The Gift 2000

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The Gift ★★ 2000 (R)

Widowed mom Blanchett uses her psychic gifts to help find the murderer of rich girl Holmes in their Georgia town. Among those involved are battered wife Swank, abuser Reeves, Holmes's fiance Kinnear and mentally slow tow-truck driver Ribisi. By-the-numbers thriller loses steam after a promising start, but is saved by the performances of a fine cast. The characters are stock Southern Gothic types, but they're given dimension by the portrayals. Raimi shows (early on) that he still knows how to startle an audience and create a creepy atmosphere. 112m/C VHS, DVD . Cate Blanchett, Katie Holmes, Hilary Swank, Keanu Reeves, Greg Kinnear, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Jeter, Gary Cole, Kim Dickens, Rosemary Harris, J.K. Simmons, Chelcie Ross, John Beasley; D: Sam Raimi; W: Billy Bob Thornton, Tom Epperson; C: Jamie Anderson; M: Christopher Young.

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