Exploring the beauty and darkness of this unheralded Sam Raimi effort
Thor has gotten a remake! The good people over at Marvel have taken a page from the Guardians textbook and given Thor’s third solo outing a decidedly pop feel in its look and humor. Helping this along are the additions of cast members Jeff Goldblum (adding levity no doubt) and Cate Blanchett who’s on hand for villain duties.
Let’s face it; any film lucky enough to get the double Oscar-winner is lucky and it’s always interesting to see how well the actress can acquit herself to the many kinds of filmmakers working today. One such stellar example is when Blanchett teamed up with Sam Raimi for the 2000 mystery/thriller The Gift.
Co-written by Billy Bob Thornton, The Gift’s main character is Annie Wilson (Blanchett), a recently-widowed mother of three who supports her family by giving tarot card readings to town locals. After having given a reading to the battered Valerie (Hilary Swank), Annie finds herself threatened by her client’s abusive husband Donnie (Keanu Reeves). At the same time, Annie struggles to help the emotionally damaged Buddy (Giovanni Ribisi) who is battling past demons. Making life even more complicated is the disappearance and murder of Jessica (Katie Holmes), the daughter of the town’s most prominent family, whose death keeps coming to Annie through mysterious visions, making her a key witness to the crime.
Where The Gift truly shines is in its strong characterization. Annie proves to be such a compelling and endearing heroine simply because she’s not painted as heroic. Instead, she’s just a decent, simple person; a loving mother and empathetic individual who radiates natural goodness. There’s a great deal of dignity within Annie, never letting herself get beat up by life, but never stooping to lash out or give into the petty skepticism and judgement she continuously receives from members of the community. It’s a testament to Thornton’s screenplay and Raimi’s direction that even the film’s supporting characters enjoy fleshed out moments. Valerie, for example, is a fully credible example of a woman trapped in a marriage that intoxicates her as much as it tears her apart. It’s Buddy however who is given the most heartbreaking arc as a victim of child molestation that has filled him with years of torment. When his past is revealed, so is his soul and the audience instantly weeps for him as a result. And while even though some characters such as Jessica and Donnie aren’t given the most screen time, enough attention is paid to them get the sense of what these, and all the people in the world of The Gift are about.
Few do atmosphere quite like Raimi and The Gift is proof positive of that fact. The director wastes no time plunging his audience into the deep southern setting and filling it with both dread and wonder. There are some general scares throughout the film, but Raimi is more about the imagery here. Moments when Annie has a vision of a dead Jessica in a tree, her hallway filling up with water before disappearing and finding herself being choked in her dreams, are all startling instances filled with darkness and surprising beauty. What makes this so effective is the fact that all supernatural instances happen to Annie in mysterious flashes, much like her abilities. As is the case with Annie’s gift, the visions are sometimes not the easiest to decipher, yet for the main character, they are as real as she is. The key in making it all work lies in the filmmakers never once treating the subject matter with anything but respect, regardless of personal beliefs. Never once does The Gift take Annie or her skills into parody, nor does it use them for cheap thrills, making for an intimate supernatural character study that also doubles as a decent whodunnit.
Suffice it to say that Blanchett knocks it out of the park hands down. The actress infuses herself with all the characteristics of a southern woman doing her best to provide for her family. At the same time, she channels Annie’s strength in such a way that although she’s vulnerable, she’s never weak. The rest of the cast plays his or her character to great effect, with each adding color to their limited time on the screen. The standout among them is Ribisi who is a true force as the severely damaged buddy. The scene in which his character’s demons are all brought to the forefront is astounding and represents some of the best work the actor has ever done.
The Gift came and went upon release. While the film received enough positive word of mouth from critics, there was something of a disconnect with regards to actually getting it seen. There was no doubt that the film had indie trappings in terms of budget, but its marquee pedigree screamed “studio”, perhaps leading some to ponder where this movie really belonged, and in front of what audience.
Supposedly the inspiration for The Gift came from Thornton’s own mother who claimed to possess abilities similar to that of Annie’s, giving a slight authenticity to the overall experience. Despite all its worthwhile qualities, The Gift remains one of Raimi’s most anonymous films. This may be due to the movie’s unfortunate luck of having been made in between the critical praise surrounding 1998’s A Simple Plan and the blockbuster success of 2002’s Spider-Man. Some may surely view The Gift as one of a handful of efforts made during his experimental periods, which saw the director venture into a number of genres, including westerns and sports movies. Yet The Gift boasts enough touching and involving elements to exist as a full-fledged Raimi classic in its own right.
