the guests to get in touch with their internal clocks. At first,
is difficult for Lauren to forget about her gadgets, but she soon won’t miss them.
While Jack is doing the laundry, an old friend of the family arrives in his truck. The old man
greets Jack and tells him he has found a little pig that was hurt, but now it is recovering so
he leaves the animal there in the countryside with the guy. While Lauren is going for a walk
through the retreat, she bumps into Jack and the pig. They get strike in conversation. The
man notices that the girl hasn’t had a vacation in a while so his recommendation is to breathe.
Although Lauren doesn’t seem convinced, she says she’ll work on that and leaves.
At night, all the guests and the owners are sitting around a campfire,
they introduce themselves, and the owners give them journals
to register their experience there. Back in her room, our protagonist
receives a visit from Jack’s mother. She mentiones that she has her own podcast,
so the lady gives her a recording machine, which Lauren instantly uses to record voice notes.
On the next day, the group is collecting berries together, when one of the girls
recognizes Lauren Garret, because she is a 27-Hour Day fan. Although Lauren is flattered,
she also feels a bit anxious and uncomfortable, so she takes a deep breath to relax. Then Ayla,
Jack’s sister, suggests her going to the lake, which is a perfect activity to relax.
In the meantime, Jack and his mother are taking a look at the expansion blueprint.
Jack is eager to make the expansion but his mother isn't. She claims that will entail a lot of work,
and if they are overwhelmed, they won’t be a good example for their guests.
Lauren takes the girl’s advice, so she takes a ride in a canoe. She reads a book in the middle
of the lake, but she then notices that the paddle has fallen, so she can’t move. At that moment,
Jack shows up with another canoe and mocks her. He jokes about the lost paddle, and tells her she
will get a sunburn. The guy takes the paddle and when he gives it to Lauren, he asks if the book
has a chapter about how to relax. The girl looks at him and asks if it bothers him that she wants
to be productive. The boy replies that it doesn’t, and adds that he hopes she does things she likes,
not just to cross them out in a list. As the man leaves, the woman thinks of his words.
When Jack is checking the blueprint with his mother,
he receives a phone call from the contractor, telling him that the deal isn’t closed yet,
which worries the man because they are about to start with the construction. Anyway,
the guy offers Jack the opportunity to give a presentation on Thursday.
That night everyone enjoys dinner and after that, they play board games,
but Lauren is alone knitting. Therefore, Jack heads toward her and invites her to join him,
the girl accepts and Jack holds her hand. They go to a section where there are hammocks. They lie
there and admire the beautiful starry sky. Jack mentions that she looks a bit more relaxed now
that when she arrived, and he affirms that as the days pass by she will be even more relaxed. Then,
when the guy is leaving to take care of the pig, Lauren thanks him and the man smiles at the woman.
On the next day, the group is in a painting lesson outdoors. The goal of the activity is to catch the
essence of the landscape in the way they like the most, but Lauren is frustrated because she can’t
get the picture as she wants. Ayla then recommends her to go smaller and then bigger. At that moment,
Jack is having a meeting with an old family friend, who congratulates him
for the expansion of the retreat. He also asks Jack if he wanted to be a doctor, and at that
moment we know that Jack’s dream was to become a vet. The boy went to Cornell but unfortunately,
his father got sick so he had to drop his studies and come back home to help his mother
and sister. The old man mentions that despite the tough moments, they are still in business
and in expansion. He then adds that Jack’s father would have been really proud of him.
Back in the establishment, Lauren is taking a stroll, while talking to herself out loud as if
she was recording an episode for the podcast. Then, she stops at the pig farmyard and Jack
appears. The man explains that the animal will be there until she recovers from a hurt hoof. Lauren
mentions the pig is a guest just like her, the guy laughs and as an excuse to spend more time with
the girl, Jack invites her to play with the little piglet. They have a wonderful time together, the
man says that she gets on well with the pig, but Lauren claims that she is not an animal person,
and says the guy is a heavy animal whisperer, he always wants to help others. They both laugh and
enjoy the moment, but their meeting is interrupted by one of the girls in the group who invites
Lauren to join her in the hammocks. Anyway, Jack is cheerful and keeps smiling as Lauren leaves.
