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If you see enough movies, you get incredibly jaded about the endless parade of clichthat flicker across the screen every week. Too many filmmakers could have gotten their scripts from a computer program, turning out efforts that may as well be called "Buddy Comedy 2.0" or "Crime Drama for Windows." Occasionally, though, one of these scripts will end up in the hands of a director like Sam Raimi, for whom the plot is simply the foundation for something much more interesting.

In "The Gift," Raimi goes back to the small-town darkness he explored so well in "A Simple Plan" and the short-lived TV series "American Gothic." This time, the setting is fictional Brixton, Ga., where psychic Annie Wilson (Cate Blanchett) provides readings and advice for troubled locals. Struggling to raise her three sons after the death of her husband, Annie has little time to take on the burdens of her clients, but feels obligated to help them nonetheless. This leads to conflict with certain members of the community, especially when her visions threaten to reveal their darkest secrets. Inevitably, those secrets come to include the brutal murder of a young woman (Katie Holmes), and Annie finds herself embroiled in a mystery that puts her own life in danger.

Cate Blanchett stars as a woman with extrasensory perception who is asked to help locate a missing girl in "The Gift."

The basic story of "The Gift" is pure hokum (call it "Supernatural Thriller 98"), which is amazing, considering it was written by Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson, who also collaborated on "One False Move" and "A Family Thing." This script was originally written several years ago, and its authors' then-lack of experience shows. With the exception of Annie, every character is thoroughly one-dimensional, and the plot twists are about as shocking as those of your average "Scooby-Doo" episode.

Raimi seems to realize this, however, and instead of pretending the story is original, he uses it as a means to create atmosphere and explore Annie's unique way of understanding the world. The film was shot in and around Savannah, and the landscape, with its fog-shrouded ponds and gnarled old trees, has an eerie, magical quality. It's never difficult to believe that visions and spirits could be part of everyday life in a place like this, and Raimi gets every drop of supernatural suspense out of the setting.

Blanchett fits into this world perfectly, showing once again her jaw-dropping versatility. Annie's abilities give her both great insight and terrifying responsibility, and Blanchett allows her just the right level of ambivalence without compromising her fundamental strength and stubbornness. This is a woman who would probably like, more than anything, to live in peace, but she is keenly aware that she is the "heart and soul" of her town, and needed by its people. She's a profound, fascinating character.

Unfortunately, she's pretty much the only one, but Raimi again spins gold by surrounding Blanchett with co-stars who rise above what's on the page. The cast includes Greg Kinnear as Holmes' fiancHilary Swank as a desperate abuse victim and Raimi regular Gary Cole as the town's morally questionable district attorney. Special mention also should go to Giovanni Ribisi as a horrifyingly screwed-up friend of Annie's, and (in a sure sign of the Apocalypse) Keanu Reeves, who is truly scary as Swank's violent husband.

Raimi seems to have two modes as a director: the goofball machismo of the last two "Evil Dead" movies and the thoughtful dramatic intensity of "A Simple Plan." He's in the latter frame of mind this time, and instead of wallowing in the sometimes silly predictability of "The Gift," he comes close to making viewers forget about it altogether. He doesn't succeed entirely, but it's certainly fun to watch him try. This film is further proof that, when you're working with less-than-stellar material, the only gift you really need is talent.