P.S. I Love You - American romantic drama film

 

P.S. I Love You is a 2007 American romantic drama film directed by Richard LaGravenese from a screenplay by LaGravenese and Steven Rogers based on the 2004 novel of the same name by Cecelia Ahern. The film stars Hilary Swank, Gerard Butler, Lisa Kudrow, Gina Gershon, James Marsters, Harry Connick Jr. and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

The film was released in the United States on December 21, 2007, by Warner Bros. Pictures. It was critically panned, with criticism being directed at Swank's performance and the writing. However, it was a box office success, and grossed $156.8 million worldwide against a $30 million budget. In 2019 Swank expressed interest in adapting the follow-up book into a second film. Holly and Gerry are a married couple living in Manhattan; they fight occasionally but are deeply in love. One winter, Gerry dies of a brain tumour, causing Holly to withdraw from her family and friends out of grief.

On Holly's 30th birthday, a cake is delivered along with a cassette that holds a recording from Gerry— the first of several meaningful messages all ending "P.S. I Love You", which he had arranged to have delivered to her after his death. Holly's mom, Patricia, who never warmed to the idea of her marrying Gerry when she was nineteen, is not pleased, worried that it will keep Holly tied to the past.

As each season passes, Gerry's messages fill Holly with encouragement to continue living. Having organised for Holly and her two best friends, Denise and Sharon, to travel to his homeland of Ireland, they arrive at a beautiful house in the Irish countryside and find a letter addressed to each of them; one asks Denise to take Holly to his favourite pub. While there, Holly meets William, a singer who strongly reminds her of Gerry. He dedicates a song to her, ("Galway Girl"); upon hearing it, she is overcome with emotion and walks out, realising it was the song Gerry sang to her when they first met.

While out fishing on the lake, the women lose their boat's oars, leaving them stranded. As they wait for help, Sharon announces that she is pregnant and Denise reveals she is getting married. Their news causes Holly to relapse emotionally and begin to withdraw into herself again. They are eventually rescued by William, whom Sharon and Denise invite to stay the night because of the rain. Unable to deny their feelings for each other, William and Holly have sex. They later have a conversation about Gerry and, when Holly mentions his parents who she wants to go and visit, William realises she is the widow of his childhood friend. Holly panics, but William calms her down by telling her stories about his and Gerry's friendship. The next day, Holly visits Gerry's parents and while there, receives another letter, reminding her of how they met.

Arriving home, Holly continues to withdraw from her life, but is later inspired to start designing women's shoes after finding one of Gerry's suspender clips on one of her heels. She enrols in a design class and, over time, her new found confidence allows her to emerge from her solitude and genuinely embrace her friends' happiness. Holly also goes out to dinner with an old friend, Daniel, who reveals he has always had feelings for her. Knowing Holly doesn't return the same feelings, and after she calls him Gerry by mistake, Daniel leaves the restaurant.

While on a walk with her mother, Patricia hands Holly a final letter from Gerry, revealing she was the one whom he had asked to deliver all of the messages; she said she didn't think it was appropriate but also couldn't say no to him. Holly returns home to a voicemail from Daniel. They meet at Yankee Stadium and she asks him to read the letter; in it, Gerry tells her not to turn away from new love. Holly and Daniel share a kiss but then decide they are better staying as friends.

Later, Holly takes her mother on a trip to Ireland. By chance they meet William, and he expresses his wish to see her again.