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The Gift (film)
Encyclopedia
The Gift is a 2000 American film directed by Sam Raimi
, written by Billy Bob Thornton
and Tom Epperson
and based on the alleged psychic experiences of Thornton's mother.
It is a supernatural
thriller, with the main character Annie (Cate Blanchett
) becoming involved in a murder mystery as a result of her witnessing the crime with her second sight
. Other major characters are played by Keanu Reeves
, Giovanni Ribisi
, Hilary Swank
, Katie Holmes
and Greg Kinnear
.
town of Brixton, Georgia
, where young widow Annie Wilson (Cate Blanchett
), the mother of three young boys, is the resident "fortune-teller." The town is abuzz with the disappearance of Jessica King (Katie Holmes
), the fiancée of Wayne Collins (Greg Kinnear
), the school's principal.
As the search for Jessica begins, the local police and Jessica's father Kenneth King (Chelcie Ross
) enlist Annie's help to see if she can come up with a possible answer. Annie is unable to produce a vision, largely due to the presence of Pearl Johnson (J. K. Simmons
), the local sheriff who looks upon Annie's trade unfavorably.
Annie later receives a vision that Jessica has been killed and her body weighed down by a chain and thrown into a pond. She also sees a fiddle player in the vision, white lilies and a split-rail fence. She returns to Johnson with her findings, and with the information, Johnson decides to search a pond at the home of Donnie Barksdale (Keanu Reeves
), a violent alcoholic. Barksdale's battered wife
, Valerie (Hilary Swank
), gives her permission for the search as Donnie is away fishing. Donnie returns while the search is proceeding. As the police are ready to give up on the search they find the nude and chained body of Jessica King. Donnie is immediately arrested.
During his trial for Jessica's murder, it is revealed that Jessica and Barksdale had an affair, and Jessica's reputation for promiscuity is exposed in open court. The case against Barksdale is strengthened when a scratch on his forearm is proven to have been perpetrated by Jessica during a confrontation at a local bar. Annie also takes the stand, and though her psychic testimony is ridiculed by defense attorney Gerald Weems (Michael Jeter
), Donnie is eventually convicted and sent to prison.
A subplot reveals other examples of Annie's "gift". Buddy Cole (Giovanni Ribisi
) harbors an intense hatred for his father, and consistently has fits of seemingly unprovoked rage, including incidents with Annie and with Donnie Barksdale. Buddy tries to explain to Annie why he hates his father but Annie is preoccupied and doesn't want to listen to the panicky and vulgar Buddy. He asks "If I look into a blue diamond, will I die?" but doesn't elaborate. Unable to understand the question, Annie shrugs Buddy off. Soon after, Buddy's hysterical mother calls Annie to come to the house as Buddy has snapped and has his father bound to a chair. Buddy sets fire to his father, and as Annie tries to stop him, he shows her a blue diamond tattoo on his father's navel. It is revealed that Buddy's father took advantage of his son's fragile mental state to force him into fellatio
. An ambulance takes Buddy's father away, while Buddy is taken to a mental hospital.
Later, Annie receives another vision saying that Donnie is innocent. She asks District Attorney
David Duncan (Gary Cole
) to reopen the case. Duncan refuses, but Annie counters that she will reveal Duncan's own involvement with Jessica King, as Annie had caught them making out
in the women's toilet while at a local dance. Duncan offers her money to keep quiet, but Annie refuses, still wanting justice for Barksdale.
Annie tells Principal Collins that Barksdale is not responsible for his fiancée's death and that DA Duncan will not reopen the investigation. After driving out to the pond that night with Collins, Annie realizes that Collins is the murderer. He confesses to Annie that he was angry after he discovered that she was cheating on him. Collins attempts to kill Annie, knowing that she'll go to the police. Just as he is about to land a fatal blow with a steel flashlight, Buddy Cole shows up and knocks Collins out.
Sitting in the car at the pond, Buddy, uncharacteristically calm, returns a handkerchief that Annie had lent him earlier, and tells her that she is the heart and soul of the town and for her not to stop doing what she's doing. The two drive to the police station with Collins stowed in the trunk. Annie tells Buddy that he will have to return to the mental hospital, and he waits in the car while she goes inside to talk with Sheriff Johnson. When Annie explains to Johnson what happened at the pond, he informs her that Buddy Cole hanged himself at the mental hospital earlier that day. She returns to her car to find Buddy gone. However, Annie still has her handkerchief that Buddy returned to her.
gave the film a rating of 56% based on 116 reviews. The consensus was "the A-list cast can't prevent the movie from becoming a by-the-numbers whodunit with an ending that's all but unsatisfactory."
