The Gift (2000)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Sam Raimi

Writers (WGA):

Billy Bob Thornton (written by) &
Tom Epperson (written by)

Release Date:

19 January 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

The only witness to the crime was not even there

Plot:

A woman with extrasensory perception is asked to help find a young woman who has disappeared.

Plot Keywords:

Abusive Husband | Pond | Widow | Clairvoyant | Extrasensory Perception

Awards:

8 nominations

Cast

Cate Blanchett	...	Annabelle 'Annie' Wilson
Giovanni Ribisi	...	Buddy Cole
Keanu Reeves	...	Donnie Barksdale
Katie Holmes	...	Jessica King
Greg Kinnear	...	Wayne Collins
Hilary Swank	...	Valerie Barksdale
Michael Jeter	...	Gerald Weems
Kim Dickens	...	Linda
Gary Cole	...	David Duncan
Rosemary Harris	...	Annie's Granny
J.K. Simmons	...	Sheriff Pearl Johnson
Chelcie Ross	...	Kenneth King
John Beasley	...	Albert Hawkins
Lynnsee Provence	...	Mike Wilson
Hunter McGilvray	...	Miller Wilson

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, language, and sexuality/nudity.

Runtime:

112 min | USA:111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 (re-rating on appeal) | Iceland:16 | USA:R (certificate #37790) | Malaysia:18PL (uncut version) | Malaysia:U (cut version) | Philippines:PG-13 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Brazil:16 | Canada:14A | Finland:K-15 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Mexico:B | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Effingham County, Georgia, USA

Company:

Lakeshore Entertainment

Trivia:

The cards Annie Wilson uses to perform her "readings" are actually Zener Cards, which are used to perform ESP tests. The cards are not known for their fortune-telling abilities.

Goofs:

Continuity: Annie picks up the photo album from her son's bed and carries it with her as she leaves, but once she is outside of the room, she no longer has it.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Annie: Oh, thank you for the peaches.
Tommy Lee Ballard: Yes, ma'am.
Annie: So how you been?
Tommy Lee Ballard: Oh, pretty good, I reckon.
Annie: You had a health problem since I saw you last?
Tommy Lee Ballard: Ma'am?
Annie: Have you been sick.
Tommy Lee Ballard: Back's been hurting a little.
Annie: No, no, it's not your back. You been bleeding somewhere?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "South of Nowhere: Girls Guide to Dating (#1.5)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Cherry Lips

Good and spooky.

In The Gift, Cate Blanchett is blessed(or cursed?) with the ability to sense things that no ordinary person can see. She is asked by the police to aid in the search of a missing person and what follows, is a journey into the supernatural. Sam Raimi knows how to set up a scene for the maximum scare potential. Honed on his Evil Dead series, Raimi lets a scene begin slowly and allows the viewer to sense the dread and feel the suspense build. There are visual tricks, interesting camera techniques and the fine performances by a very talented cast that propel this story forward. Among this cast that really stands out is Keanu Reeves. People have always complained that Reeves brings down a movie. At least some of the people I know. I prefer to think that Reeves is an underrated actor. In the role of Donny Barksdale, Reeves brings a certain menace to his character that usually isn't scene in his other roles. Barksdale isn't a creature of the night, or a space alien, but a flesh and blood creature that is capable of true evil. When you watch him, look at his eyes and you'll see a true menace lurking behind those dark brown eyes. Cate Blanchett shows that she can master just about any accent that's out there. She sounds like she's a native of the south and she has a quiet courage about her. Most notable when she's squaring off against Reeves.

All in all, The Gift is a wonderfully atmospheric thriller. It has brains and doesn't insult the viewers. It will keep you hooked up until the very end, and there are quite a few surprises throughout the film. Highly entertaining, and very spooky at times.