Film: PS I Love You

Director: Richard LaGravenese
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Source: USA (2007)
Rating: PG-13
Location/Format: DVD
Grade: C-

Sometimes on your anniversary your wife wants to watch a romantic comedy, and sometimes you're in a cabin with a very small selection of DVDs. And sometimes you start a movie and think it's going to be pretty solid, maybe a nice twist on the usual formulaic genre, and then the characters take a trip to Ireland and the movie goes off the rails.

Hilary Swank is pretty good here, and Gerard Butler plays, well, Gerard Butler, but a version of Gerard Butler that sings and tries to transform his Scottish accent into an Irish accent to varying degrees of success. There are lots of enjoyable supporting performances--particularly Kathy Bates, who manages to be real in pretty much everything she does. And Harry Connick! I went through a HUGE Harry Connick music phase when I was in high school.

So seriously, there's a lot to like here. But three people lose their oars in a boat and can think of NO WAY to propel the boat? There's NOTHING to use as a paddle? They just have to SIT there and wait for someone to come save them? Because they're GIRLS? No. I was liking the movie until that point, and then it's like someone pushed a button and turned it into dumb. Just went off the rails for the rest of the film.

My wife thought so too. She's pretty smart like that. And she has great taste. So it turns out it did make me feel romantic after all.

Alternate Film Title: "Creating Unreasonable Romantic Expectations for Terminally Ill People"