Roger Ebert
gave the film 3 stars.
Sam Raimi
Samuel Marshall "Sam" Raimi is an American film director, producer, actor and writer. He is best known for directing cult horror films like the Evil Dead series, Darkman and Drag Me to Hell, as well as the blockbuster Spider-Man films and the producer of the successful TV series Hercules: The...
, written by Billy Bob Thornton
Billy Bob Thornton
Billy Bob Thornton is an American actor, screenwriter, director and musician. Thornton gained early recognition as a cast member on the CBS sitcom Hearts Afire and in several early 1990s films including On Deadly Ground and Tombstone...
and Tom Epperson
Tom Epperson
Tom Epperson is an American screenwriter et writer known for his collaborations with Billy Bob Thornton.-Selected filmography:*One False Move *A Family Thing *Don't Look Back *A Gun, a Car, a Blonde...
and based on the alleged psychic experiences of Thornton's mother.
It is a supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
thriller, with the main character Annie (Cate Blanchett
Cate Blanchett
Catherine Élise "Cate" Blanchett is an Australian actress. She came to international attention for her role as Elizabeth I of England in the 1998 biopic film Elizabeth, for which she won British Academy of Film and Television Arts and Golden Globe Awards, and earned her first Academy Award...
) becoming involved in a murder mystery as a result of her witnessing the crime with her second sight
Second sight
Second sight is a form of extrasensory perception, the supposed power to perceive things that are not present to the senses, whereby a person perceives information, in the form of a vision, about future events before they happen , or about things or events at remote locations...
. Other major characters are played by Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves
Keanu Charles Reeves is a Canadian actor. Reeves is perhaps best known for his roles in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Speed, Point Break and the science fiction-action trilogy The Matrix...
, Giovanni Ribisi
Giovanni Ribisi
Giovanni Ribisi is an American actor. His film credits include Gone in 60 Seconds, Boiler Room, Saving Private Ryan, The Mod Squad, The Gift, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Lost in Translation and more recently, Public Enemies and Avatar...
, Hilary Swank
Hilary Swank
Hilary Ann Swank is an American actress. Swank's film career began with a small part in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and then a major part in The Next Karate Kid , as Julie Pierce, the first female protégé of sensei Mr. Miyagi...
, Katie Holmes
Katie Holmes
Katherine Noelle "Katie" Holmes is an American actress who first achieved fame for her role as Joey Potter on The WB television teen drama Dawson's Creek from 1998 to 2003. Her movie roles have included the blockbuster Batman Begins along with art house films such as The Ice Storm and thrillers...
and Greg Kinnear
Greg Kinnear
Gregory "Greg" Kinnear is an American actor and television personality who first rose to stardom in 1991. He has appeared in more than 20 motion pictures, and was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in As Good as It Gets.-Early life:Kinnear was born in Logansport, Indiana, the son of...
.
Plot
The film is set in the fictional southernSouthern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
town of Brixton, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, where young widow Annie Wilson (Cate Blanchett
Cate Blanchett
Catherine Élise "Cate" Blanchett is an Australian actress. She came to international attention for her role as Elizabeth I of England in the 1998 biopic film Elizabeth, for which she won British Academy of Film and Television Arts and Golden Globe Awards, and earned her first Academy Award...
), the mother of three young boys, is the resident "fortune-teller." The town is abuzz with the disappearance of Jessica King (Katie Holmes
Katie Holmes
Katherine Noelle "Katie" Holmes is an American actress who first achieved fame for her role as Joey Potter on The WB television teen drama Dawson's Creek from 1998 to 2003. Her movie roles have included the blockbuster Batman Begins along with art house films such as The Ice Storm and thrillers...
), the fiancée of Wayne Collins (Greg Kinnear
Greg Kinnear
Gregory "Greg" Kinnear is an American actor and television personality who first rose to stardom in 1991. He has appeared in more than 20 motion pictures, and was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in As Good as It Gets.-Early life:Kinnear was born in Logansport, Indiana, the son of...
), the school's principal.
