P.S. I Love You

Plot synopsis:
Holly and Gerry are a married couple who live on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. They are deeply in love, but they fight occasionally. By winter that year, Gerry suddenly dies of a brain tumor, and Holly realizes how much he means to her as well as how insignificant their arguments were.
Deeply distraught, Holly withdraws from her family and friends out of grief until they descend upon her on her 30th birthday. They are determined to prod the young widow to face the future and explore what her life choices should be. As they rally around Holly and help organize her apartment, a cake is delivered, and with it is a message from Gerry. It proves to be the first of several meaningful messages — all ending with "I Love You" — which he had arranged to have delivered to her after his death.
As the seasons pass, each new message fills her with encouragement and sends her on a new adventure. Holly's mother believes that Gerry's letters are keeping Holly tied to the past. But they are, in fact, pushing her into the future. With Gerry's words as her guide, Holly slowly embarks on a journey of rediscovery.
Gerry arranged for Holly and her friends Denise and Sharon to travel to his homeland of Ireland. They arrive at their destination, a house in the beautiful Irish countryside where they find letters from Gerry for Sharon & Denise, one asking Denise to take Holly to his favorite pub. While there, they meet William, a singer who strongly reminds Holly of her deceased husband. He asks her to stay to see him after his last song, which he dedicates to her. Upon hearing it, she is overcome with emotion and walks out, because it was the song Gerry sang to her shortly after they first met.
During the vacation, while on a fishing trip, they lose the boat's oars, leaving the three women stranded in the middle of a lake. During their wait for help, Sharon announces that she is pregnant and Denise reveals she is getting married. This news causes Holly to relapse emotionally and again withdraw into herself. They are eventually rescued by William, whom Sharon and Denise invite to stay the night because of the pouring rain.
Unable to deny their feelings for each other, they kiss, and William and Holly become intimate. They begin a conversation about her deceased husband and Holly asks William to drive her to visit her in-laws. Upon Holly revealing their names, William realizes she is the widow of his childhood best friend. Revealing this to Holly causes her to panic, but William calms her down and starts to tell stories about his and Gerry's childhood. The next day, Holly visits Gerry's parents and while there, she also receives a letter from Gerry reminding her of their first meeting.
Arriving home, Holly again withdraws from family and friends. As she continues to become more and more lost, she is inspired by Gerry after finding one of his suspender clips next to one of her shoes and realizes she has a flair for designing women's shoes; she enrolls in a class that teaches how to actually make the shoes she has designed. A new found self-confidence allows her to emerge from her solitude and embrace her friends' happiness.
While on a walk with her mother, she learns that her mother was the one whom Gerry asked to deliver his letters after his death and receives the last letter. As the film ends with Holly taking her mother on a trip to Ireland, we see that Holly has opened herself up to the journey beginning with the next chapter of her life, and wherever it takes her she has the hope of falling in love again.

Tags: romantic, flashback

Review:
I know this movie got a lot of negative reviews but when you see your life mirrored on the big screen you can't help but be moved by her struggle to move on and his undying love for her.
Gerry and Holly's relationship is a good example of how couples bring their love to the end quickly.
P.S. Move On. In a poignant scene Gerald Butler's spirit of Gerry confesses to Hilary Swank's Holly, "I'm not asking you to remember me" and to move on.
There is a heartbreaking scene where Swank's Holly breaks down to her mother saying, "I'm alone!" Later Bates's Patrica says to her daughter, "If you're all alone, we're all together with you in that, too." So even with its intentional quirks and cheesy trappings-- all is forgiven, because ultimately "P.S. I Love You" is about the courage to love again and live life.As "P.S" opens Holly is furious that Gerry told her mother at dinner that they are not planning on having kids right now.
In a surprising moment in what initially feels like a frivolously long fishing scene with all three women, reminds Holly that her friends are moving on with their lives.
(Synopsis) Holly (Hilary Swank) has been married nine years to a wild Irishman, Gerry Kennedy (Gerard Butler), and her one true love.
