While The Gift is an undeniably riveting thriller, it is also a very unflattering portrayal of Southern folk. Donnie Barksdale (Keanu Reeves), the most openly devout Christian in the film, rails against "Jews and {blacks}" (Barksdale uses another word). He also beats his mousy wife (Hilary Swank) and sports a rebel flag. The clairvoyant pagan Annie (Cate Blanchett) is of course a paragon of virtue and her only real friend is a mentally challenged and sexually exploited mechanic (Giovanni Ribisi). By offering no counterbalancing virtuous Christian character, the filmmakers are irresponsibly suggesting that all devout Christians who are sympathetic to the Confederate cause are uncouth rednecks. The justice system of the South is also defamed. The lawyers are some of the smarmiest seen on screen in recent years and Sheriff Pearl Johnson (J.K. Simmons), while admittedly brilliant comic relief, looks like he couldn't tie his shoes much less solve a murder case. The character is totally out of place in a serious thriller like The Gift and appears to have been written only to insult the justice system of the South. SPOILER: The fact that the killer is revealed to be the shy and reserved school counselor, Wayne (Greg Kinnear), is a suggestion that even the most well adjusted and educated Southerner is a potential killer. On a bright note, Katie Holmes is a very convincing adulteress.
Review of The Gift
