P.S. I Love You

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Holly (Hilary Swank) can't move on after the sudden death of her Irish husband Gerry (Gerard Butler) because, before he passed away from a brain tumor, he wrote a series of letters to be delivered to her after he died, telling her what to do and eventually helping her cope with the loss. Also, Holly's got an admirer in Daniel (Harry Connick Jr.), a bartender with an oh-so charming knack for always saying the wrong thing.

Big question: Are there any legitimate laughs or loves in this story of a man bossing around his wife from beyond the grave?

Skip it: Writer/director Richard LaGravenese adapts Cecelia Ahern's book with the sophistication of an Amanda Bynes movie. Even chick-flick lovers may lose their lunch as " P.S. I Love You" becomes increasingly, awkwardly girly--between Holly's super-cliche fondness for old movies and uncomfortable lines like "You make a ravishing widow, sis."

Catch it: If you're a fan of the "Saw" series, since Gerry's ability to create games to be played after he's dead suggests he admires Jigsaw's work as well. If "P.S. I Love You" weren't so cloyingly sweet, you'd expect one of Holly's assignments to be, "Go to the place we first met. You have five minutes to recite every detail about that event, or a box of our keepsakes will explode in your chest."

Bottom line: Connick Jr. provides the occasional bright spot--seriously, who needs to learn the hard way that patronizing hookers is more expensive than actual dating? For the most part though, "P.S. I Love You" seems poised not to honor the exclusive bond between two people but to suggest that love can strike at any time, as long as there are enough muscular, sensitive Irish musicians to go around.

Bonus: Gerry's friends pay their respects at his funeral by each doing a shot of Jameson. Consider taking more than one before sitting through "P.S. I Love You."

mpais@tribune.com

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