The Gift (2005)

Co-written by Billy Bob Thornton and directed by Sam Raimi, The Gift centers on Annie Wilson (Cate Blanchett), a legitimate psychic who gives readings in a small Georgia town to support her three children. She uses a combination of intuition, common sense, empathy, and supernatural abilities to guide her clients through their problems. The film follows two of her regulars, abused wife Valerie Barksdale (Hillary Swank) and mentally ill mechanic Buddy Cole (Giovanni Ribisi), as their lives and fates all become intertwined. Annie is threatened by Valerie’s husband, Donny (a surprisingly emotive Keanu Reeves), and is asked to assist in the murder of Jessica King (Katie Holmes).

The murder mystery is actually the least engrossing part of the film; its strength lies in the characters and the individual acting styles of those who portray them. It has gotten so hard to separate Blanchett from strong characters (mainly Galadriel in the Tolkien films), that one of the most interesting aspects of watching The Gift now is seeing her play such a reserved, unassuming, weak character. The only time Annie exhibits any kind of authority is while reading the cards; this is her place of power, and when men enter she is no longer able to “see.” However, even in these moments her body language displays anxiety and weakness. Annie has powers, but she does not have power. She spends much of the film looking like a puppy who has been beaten; she averts her eyes and is often hunched over. This is further testament to Blanchett’s acting abilities; she is portraying a woman who is not only burdened with a “gift” that shows her the future, unpleasant past experiences, and dead bodies, but she also has recently lost her husband and protector. This is as much a story about a woman trying to make it on her own for the first time, as it is a whodunit. The other women in the film are foils for Annie; they represent paths she could have gone down. At times, it is hard to reconcile with the portrayal of women in this film. Jessica is a spoiled rich girl who is cheating on her fiancée, and Annie covets her partner and her sexual freedom. Valerie Barksdale (Hillary Swank) is repeatedly beaten and verbally abused, but is lost without her husband.

In actuality, the men don’t fare much better either. For those wishing to cry misogyny, keep in mind that the most positively portrayed man in the film is dead. This is where the film hits home with reality; these characters may appear exaggerated and their situation may seem outlandish, but on closer inspection there are undercurrents of truth. Thornton based Annie on his mother, who became the town psychic to support him and his siblings when his father passed. I can imagine he eavesdropped on her sessions, hearing situations of mental illness and spousal abuse. As in the real world, no one in the film is inherently good or bad; everyone has positive and negative characteristics and representations. They all make poor decisions and are seeking love and attention, to be validated by the people they partnered with. The really sad part is that Annie has somehow taken it all on as her responsibility; she is much more a therapist than a fortune teller. This is where Thornton has always excelled in his writing: creating Southern gothics that somehow feel true because of the people who populate them.

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