Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.
a smidgen more than the trailer
The Plot
This movie is creepy, but it works. In director, Richard LaGraveness' adaptation of Cecilia Ahern's best-selling novel, Million Dollar Baby's Hillary Swank portrays "Holly," a frustrated real estate agent whose husband, Gerry (Gerard Butler, of 300 fame), suddenly dies after a brief illness. Due to his undying love, he'd prearranged for Holly to receive mail packages with specific instructions for her, in order that she grieve quickly, and be able to get on with her life. Her mother, Patricia (Kathy Bates)never liked Gerry and thinks it's "insane," but nevertheless goes along with the plan, which inevitably includes best friends Denise (Lisa Kudrow, who is essentially just playing her "Friends" character--just an order of magnitude rawer) and Sharon (the effusive Gina Gershon). The first package arrives as Holly is celebrating her 30th birthday (solo), via the 2 friends, her mother, and sister, Ciara (Nellie McKay, of "Grey's Anatomy"), who show up unannounced. A quirky Daniel (the wittily inappropriate Harry Connick, Jr.), a bartender who works with (and is approved by) Patricia becomes smitten with Holly, but gets increasingly frustrated as "Gerry" keeps "popping up." The laughs continue as we, the audience follow the cast of this "adventure of an (already lived) lifetime," and surprises abound.
Acting Talent
There are no weak links here--all of the characters are thoroughly-developed and mostly complex--very believable. Hillary Swank turns in an especially convincing role, swinging from an angry, unfulfilled childless wife, to a timid, grieving widow, tenderly easing toward a renewed sex life, and flashbacking to her young self--an extremely free-spirited college student backpacking across Europe, in search of herself; and, occasionally, as a carefree, young wife, hopelessly in love. She is the centerpiece of the film, and a joy to behold. Butler is showing another side--far from the swashbuckling hero of Sparta (and hardly recognizable)! Instead, he is tender, loving, understanding, vulnerable and, of course (who isn't when dealing with women)--perplexed! Even Kudrow, likely the most shallow character here (it's pretty hard to leave "Friends" behind), makes progress, and shows a range of emotion that shows a dark, angry side, instead of the ever-present "Friendly" smile. Gershon is just real-someone any "girlfriend" could picture comforting them in a crisis-and probably the best supporting actress. She has to vie with Bates here, who plays Hollie's tough "face the music and get on with it!" mother, and, not surprisingly, with great dramatic flair, and nary a hiccup ("Oscar on line 1, for Bates!). The audience cheers for Connick, Jr., and wants him to move romantically closer to Holly, and it's great fun watching his unfiltered mental ramblings unfurl, which he chalks up to a "social disease," for which he takes medication--another fine performance, on his part. Finally, Jeffrey Morgan (another "Grey's Anatomy" alum, and real-life descendant of both England's King Edward III and Castille's Pedro I, with blood ties to the Rockefellers, former President Richard Fillmore, Tennessee Williams, and F.Scott Fitzgerald's wife, Zelda Sayre, just to name a few--talk about a family tree!) plays another love interest, in his usual, charming way--and this comes across as completely natural and effortlessly as any one could picture themselves being irresistably & mysteriously drawn to an objet d'amore.
Technical Aspects
The cinematography is wonderful. A steady camera shows tight shots inside Irish bars, nightclubs, and quaint farmhouses with as much ease as it captures the sweeping, gorgeous Irish countryside (on location, in Dublin County)--grade "A " The SDDS/Dolby Digital/DTS sound is very well-done, complementing the film's 1:85:1 wide aspect ratio, which fills out my LG HDTV. The just-right contrasty colors pop vividly, on this standard-definition DVD, up-converted on my Toshiba HD-A3 HD-DVD player). LaGraveness & Steven Rogers' writing is tight and tidy, with nary a wasted word or scene.
What Shakespeare Would Say
Bravo! Bravo!BRAAAAVOOOOO!!!!And by the way--did you know Jeffrey Morgan is my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great- well, you get the idea!
What Else
This PG-13 rated flick is 126 minutes long, but feels just right, with great pacing. It feels like a good escape, that reminds you that life shouldn't be taken so literally, or seriously--but shouldn't be wasted, either. Hillary Swank was injured by a clasp on Butler's suspenders and had to be hospitalized, receiving several stitches. This film won the 2008 Audience Award, and was nominated for Golden Trailer's "Best Romance," and "Best Romance Poster" awards, as well as the Teen Choice "Chick Flick" award. There are 2 scenes with sexual situations, but one could easily shield a child's eyes. Still, the dark subject matter, although told upliftingly, would probably not be suitable for children.
From the handsome, big-hearted love of her life. From a series of mysterious letters. And from gal pals who know that a friend in need is a friend in ...More at eCOST.com
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