Now that I have watched the film, I must say that it came as a pleasant surprise.I found it very fresh: the cast which brings together talents like Lisa Kudrow, Kathy Bates and Hilary Swank; the idea of shooting in Ireland was very refreshing and the beautiful locations were so wonderfully shot that it just makes one want to visit the beautiful country; the screenplay, yes it is flawed as there are a few corny moments and some of the situations are a little too convenient but most of the dialogues are great, the comedic undertone is mostly welcoming and not misplaced, the ending is different from what one would expect; the soundtrack which adds more life into the moments.It's ironic that just the other day I watched 'Reign Over Me' which also dealt with 'grieving over' lost loved ones.
Both the writer and director LaGravenese put a lot of heart into 'P.S. I Love You' and the film is strengthened by the chemistry of the actors.Both Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler are excellent.
By the end of the film, I found this film to be more than just a "chick-flick"; it was instead a bittersweet story about a young widow, played by the strongly talented Hilary Swank, coping with the death of her husband through letters that he'd written for her teaching her how to live and remember how to be happy with herself.
Butler, though he can't hold an Irish accent very well, plays the role of a goofball perfectly, especially in his striptease scene and when he was watching his wife sing a sexy karaoke tune (poor guy was trying to contain himself while covering Marsters' eyes).
It doesn't' hurt that Holly has two loving friends (Lisa Kudrow and Gina Gershon), a hovering mother (Kathy Bates), and a good-looking new friend (Harry Connick, Jr.) looking out for her, also.
Hilary Swank plays Holly Kennedy, a fragile real estate broker who cannot hold down her job and gets married young to happy go lucky Irishman Gerry (Gerard Butler) but he dies of a brain tumour leaving Holly as a grieving young widow whose life comes to a stand still.On her 30th birthday party she gets a surprise posthumous letter from Gerry informing her that he will be regularly sending her messages containing tasks that she is to perform without question or hesitation.
Each message is signed off with the words PS I Love You.With the help of her friends and family Holly follows Gerry's messages such as singing in a bar or going to his Irish village to meet his parents.
This all leads to a possible romance with eccentric but funny bartender (Harry Connick Jr) who admires her from afar but realises that she may not be ready to move on from Gerry.Eventually Holly learns that these tasks from Gerry is for her to put the past behind her and move on with her life.As a romantic comedy the film is a maudlin cringe inducing mess.
But it was just wrong, wrong, wrong..surely these days we no longer need an American star to attract audiences (and don't get me started on the Other Boleyn Girl)but Hilary Swank was just not right for this part - her talent is considerable but she lacked charm and grace in this movie - all the things that made Holly so endearing in the book.
The performances looked forced (except Kathy Bates) - Hollys friends were just annoying and Gerald Butler didn't come over as someone whose demise would destroy you - he was just a cartoon jolly Irishman with a song in his heart and a tear in his eye!
Let's rewrite a scene from 'Terms of Endearment' and spackle it in here." Look  some people are saying that loving or hating this movie is about the difference between men and women.
Take a chance on "P.S. I Love You".I desperately tried to love (or at least like) "P.S. I love you" but the many good actors/actresses (Hilary Swank, love her in Million Dollar Baby) (Gerard Butler, great in Dear Frankie) (Kathy Bates, Lisa Kudrow, and others) in the film just couldn't make the really bad script and story work.Unfortunately, this movie is bad.
A film aimed squarely at a female audience, P.S. I LOVE YOU.Holly Kennedy (the handsome Hilary Swank) is a young widow who finds that her late husband (Gerard Butler) has left her a series of letters to help her start a new life.
But the scene is far too drawn out and, after five minutes, starts to feel like a rough cut and becomes tiring.In fact, the whole film is too drawn out and, at times, rather clumsy.
Some scenes labour to be moving, smothered in sorrowful music, which only serves to distance the audience.There's comedy in the form of Lisa Kudrow playing a supportive friend, a leprechaun singing telegram and an Asperger's suffering love interest (Harry Connick Jr.) who says exactly what he thinks without any consideration for those around him.There's a certain unfairness to the late husband's letters.
And the subplot involving her father's separation from her mother (Kathy Bates) feels "thrown in" and makes the film uneven.Equally poor is the use of coincidence late in the story and the final scene which involves a meeting.P.S. I LOVE YOU constantly, unashamedly, reaches for the heart - without any tact or subtlety - and fails to grasp.
The movie rambles on and the true love between Holly & Gerry is never expressed on screen.