As the search for Jessica begins, the local police and Jessica's father Kenneth King (Chelcie Ross
Chelcie Ross
Chelcie Claude Ross is an American character actor. He served in Vietnam as an officer in the United States Air Force, and earned an MFA from the Dallas Theater Center.-Filmography:*Skokie *On the Right Track...
) enlist Annie's help to see if she can come up with a possible answer. Annie is unable to produce a vision, largely due to the presence of Pearl Johnson (J. K. Simmons
J. K. Simmons
Jonathan Kimble "J. K." Simmons is an American actor. He is best known for his roles on television as Dr. Emil Skoda in NBC's Law & Order , Assistant Police Chief Will Pope in TNT's The Closer, neo-Nazi Vernon Schillinger in the HBO prison drama Oz, on film as J...
), the local sheriff who looks upon Annie's trade unfavorably.
Annie later receives a vision that Jessica has been killed and her body weighed down by a chain and thrown into a pond. She also sees a fiddle player in the vision, white lilies and a split-rail fence. She returns to Johnson with her findings, and with the information, Johnson decides to search a pond at the home of Donnie Barksdale (Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves
Keanu Charles Reeves is a Canadian actor. Reeves is perhaps best known for his roles in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Speed, Point Break and the science fiction-action trilogy The Matrix...
), a violent alcoholic. Barksdale's battered wife
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
, Valerie (Hilary Swank
Hilary Swank
Hilary Ann Swank is an American actress. Swank's film career began with a small part in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and then a major part in The Next Karate Kid , as Julie Pierce, the first female protégé of sensei Mr. Miyagi...
), gives her permission for the search as Donnie is away fishing. Donnie returns while the search is proceeding. As the police are ready to give up on the search they find the nude and chained body of Jessica King. Donnie is immediately arrested.
During his trial for Jessica's murder, it is revealed that Jessica and Barksdale had an affair, and Jessica's reputation for promiscuity is exposed in open court. The case against Barksdale is strengthened when a scratch on his forearm is proven to have been perpetrated by Jessica during a confrontation at a local bar. Annie also takes the stand, and though her psychic testimony is ridiculed by defense attorney Gerald Weems (Michael Jeter
Michael Jeter
Michael Jeter was an American actor.- Early life :Michael Jeter was born in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. His mother, Virginia , was a housewife...
), Donnie is eventually convicted and sent to prison.
A subplot reveals other examples of Annie's "gift". Buddy Cole (Giovanni Ribisi
Giovanni Ribisi
Giovanni Ribisi is an American actor. His film credits include Gone in 60 Seconds, Boiler Room, Saving Private Ryan, The Mod Squad, The Gift, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Lost in Translation and more recently, Public Enemies and Avatar...
) harbors an intense hatred for his father, and consistently has fits of seemingly unprovoked rage, including incidents with Annie and with Donnie Barksdale. Buddy tries to explain to Annie why he hates his father but Annie is preoccupied and doesn't want to listen to the panicky and vulgar Buddy. He asks "If I look into a blue diamond, will I die?" but doesn't elaborate. Unable to understand the question, Annie shrugs Buddy off. Soon after, Buddy's hysterical mother calls Annie to come to the house as Buddy has snapped and has his father bound to a chair. Buddy sets fire to his father, and as Annie tries to stop him, he shows her a blue diamond tattoo on his father's navel. It is revealed that Buddy's father took advantage of his son's fragile mental state to force him into fellatio
Fellatio
Fellatio is an act of oral stimulation of a male's penis by a sexual partner. It involves the stimulation of the penis by the use of the mouth, tongue, or throat. The person who performs fellatio can be referred to as the giving partner, and the other person is the receiving partner...
. An ambulance takes Buddy's father away, while Buddy is taken to a mental hospital.
Later, Annie receives another vision saying that Donnie is innocent. She asks District Attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
David Duncan (Gary Cole
Gary Cole
Gary Michael Cole is an American actor. Cole is known for his supporting roles in numerous film and television productions since the 1990s.-Early life:...
) to reopen the case. Duncan refuses, but Annie counters that she will reveal Duncan's own involvement with Jessica King, as Annie had caught them making out
Making out
In human sexuality, making out is a sexual euphemism of American origin dating back to at least 1949, and is used synonymously with the terms necking, heavy petting, and hooking up to refer to non-penetrative sex, though "hooking up" is also used in some cultures to imply casual sex.-History:The...
in the women's toilet while at a local dance. Duncan offers her money to keep quiet, but Annie refuses, still wanting justice for Barksdale.
