| | | The only witness to the crime was not even there.
Features: DVD, Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 1.85:1, Dolby Digital (5.1); Dolby Surround Sound, Interviews, Theatrical Trailer, Music Video, English Subtitled
Oscar-nominee and Golden Globe winner Cate Blanchett leads an incredible all-star cast including Academy Award winner Hilary Swank (Boys Don't Cry), Keanu Reeves (The Matrix), Katie Holmes (Wonder Boys), Giovanni RIbisi (Saving Private Ryan) and Oscar-nominee Greg Kinnear (As Good As It Gets) in this stylishly filmed mystery that's as eerie as a backwoods swamp with a dark secret beneath its even darker surface. Widow and mother of three, Annie Wilson (Blanchett) makes her living by foretelling others' futures...though her own has become cloudier than even she can see. Threatened by a client's violently jealous husband (Reeves) and plagued by visions of a missing towns-girl (Holmes), Annie is unwittingly pulled into a thicket of lies and deception in which her extraordinary gift could be used against her...and get her killed. Written by Billy Bob Thornton (Sling Blade) and Tom Epperson (A Family Thing), and directed by Sam Raimi (A Simple Plan), The Gift is a gripping tale of supernatural intrigue...and chilling terror.
"Two thumbs up!" Ebert & Roeper And The Movies
"Blanchett's performance: persuasive, subtle, impeccable." Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine
"A smart, nuanced thriller!" Joe Morgenstern, The Wall Street Journal
"Superb! Cate Blanchett shines in a psychic thriller!" Jack Mathews, New York Daily News
"A sexy, twist-a-minute thriller!" Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
Editor's Note
Annie Wilson (Cate Blanchett) is a young widow living in Brixton, Georgia, who does psychic readings. She has a power that allows her to see things her neighbors don't see, and she talks about the things that they try to keep quiet. She eventually stirs up trouble by advising Valerie Barksdale (Hilary Swank) to leave her abusive husband, Donnie (an effectively menacing Keanu Reeves). Donnie chases after Annie and threatens her and her young sons. Then Jessica King (Katie Holmes), a sexually liberated rich girl, disappears, and Annie has visions of a gruesome murder that endanger her own life. THE GIFT is an unusual supernatural thriller. Director Sam Raimi (A SIMPLE PLAN) and DP Jamie Anderson use the huge gnarled trees and foggy swamps of Savannah to create a palpable sense of dread, and Raimi really knows how to jolt an audience. The script, by Billy Bob Thornton (SLING BLADE) and Tom Epperson, has enough twists to keep the audience guessing. Blanchett is very believable, and Giovanni Ribisi gives a heart-wrenching performance as Buddy Cole, a disturbed young man who seeks Annie's counsel. Their relationship gives the film an emotional weight that makes it more than just a good thriller.
| Features | Music Video "Furnace Room Lullaby" Performed By Neko Case & Her Boyfriends | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection | | English Subtitles | | Exclusive Cast And Crew Interviews | | Theatrical Trailer | | Widescreen Presentation | | Audio: English Dolby Digital (5.1), English, French Dolby Surround Sound |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Paramount |
| Release Date: 1/24/2006 |
| Running Time: 111 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2001 | | Catalog ID: 328954 | | UPC: 00097363289548 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English [CC], English, French Dubbed | | Available Subtitles: English | | Video: Color |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
Independent Spirit (2001) | | | Giovanni Ribisi, Nominee, Best Supporting Male |
| Memorable Quotes| "What's the matter? You see somethin' bad?"----the doomed Jessica King (Katie Holmes) skeptically questions a stricken Annie (Cate Blanchett) about her vision. |
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| | Professional Reviews | USA Today
"...[Like A SIMPLE PLAN, director Sam Raimi's film is] an absorbing portrayal of a serious crime committed in a small town..." 12/20/2000 p.4DNew York Times
"...[Ms. Blanchett's] spectral intensity dominates THE GIFT....Mr. Reeves [gives] his best bad-guy performance to date....Mr. Raimi has not forgotten the tricks of his gory erstwhile trade..." 01/19/2001 p.E18 Sight and Sound
"...Reeves brings off a dashing piece of physical sleight-of-hand....[The] film is elegant, solidly played and frequently gripping..." 03/01/2001 p.51 Chicago Sun-Times
"...The movie is ingenious in its plotting, colorful in its characters, taut in its direction and fortunate in possessing Cate Blanchett..." 01/19/2001 p.29 Entertainment Weekly
"...[A] deeply spooky gothic shocker..." 07/20/2001 p.50 Chicago Sun-Times 8 of 10
...The movie is ingenious in its plotting, colorful in its characters, taut in its direction and fortunate in possessing Cate Blanchett. If this were not a crime picture (if it were sopped in social uplift instead of thrills), it would be easier to see the quality of her work. By the end, as all hell is breaking loose, it's easy to forget how much everything depended on the sympathy and gravity she provided in the first two acts. - Roger Ebert
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