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The Gift (2001)
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Reviews Counted: 115
Fresh: 65
Rotten:50
Average Rating: 5.9/10
Consensus: With a reported budget of around 10 million, The Gift is obviously a labor of love for those involved. Unfortunately, the A-list cast can't prevent the movie from becoming a by-the-numbers whodunit with an ending that's all but unsatisfactory.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] violence, language, and sexuality/nudity
Runtime: 1 hr 51 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Theatrical Release: Dec 20, 2000 Limited
Box Office: $11,151,502
Synopsis: Annie Wilson (Cate Blanchett) is a young widow living in Brixton, Georgia, who does psychic readings. She has a power that allows her to see things her neighbors don't see, and she talks about the things that they try to keep quiet. She... Annie Wilson (Cate Blanchett) is a young widow living in Brixton, Georgia, who does psychic readings. She has a power that allows her to see things her neighbors don't see, and she talks about the things that they try to keep quiet. She eventually stirs up trouble by advising Valerie Barksdale (Hilary Swank) to leave her abusive husband, Donnie (an effectively menacing Keanu Reeves). Donnie chases after Annie and threatens her and her young sons. Then Jessica King (Katie Holmes), a sexually liberated rich girl, disappears, and Annie has visions of a gruesome murder that endanger her own life. THE GIFT is an unusual supernatural thriller. Director Sam Raimi (A SIMPLE PLAN) and DP Jamie Anderson use the huge gnarled trees and foggy swamps of Savannah to create a palpable sense of dread, and Raimi really knows how to jolt an audience. The script, by Billy Bob Thornton (SLING BLADE) and Tom Epperson, has enough twists to keep the audience guessing. Blanchett is very believable, and Giovanni Ribisi gives a heart-wrenching performance as Buddy Cole, a disturbed young man who seeks Annie's counsel. Their relationship gives the film an emotional weight that makes it more than just a good thriller. [More]
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Katie Holmes, Keanu Reeves, Hilary Swank
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Katie Holmes, Keanu Reeves, Hilary Swank, Greg Kinnear, Giovanni Ribisi, Kim Dickens, Gary Cole, Michael Jeter, Danny Elfman, Stuart Greer, Alex Lee, Chelcie Ross, J.K. Simmons
Director: Sam Raimi
Director: Sam Raimi
Screenwriter: Tom Epperson, Billy Bob Thornton
Studio: Paramount Classics
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Reviews for The Gift
Who would have thought Sam Raimi could have made a film in which the dead are harmless, even helpful?
Failing to deliver as a suspenser, The Gift relies heavily on its name cast, particularly Cate Blanchette, which elevates the old-fashioned yarn to a more serious patina.
Stilted, obvious, and cruel... No longer an absurdist of gore, Raimi is now a reveler in it.
One of the strongest parts in question is the central performance of Cate Blanchett.
Once the story chooses its path, a glance downward reveals the ruts worn by the many plot vehicles that have traveled this road before.
This is one of the best films about the supernatural that has come out in recent years, along with "The Others," and "The Sixth Sense.'
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by: KingTomato 7/5/01
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