P.S. I Love You

The second movie I watched over the weekend was P.S. I Love You. In this movie, Hilary Swank plays Holly, a young widow who is trying to deal with the recent loss of her husband, Gerry. Gerry’s death was not unexpected, as he had a brain tumor, and Holly finds out that as he prepared for his death, he also prepared a way to try to make losing him easier on Holly. He has made arrangements that letters, from him, will be delivered to her at different times throughout the year after his death, giving her advice and helping her find ways to move on.

This movie was good in many ways. The story line is just sweet and touching. In one scene my heart was breaking for Holly, as she called Gerry’s phone, over and over, just to hear his voice. Then, the next scene I was smiling and laughing as it showed a flashback to a time when Holly and Gerry did Karaoke. I’ve never lost a spouse…obviously…but I think the movie portrays Holly’s grief fairly authentically…one minute she’s smiling and reveling in fond memories…and the next she’s sobbing and inconsolable, unable to imagine how she’ll live her life without her true love. I can’t even begin to imagine the emotional roller coaster that losing someone so dear would be.

Some of Gerry’s letters/instructions are simple. He tells her to go back to work…to enjoy what she’s doing. He tells her to get dressed up like a Diva and go back to the Karaoke bar where her previous experience was less than stellar. In one of his grander moves, however, she finds that he has arranged for her and her two best friends to go to Ireland, where he is from, and where they first met. Gerry leaves letters for her friends, as well, giving them instructions on things they need to make her do…places to take her…all in an attempt to help her cope and continue living her life.

While the film features Gerry throughout, (played by the SUPER dreamy Gerard Butler… :)…)...both in flashbacks that tell the story of Holly’s and Gerry’s life together, and through hearing his voiceover as Holly reads the letters, there are two other men in Holly’s life. The first of these is Daniel, who works at the bar that Holly’s mother owns, and who is infatuated with Holly from the moment he sees her at Gerry's wake. Daniel is played by Harry Connick Jr., and isn’t nearly as charming as I know Harry Connick Jr. can be…(He won me over big time in Hope Floats.) Daniel never minces words with his intentions with Holly, and at one point tells her that he wants to help her get rid of Gerry. In spite of his blunt nature, Holly enjoys spending time with him, and they get closer throughout the movie.

The other man is a musician named William, who Holly meets in Ireland. There is an immediate attraction between the two, but Holly is afraid of feeling anything for anyone new. It turns out, though, that William (who is played by the same actor who played Denny Duquette on Grey’s Anatomy, and drove me CRAZY on that show) has insights on Gerry that Holly couldn't have seen coming, and he easily endears himself to Holly (and to me, unbelievably).

I really liked this movie. Like I said, it’s touching and funny…and I feel like it’s “real.” I would highly recommend it to anyone who either likes a good story…maybe a couple of tears…or at the very least, a good looking Irishman…: )