Annie tells Principal Collins that Barksdale is not responsible for his fiancée's death and that DA Duncan will not reopen the investigation. After driving out to the pond that night with Collins, Annie realizes that Collins is the murderer. He confesses to Annie that he was angry after he discovered that she was cheating on him. Collins attempts to kill Annie, knowing that she'll go to the police. Just as he is about to land a fatal blow with a steel flashlight, Buddy Cole shows up and knocks Collins out.
Sitting in the car at the pond, Buddy, uncharacteristically calm, returns a handkerchief that Annie had lent him earlier, and tells her that she is the heart and soul of the town and for her not to stop doing what she's doing. The two drive to the police station with Collins stowed in the trunk. Annie tells Buddy that he will have to return to the mental hospital, and he waits in the car while she goes inside to talk with Sheriff Johnson. When Annie explains to Johnson what happened at the pond, he informs her that Buddy Cole hanged himself at the mental hospital earlier that day. She returns to her car to find Buddy gone. However, Annie still has her handkerchief that Buddy returned to her.
Cast
- Cate BlanchettCate BlanchettCatherine Élise "Cate" Blanchett is an Australian actress. She came to international attention for her role as Elizabeth I of England in the 1998 biopic film Elizabeth, for which she won British Academy of Film and Television Arts and Golden Globe Awards, and earned her first Academy Award...
as Annabelle 'Annie' Wilson - Giovanni RibisiGiovanni RibisiGiovanni Ribisi is an American actor. His film credits include Gone in 60 Seconds, Boiler Room, Saving Private Ryan, The Mod Squad, The Gift, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Lost in Translation and more recently, Public Enemies and Avatar...
as Buddy Cole - Keanu ReevesKeanu ReevesKeanu Charles Reeves is a Canadian actor. Reeves is perhaps best known for his roles in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Speed, Point Break and the science fiction-action trilogy The Matrix...
as Donnie Barksdale - Katie HolmesKatie HolmesKatherine Noelle "Katie" Holmes is an American actress who first achieved fame for her role as Joey Potter on The WB television teen drama Dawson's Creek from 1998 to 2003. Her movie roles have included the blockbuster Batman Begins along with art house films such as The Ice Storm and thrillers...
as Jessica King - Greg KinnearGreg KinnearGregory "Greg" Kinnear is an American actor and television personality who first rose to stardom in 1991. He has appeared in more than 20 motion pictures, and was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in As Good as It Gets.-Early life:Kinnear was born in Logansport, Indiana, the son of...
as Wayne Collins - Hilary SwankHilary SwankHilary Ann Swank is an American actress. Swank's film career began with a small part in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and then a major part in The Next Karate Kid , as Julie Pierce, the first female protégé of sensei Mr. Miyagi...
as Valerie Barksdale - Michael JeterMichael JeterMichael Jeter was an American actor.- Early life :Michael Jeter was born in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. His mother, Virginia , was a housewife...
as Gerald Weems - Kim DickensKim DickensKimberly Jan "Kim" Dickens is an American actress and model.-Early life:Dickens was born in Huntsville, Alabama, graduated from that city's Lee High School, and attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she majored in communication...
as Linda - Gary ColeGary ColeGary Michael Cole is an American actor. Cole is known for his supporting roles in numerous film and television productions since the 1990s.-Early life:...
as David Duncan - Rosemary HarrisRosemary HarrisRosemary Ann Harris is an English actress and a member of the American Theatre Hall of Fame. Throughout her career she has been nominated for an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award and has won a Golden Globe, an Emmy, a Tony Award, an Obie, and five Drama Desk Awards.-Early life:Harris was born in...
as Annie's Granny - J.K. Simmons as Sheriff Pearl Johnson
- Chelcie RossChelcie RossChelcie Claude Ross is an American character actor. He served in Vietnam as an officer in the United States Air Force, and earned an MFA from the Dallas Theater Center.-Filmography:*Skokie *On the Right Track...
as Kenneth King - R Edward Reddick Jr as Judge
Critical response
The film received mixed reviews and Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
gave the film a rating of 56% based on 116 reviews. The consensus was "the A-list cast can't prevent the movie from becoming a by-the-numbers whodunit with an ending that's all but unsatisfactory."
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
gave the film 3 stars.