Customer Reviews

P.S. I Love You

5 star:		(163)
4 star:		(60)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

Marketing P.S. I LOVE YOU was a hit/miss situation. The general trailer and the billboards seem to set the audience up for a sappy tearjerker. But happily what happens in this film is not the expected 'widowed person communicating with the dead love out of failure to get on with life' tale, but instead a look into the importance of friendship, family, and adjusting to the incomparable loss. Credit the original novel by Cecelia Ahern as adapted for the screen by Steven Rogers writer/director Richard LaGravenese for making what so easily have been a sappy, maudlin, whining tale into a touching one of human emotions with a sense of reality mixed with a mildly implausible situation, and a series of character studies that emphasize the importance of support in the time of grief.

Holly (Hilary Swank) and Gerry (Gerard Butler) Kennedy are a married couple with goals and frustrations and a huge dollop of passionate love, surrounded by friends and family. The tragedy happens just as the movie starts: Gerry has died of a brain tumor leaving the copeless Holly alone with her memories and self-inflicted regrets. But Gerry, knowing he was a terminal patient, devised his own plan to help Holly through that first year of grief: he left letters in various forms and places, advising Holly how to learn about his family and how to get on with life. Holly's mother (Kathy Bates) owns a bar and has supported her little family since Holly's father deserted his family years ago. In the bar is another injured soul named Daniel (Harry Connick Jr.) who fancies Holly but realizes she is far from ready to think about dating. Holly's friends Denise (Lisa Kudrow) and Sharon (Gina Gershon) accompany Holly to Gerry's pre-planned trip to his home in Ireland to meet the in-laws Holly never knew. While in Ireland Holly reminisces on the magic of first meeting Gerry, meets Gerry's parents as well as Gerry's best friend William (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and through it all manages to appreciate the gift of PS I Love You letters and reminders Gerry has left for her. And she ultimately finds closure to her loss.

The cast is strong and makes these at times strained characters into lovable people: Hilary Swank has made a successful entrance into the feminine lead role and is balanced to perfection by Butler, Morgan, Connick, Bates, Kudrow and Gershon. They make the implausible plausible and deliver a love story that goes beyond the level of superficial to join the ranks of warm and tender memorable slices of life. It is surprisingly good! Grady Harp, May 08

PS I Love You is a bitersweet love story. It is one of those films which you watch with a tear in your eyes and a wisp of a smile on your face.

Holly Kennedy (Hilary Swank0 has lost her husband (300's Gerald Butler). As she is in mourning over his loss, she recieves letters from her dead husband. From these letters, she starts to break out of her shell of widowhood.

With the help of her Girlfriends (Gina Gersion and Lisa Kudrow) and her mom (Kathy Bates), Holly starts to live again.

It is one of those nice romantic film to share with those you love. It is a throwback to the older 1950's type films where words and images are more important than car chases and curse words.

The Cast blends together so well you could believe this story is true. Swank's Holly is so on the money, you feel her pain and joy

This is not just another chick flix, it is a well done romantic comedy. It will tug on your heart strings..if it does, check with your doctor to make sure you have a working heart.

I only wish there was a director or actor commentary, which there isnt. I would have enjoyed hearing someone insights on how they made this film..but it is not needed with a film this good

Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD

I saw this movie twice while playing at the theaters and could not wait to purchase it on DVD. My best friend and I laughed and cried and really loved Gerard Butler in this part as well of the rest of the great casts' and funny and touching performances. Another friend saw it too and told the story about overhearing a 20ish male sitting behind her complaining to his girlfriend before the movie started about it being a "chick flick" which my friend overheard and commented back "yeah I guess it probably is a chick flick" At the end of the movie though, the 20ish male leaned forward and said to my friend "That was a great chick flick."

"I hope
life treats you kind
And I hope
you have all you've dreamed of
And I wish you joy
and happiness
But above all this
I wish you love

And I...
Will always love you"

(Whitney Houston)


Gerry (Gerard Butler) and Holly (Hilary Swank) are married, without children, and are very much in love. Swept off her feet at a tender age by the handsome Irishman, Holly isn't exactly sure what she wants from life, and this leads to petty squabbles and extremely hot making up afterwards.

