I always knew Jason Bateman as the quintessential “nice guy.” He’s not a pushover nice guy, though; he’s confident. I first saw him in Teen Wolf Too as the everyman who just happened to have the gift/curse of turning into a werewolf. He was a “nice father” in Arrested Development. And a put-upon everyman in Extract.
In The Gift, he spins that “nice guy” persona around. At the film’s outset, his character, Simon, seems like a loving husband and good provider. He’s just gotten a promotion, moved to California with his wife, Robin, with whom he’s trying to have a baby again (Robyn’s been going through some anguish to a miscarriage). He wants Robyn to be happy and taken care of.
But don’t we all have a dark side? Simon’s is slowly revealed through the presence of Gordo, with whom Simon may have a history. They first reconnect in a department store. On the surface, Simon’s polite enough, asking him “How’ve you been?” and the usual type of banter reserved for people we haven’t seen in twenty plus years. But Bateman does a superb acting job with his eyes; they convey worry during the conversation.
Soon, Gordo’s “stalking” the happy couple in a manner reminiscent of Max Cady, albeit with a more benevolent edge. He’s sending them gifts, showing up at their house in a friendly manner. One strange bit of dialogue:
Robyn: How’d he get our address?
Simon: I have no idea.
Seriously, guys, haven’t you ever heard of the Internet?
Gordo’s an awkward guy, a person prone to oversharing and missing social cues that the conversation is over. Robyn doesn’t mind, but Simon wants him out of their lives – now. And when he tells Gordon so, the creepiness amplifies. The koi Gordon brought them are dead. The dog is missing. And there’s Gordo’s ominous note that reads, “I was willing to let bygones be bygones.” And now, Robyn’s freaked out and relapsed into a painkiller addiction.
The climax of film is a puzzle that slowly reveals itself; there’s a backstory involving Simon and Gordo that had me, well, horrified and wanting Simon’s blood. And more of Simon’s dark side is revealed – to us and to Robyn. We see some of his compliments toward Robyn are pretty backhanded, and as the pressure mounts, we see his ultimately condescending, supercilious attitude toward Robyn and everyone else around him, unless he’s sucking up to them (i.e., his corporate superiors).
And this is where the pro-single part comes in. At the end, Simon’s actions have caught up with him. Robyn gets the baby she wants, but Simon’s not a part of it. She says, “I’m not going back to that house with you in it.”