PS: I Loved This Movie

Another Friday arrived, and my husband was visiting Hollywood Videos once again. I requested Definitely, Maybe, but instead he brought home PS: I LOVE YOU.

I ask: "Do you know what this movie is about?"
He replies: "It's a romantic comedy."
I say: "No it isn't. The husband dies and has left her letters to read."
He replies: "Oh..."

See, the movie seemed a little too sad for me. But I am THRILLED that he brought it home. Because it is now tied as a favorite movie, next to The Notebook. Actually, it has a lot in common with The Notebook in that it's a love story that takes place over a span of time and there is reading involved. In one instance, a diary. In another, letters.

This is the lowdown of the movie. Holly and Gerry are a young couple, they married young and have been together for 9 years. Since they married young, I think they tend to argue a lot but are passionately in love. Holly lost sight of herself though. She worries too much about money and what they don't have. Gerry thinks everything will just be fine, with an Irish carefree attitude. But you can tell he loves her deeply. Fast forward to his funeral, finding out he dies of a brain tumor. She mourns, but on her next birthday a cake and letter arrive from him! It tells her that she will be receiving letters through mysterious methods throughout the year that will help her find her passion again.

Now as the letters come and go, her mother feels that she is not accepting that her husband is dead and that eventually the letters stop. And Daniel, a man that works at her mother's bar has a huge crush on Holly, even though she only sees him as friend. And you can tell Daniel is tired of playing second fiddle to a dead husband.

Finally there is William. When Gerry planned a trip to Ireland for Holly and her girlfriends, which is where she first met him, she meets William. And he is probably just what she needed on vacation. There is definite passion between them. And he is my favorite part of the movie. Haha. Eye candy. But that is besides the point.

So how does it end? Well, you find out how Holly accepts the last letter, what happens with her and Daniel, how she now relates with her mother more and that Ireland really can heal a broken heart. Whether the heart is broken due to death or divorce.

The couple Holly and Gerry are played by Hillary Swank and Gerard Buttler. Holly is petite and angry. But you do like her as the movie progresses. Gerry's Irish accent rocks and he is convincingly in love with his wife. You see him throughout the movie as she talks to him in spirit, or you see/hear him reading the letters.

Holly's other love interests are the Irish man William and the bartender Daniel. William is played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan. He is HOT HOT HOT. A great way to get Holly's mind of Gerry. Daniel is played by Harry Conick Jr. He is just creepy and annoying enough that you don't want Holly to hook up with him.

Kathy Bates plays Patricia, Holly's mom. She thinks the letters are a bad idea. She is a little harsh and rushing Holly to get over it. But Patricia lost her husband - to divorce - and she thinks death and divorce are the same. Lisa Kudrow plays Holly's friend Danielle. She is a man in a woman's body. She looks like men as objects and she has a little side story of finally finding love when Holly has lost hers. You will also find James Marsters as John in this movie. You may know him as a vampire in the tv series Buffy.

WHAT'S BUGGING ME
Okay, I watched the deleted scenes on the DVD and at one point John is reading a letter to him from the deceased Gerry. The letter says Gerry always kept John's secret. But none of the scenes address what that secret was! It's driving me nuts.

DVD EXTRA
They play a game called Snaps in the movie. It moves quickly. But if you watch the DVD extras you get to find out how to play the game. It is fun and I play it with my husband now. Although I am better at it then he is. Ha!

RATING & RUNTIME
It is rated PG-13. You see Holly in her undergarments and you also see William's butt. :wolf-whistle: The movie is 126 minutes.

AWARDS
It was nominated for the Golden Trailer Best Romance in 2008. And Hillary Swank won the Audience Award Best International Actress in the Irish Film and Television Awards.

MUSIC
The songs that William, Hillary and Gerry sing in this movie - I love them. Hillary had me in tears! And I love the soundtrack - it was perfect for the movie. My favorite was Love You 'Till The End by The Pogues.

OVERALL
I LOVED this movie. If you liked The Notebook, this is right up your alley.