Before they really get started, the Fates snip Gerry's thread, and Holly is left with a snazzy urn and an empty apartment, which she proceeds to fill with her blue funk.

Her thirtieth birthday brings a big surprise, as it seems that for once, Gerry has made a plan. Gerry's gift goes on giving, and gradually Holly comes to terms with her life, while we, the audience, get to look on with unbridled glee.

Butler is as easy on the eyes as always, and Swank pulls off a difficult role with apparent ease. Lisa Kudrow is a perfect friend, and Kathy Bates proves unsinkable. Other good performances are logged by Gina Gershon and Harry Connick Jnr.


Short Attention Span Summary (SASS):


1. Sometimes even death can't end an undying love


A chick flick, but an extremely watchable one, especially for fans of Gerard Butler.



Amanda Richards, July 6, 2008

My wife held a gun on me and forced me to watch this romantic comedy. I briefly debated to myself which would hurt more, the movie or the bullet. But within five minutes I was hooked.

This is a beautiful film. It's touching and memorable. What's her name is great as the female lead and that Spartan King dude does a brilliant job of playing a dead guy. This movie has the power to remind men how nice it is to be in love with someone you actually like.

Okay, a lot of guys will notice that this movie is missing the standard quota of murders, explosions, rapes and decapitations. But don't dismiss it fellas, there is still a fine story here.

I highly recommend "PS, I love you." Men, pass on the blood, cars and guns for once and rent this film tonight to watch with your girlfriend or wife. The evening will go well, trust me.


--Guy P. Harrison, author of

Race and Reality: What Everyone Should Know About Our Biological Diversity

and

50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God

I saw this movie with a friend when it was out in the theater and - I kid you not - we spent the entire movie vacillating between sobbing and laughing, often both in the same scene. This is by far the best romance movie I've seen in recent memory, and one that touches a very tender place for those who are married or in a long-term relationship with someone they absolutely adore. I wanted to make my husband go in for a complete physical after I left the theater out of fear of losing HIM way too soon. And the man's healthy!

Anyway, I give this movie two huge thumbs up. Gerard Butler is incredibly sexy, sweet and romantic in the movie, Hilary Swank is absolutely perfect in her portrayal of the young widow, and the supporting cast was nothing short of brilliant. This is definitely a must-see movie in my humble opinion.

Yes, you read it right in the subject line...I am a regular 28 year old guy who lifts weights, plays video games from time to time, etc. That being said I could not stop crying through this movie. My girlfriend and I watched it together and it just makes you well up with emotion over and over again. It brings to light some poignant truths: that life is short, not to be pedantic (don't let the little things get to you), Love and cherish the people who are special to you. I never particularly cared for Hillary Swank before this (I think it all started when she played "the next karate kid" lol) but now I really like her as an actress. It's such a beautiful movie with a beautiful love story that ended too soon, but such is life...rarely ever fair. "Carpe Diem and remember the important things because they may be gone before you know it" once again are the messages this movie sends. I highly recommend it to anyone.

Gerry and Holly married while they were young and free of worries. Years later they feel the pressure as the reality of marriage and all it entails kicks in. The scene starts off with Gerry (Gerard Butler) and Holly (Hillary Swank) emerging from the subway walking towards their home. The couple is arguing about their different views on life with emphasis on children, money and getting their dream home. The argument heats up to the point where Gerry storms out and quickly rushes back in and they fell in each other's arms and make wild, passionate love.

The credit rolls in and the next scene is that of Gerry's wake. The viewers are told that he has died of brain tumour at the young age of 35. The next three weeks see a decline in Holly as we see her spiralling down, crying and watching black and white movies, suffering from hallucinations of her late husband. Then as she sings along to Judy Garland, her mother (Kathy Bates) and best friends (Lisa Kudrow and Gina Gershon) walk in reminding her that it was her 30th birthday. They open a cake from Gerry and Holly thinks it's a prank until they play the accompanying tape recorder where Gerry tells her of his plan for her, how he has written letters which will arrive on various occasions. Those letters become a source of strength for her as she follows his advice and finds herself doing things she would never have thought herself. While Gerry has planned for the letters to serve as a guide for Holly to figure out what she wants in life, they serve as a way for the viewers to find out more about the couple and their beginnings.

