‘P.S. I Love You’

Book written by Cecelia Ahern (2004)

Movie directed by Richard LaGravenese (2007)

The Book

As Holly enters her 30s, she struggles to revive the pieces of herself that died when her husband Gerry passed away. Without married life, Holly mourns alone, cushioned by used tissues, a fridge full of condiments and an apartment flooded by memories.

Soon Holly is met with an unexpected gift. Before Gerry’s death, she learns that her husband went to amazing lengths to ensure she moves on. On the first of every month, Holly receives a handwritten letter from Gerry. Each note is a page of Gerry’s greater plan to bring Holly closer to life and closer to a life better than what she had before.

Cecelia Ahern’s book is good, but not great. It succeeds in emphasizing the role of good friends during times of tragedy but fails to spark that itch in the tips of your fingers urging you to turn the page. Not until halfway through does the reader gain a sense of urgency to reach the end.

Still, “P.S. I Love You” is a sweet, sensitive portrayal of loss that offers a creative, fresh plotline to an otherwise average “chick” novel.

The Movie

Hilary Swank stars as Holly, providing a nice departure for the actress from her otherwise somber resume. While skipping much of the book’s detail as well as a few key family members, the movie shows us why we care enough to watch the grieving widow.

Gerard Butler (“300”) plays Gerry. Not only is the part a far leap from his previous roles in “300” and “Shattered,” but Butler’s charm as the late husband and his quirky Irish accent keep the ladies planted in their seats, drooling all the way to the credits.

The movie’s producers, however, seem to have thought American viewers couldn’t relate as well to an all-Irish cast. The book is set in scenic Dublin, while the movie is in (yawn) New York.

However, everything picks up when Holly and her friends travel to Ireland, only to bump into a surprise someone from Gerry’s past, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan (“Weeds”). The movie injects emotion into Ahern’s slow-moving tale and, like the book, offers a creative, fresh plotline to an otherwise average “chick” movie.

Which is better? The movie.

The book takes 470 pages to tell a story that’s more consumer-friendly on film. The book was sweet, but 470 pages of sweet are, at times, boring and sour. With a strong, yet sad and awkward female lead, fans of “Catch and Release” or “Sex and the City” will find themselves in familiar territory. Fans of modern chick flicks will lap up every minute. Everyone else may wonder why the cancer hasn’t made Gerry even a smidgen less attractive.