Taglines: The only witness to the crime was not even there.
The Gift movie storyline. In the bayous near Savannah lives Annie, a widow with three young sons and a gift: she’s clairvoyant, supporting her family by reading cards. Not long after she’s menaced by Donnie Barksdale, the abusive husband of a client, the sultry daughter of a prominent citizen (and fiancée of the school principal) goes missing. Annie leads the police to the woman’s watery grave, Donnie’s pond.
At the trial and after, Annie must sort through an attack on her credibility and her gift, knowledge of the dead woman’s affairs, her own attraction to the principal, and a separate crisis brought on by the mental illness of one of her neighbors. The visions won’t quit either: what if Donnie is innocent?
The Gift is a 2000 American supernatural thriller film directed by Sam Raimi, written by Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson and based on the alleged psychic experiences of Thornton’s mother. The film centers on Annie (Cate Blanchett) becoming involved in a murder case as a result of acquiring keen knowledge about the crime through her extrasensory perception. Other major characters are played by Keanu Reeves, Giovanni Ribisi, Hilary Swank, Katie Holmes, and Greg Kinnear.
About the Story
In the town of Brixton, Georgia, widow Annie Wilson is the resident fortune-teller who possesses extrasensory perception. Jessica King (Holmes), the fiancée of local school teacher Wayne Collins (Kinnear) disappears.
Annie eventually receives a vision revealing that Jessica has been killed and her corpse thrown into a pond. She informs local sheriff Pearl Johnson (J.K. Simmons) of her vision and with this information, and despite his skepticism, Johnson searches a pond at the estate of Donnie Barksdale (Reeves), the violent husband of one of Annie’s clients named Valerie (Swank). He had previously threatened Annie and her kids for Annie advising his wife to leave him. Valerie permits the search while Donnie is absent from their residence, but the latter returns while the search is proceeding. The police find Jessica’s corpse in the pond and Donnie is arrested for her murder.
During his trial for Jessica’s murder, it is revealed that Jessica and Barksdale had an affair. The case against Barksdale is strengthened when evidence supporting that Barksdale is the murderer is discovered; Annie also takes the stand and Donnie is eventually convicted and sent to prison.
Buddy Cole (Ribisi), an acquaintance of Annie’s, harbors a hatred for his father. The former tries to explain to Annie why he hates his father but Annie is preoccupied and refuses to listen to the explanation of the vulgar, agitated Buddy. That evening, Buddy’s mother calls Annie to come to their house as Buddy has snapped and has his father bound to a chair. Buddy sets his father on fire and it is then revealed that Buddy’s father sexually abused him as a child. Buddy is eventually taken to a mental hospital.
Later, Annie receives another vision divulging that Donnie is innocent. She asks prosecutor David Duncan (Gary Cole) to reopen the case. After Duncan declines, Annie counters that if he does not do so she will reveal Duncan and Jessica’s sexual activity which she witnessed. Duncan attempts to bribe Annie in exchange for her silence, but Annie refuses, only wanting justice for Barksdale.
Annie tells Collins that Barksdale is not responsible for Jessica’s death and that Duncan will not reopen the investigation. At Collins suggestion he and Annie drive out to the pond that night where Annie learns from a vision that Collins is actually Jessica’s murderer. Collins confesses to Annie that he was angry after he discovered that she was cheating on him. Collins attempts to kill Annie – striking her in the head with a flashlight – knowing that she will inform the police about killing his fiancée, but Buddy appears and knocks him out. Annie and Buddy lock the unconscious Collins in the trunk of Annie’s car.
Annie tells Collins that Barksdale is not responsible for Jessica’s death and that Duncan will not reopen the investigation. At Collins suggestion he and Annie drive out to the pond that night where Annie learns from a vision that Collins is actually Jessica’s murderer. Collins confesses to Annie that he was angry after he discovered that she was cheating on him. Collins attempts to kill Annie – striking her in the head with a flashlight – knowing that she will inform the police about killing his fiancée, but Buddy appears and knocks him out. Annie and Buddy lock the unconscious Collins in the trunk of Annie’s car.
The Gift (2000)
Directed by: Sam Raimi
Starring: CAte Blanchett, Giovanni Ribisi, Keanu Reeves, Katie Holmes, Greg Kinnear, Hillary Swank, Rosemary Harris, Kim Dickens, Michael Jeter, Lynnsee Provence
Screenplay by: Billy Bob Thornton, Tom Epperson
Production Design by: Neil Spisak
Cinematography by: Jamie Anderson
Fim Editing by: Arthur Coburn, Bob Murawski
Costume Design by: Julie Weiss
Set Decoration by: Marthe Pineau
Music by: Christopher Young
MPAA Rating: R for violence, language, and sexuality / nudityb
Distributed by: Paramount Classics
Release Date: December 22, 2000
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