Search - P.S. on DVD

Exquisitely scripted, and fleshed out by consummate actors.

I gather you are here because you like stories about romance. It was once said by another critic that often the kinds of romance novels we come across are written by women who either characterize the male love interest as either a wholly unattainable "mensch" ( idealized male ) or as despicable scalawags who ought to be flogged at the gangway for all those "awful things he did to that poor innocent woman". Clue, people...there's no such thing as an innocent woman. They can be as devious as any used car dealer stuck with a lot full of blue smoke coughing clunkers can be.

This story hardly presents "Louise Harrington" ( played by Laura Linney ) as a guilless , innocent 'victim'. No, Laura Linney, excruciatingly adorable in this role, plays 'the older woman' who suddenly finds herself in the throes of a SERIOUS case of lust after a young student making application at Columbia University, with she a kind of "gatekeeper", the holder of the keys to his successful entry into that prestige university. This is already a little 'borderline' in regard to ethical conduct, n'est ce pas? But no, this is not a 'who do you have to sleep with to get into this university' kind of story. It is a lot more sophisticated than that.

Indeed, this particular love story evolves on several different layers all at the same time. She does have an ex husband who also is a professor at the same university; and they also still have a certain love and respect for one another. It's true, this young man, played by Topher Grace, and played beautifully, has the same name, and same talents and same character qualities as Louise Harrinton's high school first love, who happened to have died in a car accident....hence the title "p.s."...or "deja vu, man !

" Topher Grace is such a charmer, so affable, so winsome, so darn cool...ANYBODY - that is to say any woman - would fall immediately head over heels in love. So one can hardly blame "Miss Harrington" for finding herself swept up into unbridled, bristling, hot lust and ecstacy thanks to this charming young man right out of the text book on 'How to Sweep Women off Their Feet' ( Take a lesson, fellows in how to pick up gorgeous, cute babes ! ) Yet, you know, this young man really is in love with this 'older woman'...truly in love! And she with him! And boy oh boy...nice lusty scenes too.

What makes it all so believable is the majestic literary skills of the author/screenplay writer. Every line sounds like real conversation! Every emotion a real emotion...every surprise a startling surprise-to each lover; each player on this 'stage'. You find yourself thinking, "My gosh...this must have really happened". It is all done so beautifully. Like a good novel...you cant stop reading ( listening and watching )...you HAVE to turn the page, you have to see the next scene.

I honestly have not seen script writing like this ever. Nor have I seen such superlative acting skills on the part of every single player in the movie. "Miss Harrington's" best friend is the only slightly shmaltzy, tacky character-but it only serves to contrast sharply with the other actors' immense believability as genuine characters = people like you and me,just being real people.
There I must leave you dear hearts, to discover for yourselves if this is a good thing or a bad thing. It is after all,... a kind of star crossed lover's tale, isn't it? But this I can promise you-that it will be the best romance story you've seen in a long time. If it didn't happen - you'll find yourself wishing that it had. At the very least, we would love to see 'the sequel' ! What a story.

I love this movie. It is a story of a young artist applying to get into college. When he goes for the interview he bears a striking resemblance to the instructors ex-beau who had died a long time before. To complicate things further his name is very similar to her ex-beau. It is a drama with delicious love scenes. MMMM... Great date movie for men to rent for dates with their women.