I remember seeing previews for P.S. I Love You (2007) when I was in college and thinking to myself, “Gerard Butler and Hilary Swank in a rom-com? That’s interesting casting.” Butler was coming off of 300 (2006), a movie which was the epitome of violence and testosterone, and Swank was praised for her role in Million Dollar Baby (2004), which, ironically enough, was also full of violence and testosterone. I never would have imagined that this unlikely pairing would have delivered such a heart-warming love story, but I guess that just speaks to their versatility as actors. 

P.S. I Love You, based on the book of the same title by Cecelia Ahern, begins by thrusting us right into the action. Holly (Swank) and Gerry (Butler), a young married couple, are having a typical, married couple argument: Holly, an artist, is upset that Gerry, a musician, told her mother (played by Kathy Bates) that the only reason they don’t have children yet is because Holly isn’t quite ready. We quickly learn that, first, Holly has a tendency toward control and anxiety, while Gerry is more unbothered. Secondly, Holly’s relationship with her mother is a bit stressful. Her mother never approved of her marrying Gerry. It is clear, even as the couple passionately argues, that they care deeply about each other. They reconcile, and then we are abruptly transitioned to a funeral, Gerry’s funeral. He has passed away, thus setting our plot in motion. However, before he passed away, he had secretly prepared several audio recordings and notes for her in order to help her through her grief. The notes challenge her to do certain things, like go out with the girls and sing karaoke, or go to Ireland, where they first met. 

Of course, Holly loves receiving each of these messages, and goes to Ireland with her two best friends. While there, she meets another attractive Irish musician, William (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). She spends the night with him, and then learns that he was childhood friends with Gerry. While she was freaked out by this connection at first, he calms her by telling her stories of his childhood with Gerry. She finds closure with Gerry’s family, whom she thought never liked her. She also learns that exciting things are happening in the lives of her two friends: One is getting married, and the other is pregnant. This information causes her to shut down emotionally, as she begins to feel that everyone else is moving forward and she is stuck in place. 

At the risk of this summary of P.S. I Love You being too long, I will wrap it up. Holly eventually finds inspiration for what to do with her life and peace with her grief. Her mother reveals that she has been the one delivering the letters from Gerry all along, even though she didn’t agree with the idea. This brings healing to Holly and her mother’s relationship, and they travel to Ireland together, where Holly runs into William again. A future between these two is hinted at. Throughout the movie, there is also a “will they/won’t they” between Holly and her friend Daniel (Harry Connick Jr.), but I don’t want to talk about it because I don’t think it’s very relevant to the plot or the Catholic analysis I’m about to give. 

So, what can we learn about the Catholic Faith from this P.S. I Love You? Well, a prevalent theme in this movie is finding your passion and purpose. As Catholics, we believe discernment is the way to find your calling, or vocation. When we ask God to lead us and use us how He desires to, we become less stressed about trying to figure it all out, and less envious of others’ lives as well. For those of us like Holly who tend to struggle with relinquishing control, this can be very difficult, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth trying. A spiritual director may be very helpful in this process. 

Another theme in P.S. I Love You is that of grief. Grief is extremely real, and it is important to allow yourself to feel it. As Catholics, we can be helped through this grief by believing that our loved one is with God, which is ultimately where we are all meant to be anyway. We pray for our departed loved ones and ask for their intercession. We are still connected to our deceased loved ones through the Eucharist, in the Communion of Saints, and that is a comforting thought to a broken heart.

I really like this movie and definitely recommend it. It’s one of the few “chick flick” type of movies that I will watch every time I come across it.