The Gift (2000)
This underrated, under-appreciated gem of a ghost story – written by Billy Bob Thronton and Tom Epperson, and directed by Sam Raimi – dives into the murky swamp of a twisted bayou community, the residents of which are scarred by loss, abuse and corruption. Under the oppressive weight of this town is mother-of-three Annie (Cate Blanchett) – recently widowed and supporting her young family with her ‘gift’ of clairvoyance. She has a number of regular clients with whom she has bonded, and their stories thread together to create one horrifying tapestry.
They are drawn together by the disappearance of a notable young woman from the heart of the community – Jessica King (Katie Holmes) – whom Annie repeatedly sees in terrifying visions. As she begins to unravel the circumstances of the crime, she is brought into conflict with her client’s abusive husband, Donnie Barksdale (Keanu Reeves) – which causes her to neglect the signals of distress from another client – Buddy Cole (Giovanni Ribisi). At the same time, she becomes embroiled with the missing woman’s fiancée – Wayne Collins (Greg Kinnear).
The complex web of tensions and relationships that run between these characters is pulled taught when the dead body of the missing woman is recovered from a spot identified by Annie, as a result of her gift. This is the catalyst for her discovery that not everybody in the town is what they seem to be, and that the making of assumptions can be a foolish undertaking. As Annie finds herself in mortal danger, an unlikely hero appears in the form of Buddy Cole – recently incarcerated for murder. As Buddy cares for Annie and delivers her to the police station to report her discoveries, she learns that Buddy actually died by his own hand, 24 hours previously.
Published: May 25, 2016 01:12 pm