by Amy Borer
Television creator David E. Kelley, best known for “Chicago Hope” and “Picket Fences,” makes his screen writing debut with “To Gillian On Her 37th Birthday,” an entertaining but lackluster film that opened in wide release last Friday.
Based on Michael Brady’s 1984 stage play of the same name, the movie stars Peter Gallagher as David Lewis, a grief stricken husband who, after two years, cannot overcome his wife’s tragic death (celebrating her 35th birthday, she foolishly climbed the mast of their sail boat and fell into the ocean). Instead of letting go, David roams the shores of the couple’s Nantucket beach house each night, where he romps and converses with the ghost of his wife Gillian, played by Michelle Pfeiffer.
The character really suffering, though, is Rachel, the Lewises’ 16-year-old daughter, who is caught in a web of sorrow over her mother’s death, her father’s visions and the usual perils of being a teenager. Rachel is played by Claire Danes, truly the one treasure in this mediocre film.
The plot becomes complicated with the interference of Gillian’s sister Esther, played by Kathy Baker from “Picket Fences” and her husband Peter, played by Bruce Altman. They believe that David is emotionally unstable and should not be the sole caretaker of Rachel.
While the script combines a touching story with comedic elements, the plot is terribly predictable, with everybody living together happily ever after in the end.
Gallagher has the makings of a lonesome, heartbroken man, but his performance leaves something to be desired. His lack of emotion at times makes his character seem more like a young boy chasing a silly fantasy than a man struggling to hold on to the memory of his late wife.
Similarly, Pfeiffer’s role is not one that suits her acting abilities, rather making her a ghost of herself. Her character may just be a figment of David’s mind, but she should feel genuine, instead of like a surreal memory.
Conversely, Danes’ character, along with her performance, is totally authentic. While David’s grief is sometimes missed, Rachel’s misery is poignant. The weight of the situation, and the film, falls firmly on Danes, an innovative, young actress who is able to bear it all. The most touching moments in the story are felt through her, from antics with her misfit new boyfriend and her best friend, to an emotional dream she has about her mother.
Though outstanding in her heavy role as David’s sister-in-law, Baker’s character is constantly bickering with either David or Peter, which can be viewed as sometimes endearing and other times unnerving.
While definitely not an Oscar winner, “To Gillian On Her 37th Birthday” is a sweet, although somewhat sappy, film. Romance buffs will probably embrace the story, yet those to whom a sentimental love flick does not appeal had best stay away.
