when i discover that david e. kelley write the script for gillian and it flaw seem to have make a bit more sense for while i have rarely be privy to such notable tv show like the practice and boston legal and and chicago hope and it become clear that write drama that do not pertain to law or medicine isn not his forte and the result be a film in which no element really work . of the seven primary character in gillian and only three really matter represent david ( peter gallagher ) and a man who and after two year and still isn not over the death of his wife gillian ( michelle pfieffer ) while rachel ( clare dane ) and his daughter and whose relationship with her father isn not too estrange while and esther ( kathy baker ) and david sister in law and who determine to remove rachel from david care for fear it be unhealthy for the girl . the remain character bring little substance to the film . paul ( bruce altman ) and esther husband and be aware of his wife intention and quietly tolerate his them despite objection while simultaneously voice his sexual frustration in the presence of young beautiful woman such a cindy ( laurie fortier ) and rachel friend and who equally frustrated and so bore that she use her sex appeal to taunt men for fun . kevin ( wendy crewson ) and be an acquaintance of esther and paul who be bring by them ( unbeknownst to her and david ) to the family gathering for no other reason than to take david mind off gillian . upon this realization and kevin learns that her presence be unneeded despite be amiably tolerate ( at best ) by everyone else and especially esther and who spend much of the first half of the film use kevin a her pawn to convince david to get over gillian . fortunately and kevin knowledge that she unneeded dissuades her from do anything more than just be present throughout the film . finally and there gillian who appear a an apparition just to remind u of how un over her david really be and that rachel come first and . the basic conflict of the story lie in esther belief that david perpetual grief have make him an unsuitable parent for rachel and which she base solely on a slip in rachel grade . rachel doesn not think so and which be why she defend her father . but the conflict for viewer revolves around esther and who can not sympathize at all with david grief which pertain entirely to the death of her sister . what be wrong with this woman that she adamant about about speed up his grief process by threaten to take his daughter away from him despite proclaim to care for him and not spar a moment of heartache for the loss of her sister . we never find out and after a night during which rachel go to bed drunk and have a nightmare feature gillian and the conflict be resolve when rachel decide to go live with esther and paul and let her mother be dead and . further ( and most predictable ) resolution occur during the final 10 minute when david decide to get over gillian and move in the paul and esther and and start put rachel first . it far too little too late . since gillian do contain a good cast with a notable performance from dane and i give it four out of ten star but the talent of these people be ultimately lose in this poorly write melodrama that might elicit some tear and sigh from the audience and but be mostly a film about a rivalry between in law that be devoid of the compassion usually felt after the death of a loved one . p. s. by the way and david e. kelley and stick to televise legal and medical drama . your talent and know how a a writer and producer be most obvious and bankable in those field .