P.S. (2004)

If you approach this movie anticipating that it is a completely far-fetched and unrealistic flick, I think you will find it mildly entertaining.The story of 'P.S' revolves around Louise (Laura Linney) who works in the admissions department of Colombia Art School. In her office, she stumbles across an application letter with the same exact name as an old college beau of hers, F. Scott Feinstadt (Topher Grace), who passed away many years ago. She soon discovers that not only does he have the same name as her old boyfriend, but also looks and sounds exactly like him, AND has his identical talent for painting portraits. All of this combined convinces her that F. Scott is her reincarnated love.Although Louise is still married to her husband Peter (Gabriel Byrne), they have been separated for quite some time. With his recent admission that he is a sex addict, stating that he has slept with hundreds of both men and women, this revelation mentally frees her to pursue a relationship with F. Scott ~ which they do on of very first day of crossing paths.Further adding to the implausible mix is Louise's friend since their college days, Missy (Marcia Gay Harden), who also sees the uncanny resemblance in the two men. As she chased after the old F. Scott back in college (are you keeping up with me here?), she goes after the 'new him' in the present day, which creates a huge fight between the two friends.I won't give away the ending should you decide to view this unique flick after-all. I guess the only MAJOR conundrum I see with 'P.S.' is the way Louise and F. Scott make-out during the entire movie all over the Colombia college campus. I suppose if we're to accept every other outrageous scenario this film is presenting, a potential student locking lips with an Admissions Counselor on school grounds should not be considered remotely abnormal. In the end, gave the film a very generous 5 out of 10*.

Louise Harrington (Laura Linney) is an admission officer at Columbia University School of the Arts. She takes an interest in applicant F. Scott Feinstadt (Topher Grace). He reminds her of a teen love and she immediately has an affair with him. Her sister Missy Goldberg (Marcia Gay Harden) had actually stolen the lost love who died in a car crash as Missy's boyfriend. Louise's ex-husband Peter Harrington (Gabriel Byrne) shocks her with his sex addiction revelation. He had cheated on her with men and women during their last three years of sexless marriage. Her recovering drug addict brother Sammy Silverstein (Paul Rudd) helped him with recovery and even a new young girlfriend. Her mother Ellie Silverstein (Lois Smith) dismisses her. She starts to wonder if F. Scott is an incarnation of her dead one-true-love.Dylan Kidd's previous film is Roger Dodger. I like that one a little and this one a little less than that. Laura Linney has great sadness. The weird family characters go a little far into broad dysfunction. I don't like Topher Grace in this role. He's not mysterious enough. It would be great if he turns into fully evil. It would great if his character is something more. This is a good opportunity for something sexy, or dark, or intense. It ends up as not that much of anything.

OK, my husband and I sighed and turned this movie off maybe halfway through, so I may not be really qualified to review it. Still, that action may speak for itself. I would just like to know: What is it that makes Hollywood think we all want to watch movies about older women making it -- er, having relationships -- with younger men? I guess since American Beauty won its Oscar for a middle-aged man trying to pork his daughter's best friend, movie makers think they can make a go of it with the genders turned around, despite the warnings of Oedipus (or maybe BECAUSE of the warnings of Oedipus, I don't know.) But it failed in That Evening Star. It failed in In Love And War, despite the extreme circumstances and only 6 years age difference. I couldn't buy it between Uma Thurman and Bryan Greenberg in Prime. And now Laura Linney and Topher Grace can't make it work either. It's just, well, how do I put this? . . . Off-putting. Disturbing. Repulsive. Gross. All this despite the so-called "redemption" and the swell of happy music just before credits roll. Such relationships don't have a chance -- not in real life, and not in the movies. I don't care HOW "hot" the woman looks. (And yes, I'm a middle-aged woman.) So come on, Hollywood. Give us a break, and reach somewhere else for your different kicks. This avenue should stay off-limits.

Great acting by all, especially the talented and pretty Laura Linney. But the plot is so far fetched, it is ridiculous. I cannot get on the bandwagon with the majority of the reviewers who wholly praise this movie on this site. I just think it is a silly, unrealistic film that is somewhat confusing and just makes no sense. Laura Linney's character seems to finally mature at 39 years old at the end thanks to her affair with a man who reminds her in many ways of her first long ago dead love. Topher Grace does a fine job and is mature beyond his years in this film trying to get Linney's character back to earth. I say again the acting is superior, but the story just did not sit well with me.