When this first came out, I didn’t want to see this because I’d heard it misled you into thinking it was a feel-good movie, but instead was a tearjerker. So, I watched it against my initial better judgment and discovered that it was both.

Part of the sadness was a sweet sadness of imagining how much Gerry loved Holly soooo much that instead of feeling sorry for himself with his impending death, he took the time and trouble of making an elaborate plan, including daily letters and a vacation to help his wife cope with his death.

They say that the seemingly contradictory reason for when we cry at weddings, births, or other “joyous” events, is that we are crying at the glimpse of an ideal happiness that is just out of reach. Well I admit that I cried in parts of this movie. It was partly because of Hillary Swank’s great acting that made me feel her pain. It was also partly due to a glimpse of that perfect, selfless love that her husband had for her and for the perfect marriage that they seemed to have had. That such a perfect man or perfect marriage really does exist is highly unlikely, but like a fairy tale, P.S., I Love You makes you want to believe it’s possible.

The Acting

Unlike some actresses, say like, Meg Ryan, Hillary Swank doesn’t make me say, “Oh, here’s another Hillary Swank movie.” She is very versatile. I’ve enjoyed her variety of roles from dedicated, caring high school teacher to dedicated, tough boxer – and both were very believable. In P.S., I Love You she plays a feminine, idealistic, vulnerable widow very convincingly. In fact, it was a bit emotionally exhausting to follow her through her wide range of emotions – grief, anger, flirtatiousness, happiness, shyness, love, confusion, etc, etc.

Her female support network consisted of her mother, Kathy Bates, and her two best friends, Denise and Sharon, played by Lisa Kudrow and Gina Gershon. They were supportive in a very general, “let’s hang out to cheer you up” kind of way, but they didn’t strike me as having the close friendships that the women on Sex and the City have. One thing it did have in common with Sex in the City is Holly’s sense of feminine style (except for the intense grieving phase). The most realistic aspect of this movie that I appreciated was the occasional bluntness of Holly’s friends and especially the tough love of her mother, who had also suffered her own loss years ago.

Her husband Gerry, played by Gerard Butler, is charming and doting, yet also shows how much he really knew his wife, for better or worse, according to the letters he left – which you hear being read aloud in his voice.

There are, of course, a couple of love interests, played by Harry Connick, Jr. and William Gallagher. Although their acting was fine, I felt that their roles were just a little too good to be true.

My Recommendation

I recommend this movie for romantics who actually like to cry watching a movie. I won’t give away the ending, only that it does end on a high note. If I had known that from the beginning, I probably wouldn’t have taken so long to watch this. The only thing I didn’t like about this movie was that it was a little too Hollywood in the perfectly tidy way loose ends are seemingly wrapped up.



Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age