Rating: PG-13
Starring:
Hilary Swank as Holly Kennedy
Gerard Butler as Gerry Kennedy
Lisa Kudrow as Denise Hennessey
Gina Gershon as Sharon McCarthy
James Marsters as John McCarthy
Kathy Bates as Patricia Rawley
Harry Connick Jr. as Daniel Connelly
Nellie McKay as Ciara
Jeffrey Dean Morgan as William ‘Billy’ Gallagher
Dean Winters as Tom
Anne Kent as Rose Kennedy
Brian McGrath as Martin Kennedy
Sherie Rene Scott as Barbara
Susan Blackwell as Vicky
Michael Countryman as Ted
Special Features:
Additional Scenes
A Conversation with Cecelia Ahern
James Blunt Same Mistake Music Video
The Name of the Game Is Snaps: Learn How to Play
Other Info:
Widescreen and Fullscreen
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
French and Spanish Languages
French and Spanish Subtitles
Running Time: 127 Minutes
Synopsis:
The following is from the DVD description:
“Sometimes there’s only one thing leftito say.
Buy a new outfit. Be a disco diva. Learn to fish. Take a chance. Travel. Laugh. Love. Sometimes all you need to start really living is a little shove in the right direction – and that’s just what Holly Kennedy gets. 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 need of some laughs!
Based on Cecelia Ahern’s joyful bestseller and boasting a top cast led by two-time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler (‘300’), ‘P.S. I Love You’ is your very own message full of fun, love, triumph and romance. Open it now. (P.S. You’ll love it!)”
“P.S. I Love You” is rated PG-13 for sexual references and brief nudity
Mini-Review:
This is one of those moves that you can watch the trailer and get the entire plot from. If you’ve seen it, you know that Holly Kennedy’s husband dies of a brain tumor and then leaves her a series of letters asking her to do certain tasks. From the trailer (or even the back of the DVD cover) you know she has to do karaoke, fishing, a trip to Ireland, and other things. Each of the tasks is designed by her late husband to get her to come out of her shell and get beyond his death. It’s sappy, predictable, and it has very little to offer beyond what is in the trailer. I’d say all but 15 minutes of the film is ruined.
The cast does make it somewhat bearable. Gerard Butler makes a remarkable transformation from Greek warrior in “300” to romantic lead. He has pretty good chemistry with Hilary Swank as Holly Kennedy. It’s unique to have an opening scene to a romantic movie featuring a fight between the two characters, but it is an effective way to introduce them. Swank does a decent job as a comedic lead, though I don’t understand why every actress in a romantic film has to have a pratfall (shown over and over in commercials and trailers). The supporting cast is decent. It includes Lisa Kudrow, Gina Gershon, Kathy Bates, and Harry Connick Jr..
If you’re a fan of the original book or a sucker for sappy movies, then you’ll probably enjoy “P.S. I Love You.” Otherwise simply watch the trailer and save 127 minutes of your life.
There’s a small selection of bonus features included on the DVD. “A Conversation with Cecelia Ahern” talks to the surprisingly young author of the book. She discusses the origin of the story, getting it published, and the eventual adaptation into a film. This featurette then turns into a “making of” documentary with the cast and crew. Also included are some deleted scenes (including an odd scene of Nellie McKay doing performance art and another showing a sick Gerard Butler booking the Ireland trip), a music video, and an explanation of the game “snaps.”
