For several days, nay a couple of weeks, I have been seeing previews of this movie on cable on demand, but it is still a pay per viewing. I have never, untill last night, paid for an individual movie. If the movie was on regular cable or on demand and was part of the package, I would watch it,however, to pay 4.99 addition (or even more) to see a movie on top of the rather sizable monthly fee I pay seemed exorbitent. However, last night, after being with a group of people that were confirming that this movie was very definitely one that I would like...an impression I already had from seeing the preveiws and I just had to drop the dime so to speak and see it. I dont regret for one second the extra 5.00, as it was very much worth it.
The story in case you have not seen previews is about Hiliary Swank as Holly Kennedy's, whose husband dies and leaves behind a series of letters telling her what to do next. One, for example tells her she has to go sing kaokake. Having gone throught a similar loss, I find myself wishing that I had the letters...they might help.
Anyway, each of these letters is meant to pull her a bit more back into the live a day world. What I loved about the movie, besides the letters and the adventures engendered by them, was the very honest way of dealing with the relationship. The opening scene is a family squable, and not a "nice" one either. It was a very loud, yelling match. This seems "true" to me because every relationship I have even been in, that was important was also a relationship in which there was argruments.
Obviously I was very affected by this movie--especially by the fights and making up and the letters from the grave. I was moved by the trip to Ireland where they met, and where she meets another person that could very well turn out to be a important person in her life (not too much detail here or it might give away the story). Needless to say her climb out of profound grief, and yes the anger that goes with it, was not easy or accomplished over night. However, with the help and support of her friends, Dennis Hennessey (Lisa Kudrow) and John McCarthy (James Masters) and the often hang dog affection of David Connelly (Harry Connick Jr), in the end there is obvious hope that not only Holly but her mother as well, might be entering another period of their lives..a perhaps happier period.
I strongly recommend this movie..I suggest, as I usually do, that you ignore any negative critics that you may have heard or read, and see it at your first opportunity. I do suggest, however, that while there are hilarious moments, dont go into it expecting a comedic jaunt...there are some really moving parts...in fact I found myself crying a great deal during this movie. That Gerry Kennedy (Gerard Butler) was concerned enought to set up a series of letters, recruiting an unlikely ally I might add, (have to see the end to know who) in order to bit by bit get her back out into regular live, and remind her "of who she is" as he says in one of the letters is a hightpoint. It reminds me strongly of reports I have gotten after Roy's passing of him talking to friends saying "watch out for Vickie, she will need you after I am gone".
My eyes are tearing as I write this, so I think I will close. But first here is a video of one of my favorite scenes.
