It is this great loss that Holly suffers and her resultant grief that struck home for me. My grandmother lost my grandfather during the fall of 2006 following the discovery of advanced cancer. He died within a matter of months. Their relationship was built on deep, long-lasting love and faith. For 58 years they lived for each other and their children and grandchildren. For 58 years she always had him at her side, then suddenly he was gone. He was taken from her far too soon and far too quickly. She was left with a large hole and no way to fill it.
Watching P.S. I Love You and seeing the effects of loss and grief on Holly brought to mind the loss suffered by my grandmother, and my entire family. It is not easy dealing with grief. Losing a loved one is not any easy thing to go through, even harder to overcome. In some cases it is impossible to move past it, to get on with living. This movie injects romance from beyond the grave, as morbid as that sounds, and uses it as a tool to use in getting over the loss and regaining the ability to live life with the potential to love again.
You see, when Gerry found out that he was sick and had little time to live, he went about putting a plan into motion to help Holly and her ability to deal with her grief as well as remind her of just how much he loved her without trying to keep her tied to someone who is dead. He wrote letters to his wife, letters that would be delivered over the course of a year, each containing a task for her to do, sometimes by herself, or with the help of her friends Denise (Lisa Kudrow) and Sharon (Gina Gershon). Each letter concluded with the reminder: "P.S. I love you." Each of these letters was designed to get her out of the house, to get over the loss and get on with her life.
Article comments
1 - Cait
Enjoyed reading your critique about PSILY, Chris Beaumont - in fact, when I first saw your name, I thought you were a female! Many of the reviews I've read since this movie put in an appearance have been blatantly disparaging and sarcastically dismissive - and unfortunately, it seemed to me that the preponderance of those penning such commentary were male. Thus, it was refreshing to read such an objective assessment from you as to the merits as well as the shortcomings of this film. I've seen it twice now and have enjoyed both viewings equally. However, I do take exception that the 'plot was ludicrous' and that the movie was 'hopelessly sentimental'. Oh, and by the by, what's wrong with being an 'unapologetic tearjerker'? (I think we can all use a good tearjerker every now and again to remind us of those core values in life that ultimately make it worth living...)
2 - Katlin Dunn
I'm a huge Gerard Butler fan and even though I liked the film (mainly because of him)I have to agree it could have used better editing and much more of Jeffrey Dean Morgan.