Review of To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday (1996) by David A — 18 Apr 2010

(from The Watermark 11/23/96).

A sweet film about devotion and letting go of the past, Danes is a teenager who, after spending the summer with relatives, returns to her father (Gallagher) at their Nantucket Island home. This particular weekend marks the anniversary of the death of Danes' mother (Pfeiffer) who died two years ago, on her 35th birthday. Gallagher has never quite dealt with the death of his wife, and he actually has conversations with her and envisions her as though she were still alive. When Pfeiffer's sister (Baker) announces she intends to seek legal custody of Danes due to Gallagher's loosening grip on reality, he realizes he has to do something to put the past behind him and look toward the future. Adapted from the play by Michael Brady, David E. Kelley's screenplay has nicely opened up the stage work to involve more characters and locations while still keeping the sentiments of the original in tact. Unassuming and unpretentious, there are no Ghost-like special effects when Pfeiffer appears, no car-chase scenes, and no bloody violence. Just the calm of the New England waves as a backdrop to a poignant story of a father and daughter trying to rebuild their relationship.