The Gift
An exert from a Film Review by James Berardinelli
United States, 2000
Running Length: 1:51
MPAA Classification: R (Violence, nudity, sex, profanity)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Katie Holmes, Keanu Reeves, Giovanni Ribisi,
Greg Kinnear, Hilary Swank
Director: Sam Raimi
Producers: James Jacks, Tom Rosenberg, Robert G. Tapert
Screenplay: Billy Bob Thornton & Tom Epperson
Cinematography: Jamie Anderson
Music: Christopher Young
U.S. Distributor: Paramount Classics
The Gift is an example of how superior craftsmanship can transform a ho-hum genre entry into a sporadically gripping thriller.
On the surface, there's nothing special about this movie - it's a run-of-the-mill supernatural murder mystery with all of the
elements one expects from this sort of a motion picture: ghostly apparitions, courtroom drama, red herrings, and an
"unexpected" twist at the end. Yet, while the script, credited to Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson, is strictly generic, the
direction by Sam Raimi and the performances of a stellar cast are anything but that. As a result of their contributions, a film
that might originally have been strictly palatable for late-night cable viewing has turned into something worthy of theatrical
consumption.
The Gift tells the story of Annie Wilson (Cate Blanchett), a widowed psychic scraping out a meager living by telling fortunes.
Having lost her husband a year ago, she must provide for herself and her three young boys. There are plenty of people in the
backwater Southern town who don't approve of what Annie does - they think she's a fraud or in league with the devil. Chief
among them is Donnie Barksdale (Keanu Reeves), the abusive husband of one of Annie's clients, Valerie (Hilary Swank).
One of Annie's few defenders is Buddy Cole (Giovanni Ribisi), the emotionally disturbed owner of a local garage. And,
although Annie isn't looking for romance, there's clearly a connection between her and clean-cut Wayne Collins (Greg
Kinnear), the principal at her sons' school. But a relationship doesn't look likely - Wayne is set to marry Jessica King (Katie
Wilson), whose father is one of the most respected men in town. Then, one night, Jessica turns up missing and Annie
experiences visions that implicate Donnie in her murder. Unwilling to credit the genuine nature of Annie's talent, the police are
reluctant to believe her, but when the investigation uncovers a body, Annie becomes a star witness in a sensational trial.