I stayed away when it was in the theater, but now that I’veseen it, I’m not sure what the fuss was about. Yes, the story is sappy. Yes, the part of young widow Holly Kennedy isn’t on a parwith Swank’s Oscar-winning dramatic roles. But, P.S. I Love You isalso very sweet, and Swank’s somewhat awkward attempt to play things lighterthan usual actually fits the character pretty well.
We first meet Holly before her husband’s death. She’s married to Gerry (Gerard Butler),an Irish charmer who’s clearly the dreamer in the family. Holly’s much more focused, much moreconcerned about next steps for her career, Gerry’s career, their lives. She’s pretty darn anal, actually, andpretty darn hard to like very much, especially compared to Gerry.
Well, all the sudden, Gerry’s gone and we’re at his wake,being held in the bar Holly’s mom (a really nice turn by Kathy Bates)owns. And Holly, while gettingthrough the wake reasonably well, slides quickly into depression. She won’t leave her and Gerry’sapartment, can’t go back to work, can’t get on with her life. And it turns out that Gerry had apretty good idea this would happen.
Now, Gerry wasn’t hit by a bus or anything; he died from abrain tumor, so he had some time to prepare. And that’s just what he did – he arranged for Holly to getgifts and letters from him to guide her forward. He makes her get out and get living again, even sending herto Ireland, where they first met, and where she visits his parents.
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