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The Gift (2001)
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Reviews Counted:116
Fresh:65
Rotten:51
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.
Runtime: 1 hr 51 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
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... 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, Giovanni Ribisi, Hilary Swank, Keanu Reeves
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Giovanni Ribisi, Hilary Swank, Keanu Reeves, Katie Holmes, Greg Kinnear, 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
Reviews for The Gift
It's a good story with unexpected and even almost shocking plot twists, and a whole film of very, very good performances.
..a richly textured psychological occult tale of desolation and troubled lives in backwoods Georgia.
An overwrought, cornpone, Southern-gothic "Twilight Zone" padded to feature length.
Sam Raimi's directorial flair & Chris Young's fiddle-flecked score aren't enough to prop up this supernatural Confederate corpse that comes up short in script & satisfaction.
Proof that a talented cast and crew is sometimes enough to turn second-rate material into first-rate entertainment
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