"It isn't how you get there, it's what you do along the way that counts."
"It isn't how you get there, it's what you do along the way that counts."
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Director: Richard LaGravenese Screenplay: Richard LaGravenese & Steven Rogers Genre: Drama - Romance Country: USA Certification: 12+ Language: English Released: 12th May, 2008 (DVD)
MAIN CAST:
Hilary Swank (Holly Kennedy) Gerard Butler (Gerry Kennedy) Lisa Kudrow (Denise Hennessey) Gina Gershon (Sharon McCarthy) James Marsters (John McCarthy) Kathy Bates (Patricia Rawley) Harry Connick Jr. (Daniel Connelly)
Holly and Gerry are the perfect couple - they have their ups and downs, they get into silly arguments that are almost always blown out of proportion, but when it comes down to the nitty-gritty, the love they share is flawless and unwavering.
When Gerry dies from a brain tumour, Holly is devastated and slowly sinks deeper and deeper into depression - until, on her birthday, she receives a letter from Gerry telling her he wants her to get dressed and go celebrate her birthday with her friends. Shaken from her depression, Holly does as he asks and goes out with her friends to celebrate her birthday.
As the days and weeks go by, Holly receives more letters from Gerry, each one of them asking her to perform a certain task, and every one of them signed; P.S. I Love You. Following the instructions
on the letters, Holly's depression slowly lifts, and, with Gerry's guidance, she learns how to enjoy life once again…
'P.S. I Love You' is an incredibly heart-warming film, and a great cinematic achievement in unpretentious storytelling.
As you will have guessed by the title, the movie is a weepy so make sure you have a box of tissues at hand - what the title doesn't tell you is that it will make you smile and laugh as well as make you wish that all the characters in the movie were real.
This is such a profound and thought-provoking movie, yet it is based on a very simple storyline… the loss of a loved one. Holly's grief is one that people can relate to, one that we will all, at some point or another in our lives, experience… simply because everything in life is temporary, including life itself.
The writers have woven such a beautiful story, and have managed to go one step further by giving depth to each of the characters in the story. The characters are so incredibly diverse, so quirky and flawed, and so very human that you can't help but relate to at least one of them, to recognise a sister here or an uncle there, or perhaps even a parent with similar quirks… the characters possess depth, heart and soul, and work perfectly together to create an unforgettable story.
There is an atmosphere to this movie, but it isn't one you will easily have guessed from the title… the atmosphere is one of levity, of hope… one that cradles you when you are weeping and holds you through the sadness until you once again find the heart to smile. It is an atmosphere unlike any other, it isn't foreboding or heavy, it doesn't cling or overwhelm - it's more like a shadow that crosses the screen, forever changing as sadness and happiness intermingle, never depressing, and never, ever, constricting. The atmosphere matches the mood, it has been woven into each individual scene, therefore, amidst the tears you can also expect a moment of happiness, a smile and even a witty comment that will make you laugh in earnest. Expect the unexpected.
Hilary Swank is such an accomplished actress, and she has proven once again that she can play any role, even one as emotionally complicated as this one. Holly is a complex character, one that possesses a depth that is totally opposite to her façade. The Holly you see at the beginning of the movie isn't the Holly of her youth - Gerry will force her to remember who she once was, to remember the Holly he fell in love with and travelled halfway across the world to marry. Hilary Swank has managed to give us both Holly's, the insecure woman who wants more from life than what she has, and the Holly who saw only beauty in life and was content with the life she had. Both Holly's are imperfect, needless to say that we, as humans, are all imperfect, but never have these imperfections made a character more loveable… more human.
Gerard Butler - what can I say… he is the epitome of the 'perfect' man, which is, in itself, a farce because he is just so darned imperfect! It isn't the things he says or does, it isn't even the way he looks… it's the way he loves Holly… that's what makes him so darned loveable… there is just so much depth to his feelings, such certainty that she's the only one. Although the opportunity presents itself on numerous occasions, Gerry simply doesn't get angry - I don't think he actually knows how - and even on his deathbed, knowing that he will be leaving behind his true love, his only thoughts were of Holly, and his concern for her drove him to draw out a plan that would guide her through her first year without him and help her overcome her grief. Gerry's selflessness and overwhelming sense of humour set the tone throughout the movie, and it is he, long after he is gone, who chases the gloom and fills us all with hope.
'P.S. I Love You' is a magnificent movie, superbly acted, expertly directed, and possessing such wonderfully witty dialogue that it is almost a work of art. It plays on the viewer's emotions, forcing a reaction, and never detracts from its objective… to inch its way into the viewer's heart.
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Based on the best-selling novel from Cecelia Ahern,P.S. I Love Youis far more than the ... more
standard chick flick that it may first appear to be. Relocating the novel from Ireland to America, multiple Oscar-winner Hilary Swank stars as the young woman who ha...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Based on the best-selling novel from Cecelia Ahern,P.S. I Love Youis far more than the ... more
standard chick flick that it may first appear to be. Relocating the novel from Ireland to America, multiple Oscar-winner Hilary Swank stars as the young woman who ha...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
![P.S. I Love You [DVD] [2008]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78691190.jpg "P.S. I Love You [DVD] [2008]")
Jun 10th, 2008
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