This movie was for anybody that has the joy of being madly in love, if you are not, you won't get it.The most powerful line to me was by the character, Daniel, "I want to be somebody's Gerry" was extremely powerful to me..
This movie will make you cry and make you fall in love with Gerlad Butler(what a guy what an accent yum) definitely a chick flick my friend was crying by the second scene however in amongst all the sniffles was some laughs and overall I did enjoy the movie.
Swank, after an oddball role in a Karate Kid movie (not joking, look it up) sort of exploded onto the Hollywood scene and by and large has delivered nothing but great performances since.
Because we actually see Gerry (Gerard Butler) and Holly (Hilary Swank) arguing before he passes away.
So after Swank and Butler annoy me for 12 minutes, Butler dies and the film is a look at love, life and letting go.
What happened here?Hilary Swank looks uncomfortably miscast in this role, she turns in a flat, mediocre performance, and there is a palpable lack of chemistry between her and her on-screen husband Gerard Butler.
Hilary Swank does her very best, and she has a few scenes that are absolutely perfect, but Gerard Butler dons one of the worst accents in a long time and the movie takes a long time to get to an ending that was way too predictable in the first place.
My friends had seen it a couple of days before I did, and they told me it was a good movie and that I would like it, but they did not tell me that I would be crying the entire time.
Holly Kennedy (Hilary Swank) and husband Gerry (Gerard Butler) seem to have a happy marriage.
Gerry dies of a brain tumor...but it seems he has arranged to have Holly sent messages AFTER his death telling her how to get on with her life.OK--I love silly romance movies.
The plot rambles all over the place and there are WAY too many coincidences to believe in this.The few good points: There's a trip to Ireland and the movie makes good use of the beautiful locations there; Gina Gershon is just great in a small role; there's a nice flash of male nudity; Jeffrey Dean Morgan is just great as William (a guy Holly meets in Ireland) and Gerard Butler is fantastic.
Also, Jeffrey Dean Morgan (slow dying Denny from "Grey's Anatomy") is pretty believable as Butler's oh-so-charming best friend and replacement.The bad news: for this film to work, we need to understand Butler's adoration of Hilary Swank.
I like Swank she is a great actress, (just not for this movie) her friends were good on their own..
The flashbacks don't reveal anything of significance- When they met isn't really that important by the last fifteen minutes of the movie.The whole time I felt like I was watching a movie made specifically to get sentimental feelings from the audience, but it kept harping on the same points so that those points got in the way of the story and slowed things down to a dull shuffle.
After reading so many good reviews, I was still apprehensive about taking my husband to see the movie P.S. I Love You. I knew the basic story line and the excellent actors to star in it so that was a plus but to my surprise my husband enjoyed it equally as much as I did.
Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler are excellent in portraying their roles as Holly and Gerry as are the rest of the characters especially Lisa Kudrow with her added touch of Michele reminiscent of Romy in" Romy and Micheles Highschool Reunion." This movie drew people from all age groups young and old and appreciated by most, confirmed by the applauding at the end.
Colourful characters fitting their equally visually colourful environments.After seeing previous movies of Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler, they are both wonderful actors true chameleons of their art, throwing their selves into any role they take on and this one no exception.
On a wet Sunday afternoon,there was nothing on telly at all.A friend had lent me this DVD about 2 months ago and because i really did not think it would be my cup of tea i had put of watching it.But i gave it a go ,boy i was right it was a total waste of two hours.For starters there is the over the top irish accents which are laughable ,the film is way to long, 1 and a half hours at the max.I spent the last half an hour on my lap top whilst still being able to follow the thin plot.Your girlfriend or wife might like it to have a good sob to.If you rent or buy this you will be sobbing over the waste of money and time!
The opening scenes of this movie portray a passionate and obviously comic argument between Holly and Gerry (Hilary Swank and Gerald Butler.) For a couple of minutes, the argument was humorous.
If you've gotten to this comment, you pretty much know what this movie is all about: recently widowed Hillary Swank is made whole again by letters that come from her now-dead husband; after a year, she's healed.
Gerard Butler who plays the husband Gerry also does a pretty good job as the sexy Irish man who loves his wife so so very much, and out of his irrevocable love for her, wants to make sure his wife moves on with her life after he is gone.
