Combines a topical storyline with a thoroughly involving examination of grief that's never remotely maudlin or sentimental.
Grace is Gone (2007)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:68
Fresh:41
Rotten:27
Average Rating:5.9/10
Consensus: A refreshing departure from the current crop of Iraq war dramas, Grace is Gone is a heartfelt, finely acted portrayal of grief and healing.
Runtime: 1 hr 32 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Though 2007 saw a flood of Iraq-related films, GRACE IS GONE takes a different approach from many of the others. Unlike REDACTED and LIONS FOR LAMBS, this directorial debut from screenwriter James... Though 2007 saw a flood of Iraq-related films, GRACE IS GONE takes a different approach from many of the others. Unlike REDACTED and LIONS FOR LAMBS, this directorial debut from screenwriter James C. Strouse (LONESOME JIM) doesn't focus on the conflict itself. Instead, the drama looks at how the death of a female soldier affects her family at home. John Cusack (1408) is Stanley Phillips, a husband and father who waits while his wife Grace is off serving in Iraq. When he learns of her death, he can't bear to tell his two daughters the news. To postpone the inevitable, the normally staid father proposes a spontaneous road trip to his girls, and the three set off for the fun of an amusement park called Enchanted Gardens. GRACE IS GONE picked up a pair of awards at Sundance: the Audience Award and Best Screenplay. It's a deeply affecting drama that never resorts to manipulation in achieving its aims. Instead, it relies on the strong script from Strouse, as well as a trio of fantastic performances. As Stanley and Grace's young daughters, Gracie Bednarczyk and Shélan O'Keefe make memorable film debuts. Their relationships with both each other and their cinematic father feel completely genuine. As for Cusack, he trades in the swagger of Lloyd Dobler and Rob Gordon for Stanley Phillips's shuffle. The role is a complete departure for the veteran actor, and the change is a welcome one that should win him both critical praise and awards. The film's tone is sweet and sad, though never overwhelmingly so, and it's helped by excellent cinematography from Jean-Louis Bompoint and a quietly moving score from Clint Eastwood. [More]
Starring: John Cusack, Alessandro Nivola, Gracie Bednarczyk, Shélan O'Keefe
Starring: John Cusack, Alessandro Nivola, Gracie Bednarczyk, Shélan O'Keefe, Mary Kay Place
Director: James C. Strouse
Director: James C. Strouse
Screenwriter: James C. Strouse
Producer: John Cusack, Grace Loh, Galt Niederhoffer, Celine Rattray, Daniela Taplin Lundberg
Composer: Clint Eastwood
Studio: Weinstein Company
Reviews for Grace is Gone
Engaging, superbly acted and ultimately heart-breaking drama that hammers home the cost of the Iraq war and marks out debut director Strouse as a talent to watch.
The focus is solidly on the human cost borne by those serving their country and their families.
Una película intimista, humana y conmovedora, con gran actuación de John Cusack y estupenda banda sonora compuesta por Clint Eastwood.
Cusack really steps into the character of the uptight, conservative, grief-stricken Stanley and the little girls who play his daughters are amazing.
This heartfelt film is a bitter-sweet snapshot of a man and the special relationship he cements with his daughters as he takes them on a spur-of-the-moment road-trip.
The power of the ending comes from the inherent pain of loss, but it's no feat to recognize how emotional this would be, to tell us it's coming and to dangle it in front of us for an hour and a half.
...packs an emotional wallop that ultimately belies its low-key sensibilities...
the mood is as overcast as the sky that follows the Phillips' as they head for Florida and the inevitable moment of revelation. Grace Is Gone is a downer worthy of a super-sized box of Kleenex
This isn't so much a film about picking up the pieces after a tragedy, but instead an extended story of the pieces that fell...
Despite the strength of the cast (in particular O'Keefe, who's making her film debut here and shows tremendous promise), it's hard to muster much enthusiasm for Grace Is Gone.
Strouse gives the movie an industrial sparseness, which only increases its intimacy.
It makes its points and is more cultural evidence of just how harshly history is likely to judge our ill-fated adventure in the Middle East.
The drawn out process in this character vehicle runs on low grade dramatic fuel.
It’s a narrative strategy that neither informs, challenges nor heals.
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