Lauren falls asleep in the hammock, when she wakes up and goes to the kitchen,
she finds Jack doing the washing up. The man gives her a dish of food but Lauren is more interested
in how he loads the dishwasher, because he does it in the same way she does. The girl mentions
they might not be so different after all, the guy chuckles and says he checked her website,
plus he knows she is an efficiency expert. Then we know that Lauren started this lifestyle
when she was a twelve-year-old girl because her father passed away, and her mother had to work,
so there were many things to do but not enough time. Jack listens to her attentively and then
he jokes about the girl mocking his way of washing the dishes. Both laugh,
and while sharing some ice cream they continue laughing and enjoying themselves.
On the following day, Ayla is making a model of the retreat because Jack has
a presentation for investors. Lauren joins her and they talk about relationship. Ayla
has been with her boyfriend since high school. Then, Jack’s sister asks about her dating life,
but Lauren is not a dating person. Ayla mentions that she reminds her of Jack,
who is also reluctant to date, but when she says this, an expression
on Lauren’s face makes Ayla think that she might be interested in her brother.
Unfortunately, the farmyard gate was open, so the piglet reached the model and destroyed it.
Although she is a guest and should be relaxing, she offers to help Jack fix everything. The man
doesn’t want her to work but the help is needed, plus both enjoy spending time together. Thanks to
Lauren's skills, they were able to finish the job on time. To show his gratitude,
Jack invites the woman to have some drinks and she accepts. They drink wine sitting by the lake,
and Lauren asks Jack about his childhood. He says that he lived in the retreat since Ayla’s
birth with his family. Jack also mentions that the retreat was his father’s idea,
a beautiful place to unwind and relax so he has been carrying his dream. Lauren points out that
she’s taken a lot from Meadowlawn, and now she is more grateful. They raises a toast in honor
of Jack’s dad and the investors. That night, Lauren is in her bedroom, and realizes that
she is developing real friendships in that quiet place, she feels more alive than ever.
The next morning, Lauren is walking the pig when she bumps into the veterinarian in town.
She is there to take pictures of the piglet for the adoption flyer. They start a friendly
conversation. The woman says that she knows Jack since he was a little child, and mentions that
Jack wanted to finish vet school but when his father passed away, he jumped into the business
without hesitation. These words keep ringing in Lauren's mind, and she looks worried. When the
presentation finishes, Jack joins the group in the kitchen. While they are cooking Lauren pokes fun
at his way of cutting vegetables. They are getting along better and better as time passes. Jack’s
mother puts a brownie cake in the oven and all the guests go outside to take fresh air and play games
while the food cooks. All of a sudden, they hear a beeping sound. They instantly recognize it as
the smoke alarm. Everyone rushes to the kitchen just to find the cake is completely burnt, but
Lauren encourages them to prepare a replacement with the stuff available in the kitchen. With
just a bunch of ingredients, Lauren makes a delicious dessert, that all love. They even
ask for the recipe which Lauren mentions is her mother’s. At that moment her expression changes.
She seems kind of wistful, and Jack asks her if she is okay. She assures everything is fine.
The Wests and the group go camping, they set up the tents and prepare the food station. While the
guests are resting, Ayla and Jack are cooking for them, Ayla tells Jack that she is happy, because
he is smiling after a long time. Although the guy says it is because of the expansion, Ayla knows
that is for Lauren. She encourages her brother to initiate the next step, but Jack refuses by saying
that Lauren livs far away. At night they are all around a campfire singing songs happily, and Jack
and Lauren exchange glances. When everyone goes to sleep they remain by the fireside,
joke around and at that moment both realize their feelings for each other. Jack tells her she is not
like other guests, he has met thousands of them but no one is like her. Then he mentions that he
doesn’t usually go on camping trips to which Lauren replies that she doesn’t usually slow
down. Jack turns back at her, look Lauren in the eyes, and says that maybe he is a bad influence,
but Lauren claims that he may be exactly what she needs. Jack slowly leans on the girl while looking
sweetly into her eyes, Lauren closes her eyes, and they kiss each other under the moonlight.
