Gerard Butler and Hilary Swank

If you were dying, do you think you could have the strength to look beyond your own personal pain to try to ease the suffering of the ones you leave behind? Gerry Kennedy (Gerard Butler) knew that he only had months to live and he wanted to spend that precious time reassuring the woman that he loved (Hilary Swank) that life was for the living. He understood that living was as much a process as dying and he had to help her realize that somehow. The last thing that he wanted was for his wife to be metaphorically buried with him.

That sentiment played throughout the movie especially when the director opted not to show a deathbed scene….that would have been too calculating and the antithesis of the larger message…..the celebration of life and the difficult journey in getting there. His posthumous letters would turn out to be the exact road map to lead her in that direction.

The success of his plan would surprise Gerry himself, as it seems that it led Holly to someone who loved him too. It was good to see her family and friends rally around her to provide able assistance to his plan, most notably, Holly’s mom and his nemesis (Kathy Bates, who could relate having had her own sense of loss) who couldn’t possibly deny him his last request. This movie gave a compelling argument for pushing through your fears and reaching out and holding on to loved ones; it was a perfected balance of love, loss and renewal.

Though some would classify this movie as a ‘chick flick’…..I think that it could affect anyone dealing with such a heart wrenching loss. It’s a movie that inspires a person to summon up the courage to go on, even when they can’t possibly imagine….how to.

Grade A