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Starting when we’re very, very young, most little girls (and maybe a little boy or two) dream of finding The One—of living a fairy tale romance that’s straight out of the movies. But P. S. I Love You is a heart-wrenching story (based on the novel by Cecelia Ahern) of a woman whose fairy tale ends too soon.
As the film opens, Holly (Hilary Swank) and Gerry (Gerard Butler) Kennedy are in the middle of an argument. It’s a pretty typical married couple spat—but as it reaches its climax and begins to unravel, the discussion turns to the real matter at hand. They’ve been married for years, they have no money and no kids, and Holly doesn’t know when their life is going to begin. It’s a simple but strange scene—and it makes a rather long introduction to the movie—but it does a wonderful job of developing the characters and their relationship. Because once the opening credits are over, everything changes.
The story jumps forward to Gerry’s wake. After watching the love of her life suffer and die from a brain tumor, Holly is completely devastated. As the weeks pass, she refuses to leave the house or talk to her friends or family.
A month later, on her 30th birthday, the letters start to arrive. Before he died, Gerry carefully planned his wife’s recovery. And with each letter that mysteriously arrives at Holly’s door, Gerry encourages her to do things for herself—and to find happiness and love again.
P. S. I Love You is what we in The Biz call a Three-Hanky Movie—but, for this one, you might want to have four or five handy, just in case. Because while I’m usually pretty tough when it comes to movies, I’ll admit that I spent much of the movie’s two hours in tears.
Call me a hopeless romantic if you will, but there’s plenty to shed tears over in P. S. I Love You—because it’s both romantic and heartbreaking. As the film flashes back through the years, you’ll get a picture of Holly and Gerry’s relationship. And while their love for each other is touching—as is Gerry’s determination to stand by his wife, even after his death—the loss of that love makes the story absolutely gut-wrenching. Though I’ve never been a fan of Swank, she does an excellent job of portraying her character’s grief—and anyone who’s ever been in love will feel that grief along with her.
Although P. S. technically falls into the romantic comedy category, the comedy is minimal. Sure, there are a few laughs here and there. Harry Connick, Jr., especially, brings his share of comic relief as David, the socially awkward barman. And Lisa Kudrow adds a few laughs as Holly’s friend, Denise (though her performance is a little too Phoebe Buffay for my liking). Still, her character (along with Connick’s) helps to lighten the film from time to time—and the two of them give the story a much-needed breath of fresh air.
The writers clearly pulled out all the stops to purposely tug at viewers’ heartstrings—but it’s skillfully done. P. S. I Love You is a touching tearjerker that’s a must-see for hopeless romantics. Just be sure to stock up on Kleenex before you press play.
