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Keanu Reeves had to go against his good nature and get violent to play his role in The Gift. However, he didn’t disappear into the character so easily. Rather, Reeves had to wrestle with the film’s darkest moments. Reeves explained why he had a “really hard” time punching his co-star, Cate Blanchett, in the stomach while performing stunts for The Gift.

Keanu Reeves and Cate Blanchett co-star in ‘The Gift’

'The Gift' actor Keanu Reeves wearing a suit in front of tiled pillars
Keanu Reeves | CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images

The Gift is directed by Sam Raimi and written by Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson. It takes place in the small town of Brixton, Georgia. The story centers on Annie (Blanchett), who gets involved in the murder case of Jessica King (Katie Holmes). Her extrasensory perception and psychic abilities provide her with additional knowledge of the crime.

Reeves plays Donnie Barksdale, who is an abusive husband of Annie’s client, Valerie (Hillary Swank). Annie advised Valerie to leave Donnie, which only further sets him off. As a result, he continues to threaten the fortune-teller and her children. Donnie calls her a witch and is falsely arrested for Jessica’s murder. However, Annie tries to continue doing what’s right.

Keanu Reeves had a ‘really hard’ time getting violent with Cate Blanchett

Acción interviewed Reeves about his experience working on The Gift alongside Blanchett and Swank. However, he explained that it wasn’t an easy process to play the abusive character. The particularly violent scenes involved stuntwork that made him uncomfortable.

“Punching in the stomach was really hard,” Reeves said. “In the scenes with Hillary Swank, there were safety devices; when I pulled her hair, there was a small handle inside it. I could grasp it and act by making violent expressions. It was disturbing to play that role. I don’t practice physical violence, so that, to me, was very difficult.”

However, Reeves had to punch Blanchett even more violently than how he hit Swank.

“When I approached Cate, I had to hit her; though I was pretending, it was really hard to punch her in the stomach,” Reeves said. “But we made it, and this is one of Cate’s great things: she told me, ‘Come on, let’s do it,’ and this was wonderful.”

Reeves said that his The Gift co-stars Blanchett and Swank both happily performed the violent scenes. As a result, the actor reflected a bit deeper on the real-life ramifications of men like Donnie.

“I know that power poisons,” Reeves said. “The physical power that a man may sometimes use against a woman is really scary, but, after all, this is a movie and we are acting.”

‘The Gift’ earns positive remarks for its performances

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The Gift is currently sitting at a 57% critic score and a 55% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The consensus calls the film a “by-the-numbers whodunit with an ending that’s all but unsatisfactory.” However, they praise The Gift‘s big cast, which includes Blanchett, Reeves, Swank, Holmes, and J.K. Simmons.

Raimi’s film ultimately reached the Independent Spirit Awards and the Saturn Awards with nominations including Giovanni Ribisi, Blanchett, and Swank. The Gift wasn’t a big success at the box office with a $12 million domestic gross against a $10 million budget.

How to get help: In the U.S., call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788.

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