Holly and Gerry (Gerard Butler) fall in love and get married quickly, starting their lives without a plan.
Gerard Butler plays the Irishman with natural ease and Hillary Swank follows up on her part by being that girl in love, hung over by the death of her husband and yet lively enough to do everything that he asks of her from the afterlife.
Before watching the movie I personally didn't like the lead casts but the on screen chemistry between Swank and Butler is good.
This film (to an extent) is a realistic romcom, there is no happy love story ending with the one made for the main character, Holly.
Have you been in something that you feel it is just not enough, when you do, when you say and yet it is just not enough, you feel that there is something missing and something gone that you cannot being compensated with.i cried a lot and i could not think, the real feel of being watching a movie like P.S. I LOVE YOU, this movie is a 2007 American drama film directed by Richard LaGravenese.
I'm usually a sucker for romantic weepies but this one fails miserably.The problems begin immediately as the film abruptly starts with an argument between the two main characters Holly (Hillary Swank) and Gerry (Gerard Butler).
But you've got to give credit to her agent for getting her roles in movies that have good scripts and decent crews from directors on down because she could no more carry a film on her talent or looks alone than could well, Lisa Kudrow for instance, who should have called it a career the day Friends wrapped (of course that could be said about the entire cast of Friends.)PS I CAN'T STAND YOU.
You have Hilary Swank in a decent performance as Holly Kennedy a woman married to hunky Irish singer Gerry(Gerard Butler).
And Hilary provides some sexy and funny scenes and just to mention Harry Connick Jr. gives a likable performance as Holly's potential love interest.
I think the reason I love this film is that everyone could relate to it, wither you've been: widowed, divorced, left by a relative or friend, or had a bad break up, this movie expresses all the emotions and hard times that you'll go through, but to remember that it's OK to live again.Holly had a wonderful husband, Gerry, even though they fought quite a bit, he was the one love of her life, and due to a brain tumor, he was taken so quickly from her.
Leading her to have the courage and strength to do what she didn't think she could do before, and most of all love and live again.Hilary Swank and Gerald Butler have this dead on chemistry that makes the film work so well.
Gerry's letters to Holly were so touching, I usually hate the sappy stuff, but this was just a sweet movie that will touch anyone's heart and also make them laugh at the same time.
P.S. I Love You is a great movie, I do recommend it, it's just a decent movie that is more than worth your time, it doesn't over kill on anything, just makes you feel good.8/10.
Hilary Swank is nice enough as the reclusive Holly, I must admit I was surprised in a good way at Gerard Butler in comedic mode with tagged-on Irish accent and Lisa Kudrow reprises her kooky Phoebe persona from "Friends" one more time as one of the friends (no pun intended).
It's a love-hate situation but in the end it made me feel like I was Hilary Swank so I guess that means the movie did its job.
Hilary Swank is perfectly cast as holly, the young widow who is receiving letters from her dead husband Jerry while trying to get over him and find a new life.
I actually want to see more of how her family and friends helped her through the journey in the movie, because I think they also have major roles in making Holly realized how she had so many people that were more than willing to support her through anything and that they also had a special connection with Gerry I'm also disappointed because the story didn't stick truly to the novel because it has a better plot.
It is a romantic comedy picturing young widow Holly Kennedy (Hillary Swank) going back to life after suffering the loss of her life; death of her husband and best friend Gerry (Gerard Butler) Based on Cecelia Ahern's Bestseller 'P.S. I Love You' which was originally set in Ireland, the screenplay was Americanized for the satisfaction of director Richard LaGravenese.The movie starts with happy and contended young couple having a fight over not having a baby soon & transforms into a scene where a gloomy young widow is attending her husband's funeral.
I have watched this movie at least 20 times and I truly love it and very much recommend it.
Holly (Hilary Swank) is in a tumultuous relationship with her husband Gerry (Gerard Butler).
He leads you right into a brawl between Gerry (Gerard Butler) and Holly (Hilary Swank) when you're supposed to assume they're madly in love, hence the title.
I had watched the movie when it first came out, and the only thing I remembered was that I didn't particularly like it and found Gerard Butler miscast.
I give the movie 3 stars because I liked Kathy Bates' and Lisa Kudrow's performances and Hilary swank was okay.