Coming back to the retreat, Jack is in the living room with his mother when his phone
rings. It is the contractor. To Jack’s dismay, he gives him the bad news. The
contractor couldn’t convince the investors, and they’ll invest in a different place. Jack
constrains himself. His mother asks about the call, but he lies in order to not to worry her,
because without that investment, they won’t be able to carry out the expansions.
At the Honey Fest, the group and the Wests are having a wonderful time, even the pig is
getting adopted by a little girl and her father. At night, Jack and Lauren dance together enjoying
a lovely evening. The woman says she has to ask him something. As soon as she is about to pose
the question, she sees her idol Barbara Devrow at the festival, Lauren excuses herself and heads to
Mrs. Devrow. Barbara tells Lauren that she goes to the Honey Fest every summer, and points out that
she is surprised to find her there. Lauren claims that she took her words seriously and as a result
of which, she is spending that week in a retreat. Above that, she came to know herself better;
a person who is ever-ready to help. Barbara asks Lauren to call her when she gets back in New York.
Back in the retreat, Lauren tells Jack that she thinks Barbara is going to ask her to join the
speaking tour, but as she is a different person now, she doesn’t know what to do. After that,
she suddenly asks Jack the question she wanted to ask in the Honey Fest:
if he has ever thought about going back to vet school. This comes as a surprise,
but he says no, because it was a decision he had left behind, a long time ago. He adds
that he is going to double the size of the establishment, so he can’t just walk away,
or write a blog about that. After listening to his words, Lauren feels upset and hurt. Before
leaving, she says that she only wants to help him, and also tells him not to let his life pass by.
The week in Meadowlawn goes by, and she gets her devices back. Before leaving. she bumps
into Jack. The woman apologizes for what she said the night before. Jack says that he really
appreciates her words. Deep down inside, he wonders what if he had become a vet, but now,
the retreat is his life. Lauren looks him in the eyes and says that he sounds just like
her when she had first come here. They share a friendly hug. She hopes Jack to be happy,
and when she is ready to leave, Jack tells her to have a nice trip.
Jack’s mother talks to him and tells him that she already knows about the investment agreement
falling through, and asks why he didn’t tell her. Jack says that he didn’t want to worry her,
and adds that he wants to take care of her and Ayla. His mother simply
asks him what is it that he wants for himself. Jack ponders over the question.
Back in New York, Lauren calls Barbara and declines her offer,
because it involves sacrifices that she is not willing to make. When she gives the news,
her assistant cannot believe it. Lauren explains that the last week changed her life and her way
of thinking, so she is going to make changes in the firm, even if that means starting over.
Then, to her mother's surprise, Lauren visits her unannounced. The woman tells her mother
that she lived that way, without slowing down, and doing everything in the less possible time,
just to live up to her example. But her mother is really proud of her,
she mentions that she would never be disappointed by her daughter.
After that, they enjoy a warm chat outdoors while drinking some wine.
Now at home, Lauren is recording the journey of her years for her
podcast. She highlights that the tips she gives are to save time in the activities,
to then use it to continue working. However, she is now rebranding the firm, and the efficiency
tips will be from now on to save time, to spend and share more time with family and friends,
or even practice a hobby that makes people feel alive. Finally, Lauren explains that she was
always living in a rush, and never enjoyed the important moments that made her happy.
In Medowlawn Retreat, Jack is signing the contract to scale down the establishment.
Although he is a bit disappointed, her mother tells him to relax, she mentions that his father
would be delighted and gives him a gift. Within a brown little box, there is his father’s watch,
the mother says she is excited about him, and assures that she and Ayla will be fine.
Contrary to what Lauren thought, The 27-Hour Day grew overnight, and now loads of advertisers are
really interested in the firm. Lauren is relaxed reading a book in the park,
when suddenly Jack shows up. The girl is surprised and happy at the same time. Jack explains he is
going back to Cornell to study, but he wanted to say hello first. Her assistant told him she could
be found there. The man states that she was right about doing things you desire while you still have
the time. Lauren asks how far is Cornell from there, and it turns out that it is just a quick
flight. They smile happily, and the movie ends with Jack and Lauren lovingly kissing each other.