The tasks include a trip to Ireland where we are treated to a spectacular view of the countryside and Ireland's splendor come to life. Here we see Holly meet another Irishman who turns out to be an old friend of Gerry's. We find out about her first meeting with Gerry and it is one of those moments that make a romantic movie truly heartmelting. Hillary Swank portrays the grieving and lost widow quite well and the supporting characters were good and added some much needed laughter. The highlight for me though was Gerard Butler who was just truly charming. I think I am now officially a drooling fan. That smile is enough to weaken any woman's knees and any woman would understand how Holly could have fallen in love with a perfect stranger. I thought he was great as King Leonidas in 300 (Full Screen Edition) yelling out "This is Sparta!" in his almost naked glory. But now he has been elevated to real sweetheart material after seeing him in this movie. And God I love a man who can sing.

P.S. I LOVE YOU, while far from perfect, is more than your average run-of-the-mill romantic movie. While I find that the whole letters after death thing lacked plausibility (the cynical may even find it creepy), the idea is simply clever. It provided the sentimentalism that is certain to leave many readers teary and satisfied with the film.

This is a wonderful romantic comedy for all ages. Its very heart warming and has a great lesson that everyone should learn. On the other hand its also incredibly sad and moving. There won't be a dry eye in the house after this one.

Ok, I like Hilary, Gerard, Kathy, Lisa, and Harry. These are great, watchable actors, and I was so excited to see this movie. That's problem number one- too much hype and expectations. My little voice kept saying: "There's something amiss when the main actor(Gerard Butler) is essentially dead." Especially for a kind of romantic comedy. My little voice was somewhat right, but thank goodness for Gerard! The first half of the movie drags, and you wait and wait only for him to return, and when he does, it's great!

The second problem is I read the reviews beforehand, and it was so up and down in opinions that the voice yelled at me again, "Something's afoul." It turns out there's an edge to the movie's demeanor. For example, Harry Connick, who should star as a wonderful lead and potential romantic type, is made into a bit of a buffoon, and you're suppose to love him for it? In one scene, Hilary pulls him into a closet. He tells her that he has this 'rude syndrome', that he can't filter his words, and that his girlfriend ran away with another woman, and that he was reduced to seeing hookers but now the money's run out. Ok. Gosh, I hope you've got enough dough leftover for your HIV tests.

Frankly, the best part of the movie takes place in Ireland. The scenes with her girlfriends are hilarious, especially in the boat. Now that's more like the fun escapism one expects in a 'romantic comedy'; however, *SPOILER ALERT* she quickly jumps in bed with another Irishman. Well, her friends urged her on, and besides, she's lonely and horny and hasn't been with a man for a little while. He turns out to have been "Best mates" with Gerard's character. "Hey, we share everything," the new guy says to her after the fact. Adding, "Oh,I didn't mean it like that." Well, how did you mean it? And gee, I hope you used good American condoms.*END ALERT*
She returns home to New York and the finale is definitely more satisfying, but to get there has, at times, been a sour process.

Gerard Butler shines in any movie, anytime; Hilary Swank is fine; although, here she must portray a difficult character, who's scattered, flighty and plain annoying at times(Why does she hate her apartment? Her designer E-BAY clothes? Her all loving, adoring man?) and also, she deals with a script that flounders. Harry Connick just needs a decent role. The supporting cast deliver their usual, typical performances.

Whew, so did I enjoy the flick? I don't know. I'm not eager to see it again. I guess I could jump through, and play the scenes I like. Or not.

My third problem is that I keep imaging a story about a somewhat immature, insecure and opinionated American woman who travels to Ireland and meets a freewheeling Gerard Butler-type and sparks fly, good and bad, but she's not sure what she wants and then a handsome, stud of a Harry Connick-type Amercian shows up and really confuses the whole mess. And it all plays out to the background of the Emerald Isle and the Big Apple. Gimmie. Maybe next time?