Customer Reviews

Grace Is Gone

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Looking for a good tear-jerker? You could hardly find one better than GRACE IS GONE. Topical. Family oriented. It is something of a surprising role for John Cusack who started his career with low-brow comedies (Better Off Dead and One Crazy Summer). But this independent gem shows that Cusack has the wherewithal to spot a solid, dramatic part and run with it. Although Cusack has done some off-and-on stand-up work, things like The Ice Harvest and Pushing Tin were a bit thin on character. But not so here.

And, even more surprising, the film brings two unknowns to play alongside Cusack. The two are also very young girls who show that Dakota Fanning (Charlotte's Web) isn't the only young gal who can act her heart out. Shélan O'Keefe stars as Heidi Phillips, Stanley Phillips' (Cusack's) eldest daughter and does so with astonishing ...um ...grace. Trying to find her way into adolescence while watching her father implode is quite nicely portrayed. Her first attempts at smoking and her nighttime wanderings are something many parents will be able to identify with.

Stanley's younger daughter Dawn is played by newcomer Gracie Bednarczyk, and her portions where she's jousting with her older sister are spot on. Not understanding what's happening to their family is significant in that someone of her age truly wouldn't know. But the suspicions of her elder sister set her on edge ...just a tad.

Grace is Gone is a very good war film. And by war I mean a film that focuses on its impact on the home-front. When Stanley (Cusack) learns of his wife's death in Iraq, it takes some mental juggling for him to come to terms with what that means for him and his two young daughters. This is the crux of the story. When Stanley can't release the information to his kids, he hides it by taking them to a fun theme park many miles away. It seems he wants his kids to have fun before breaking the worst news of their lives to them ...and, in a sense, re-breaking it to himself. Stanley loses sight of what he needs to do, and even becomes a bit delusional (he calls his own home to tell his dead-wife that he and the kids are okay, etc.).

The gut-wrenching scene when Stanley MUST tell the kids what happened to their mother is one of the hardest things any parent will ever have to watch. The musical score comes up over the voice of Stanley and we don't get to hear everything he says, which we don't need to; we can see it on the childrens' faces. A truly powerful moment that will linger with you for many days, if not weeks.

It is noteworthy to mention how topical this film is since the war in Iraq seems far from over. Men and women continue to die "over there" and when that might end is anyone's guess. But one thing is for certain, the traumas felt "over there" definitely ripple "over to here". And that's something that this film shows us exceptionally well.

Synposis: The '07 release `Grace Is Gone' is an exceedingly sad story of one families loss when Grace, a wife and mother is killed during a military engagement in Iraq. Upon receiving uniformed visitors and hearing those dreaded words, "I regret to inform you..." her husband Stanely (John Cusack) finds himself unable to deal with his own emotions, not to mention those of his two young daughters, twelve year old Heidi (Shelan O'Keefe) and eight year old Dawn (Gracie Bednarcyk).

He decides to take them on a road trip to a place of their choice. Little Gracie wants to go to "Enchanted Garden", an amusement park several days away by car. The journey that ensues becomes a metaphor for the grieving process as Stanley learns to reconnect with his children and find a way to share the bad news. Is he just avoiding the inevitable, or will their time together somehow ease the pain to come teach them to appreciate what they still have, each other?

Critique: John Cusack proves once again that there isn't any role he cannot excel in and the thoughtful, reserved Shelan O'Keefe along with the irrepressible Gracie Bednarcyk are the perfect compliement for this little family unit adrift in a sea of pending grief. This is definitely a mood movie, so if you're not in the mood for a slowly unfolding, somber journey of finding center and re-connect with life this isn't the film for you. However if you've lost a loved one in the military or just in a quiet, reflective space and open to the subject matter `Grace Is Gone' is the film for you.

This is a beautiful film about how a family must adjust once it has experienced a painful loss. this past week, a colleague of mine lost his only child, his daughter, in an accident. he and his wife will somehow have to adjust to living without her, being a pair instead of a three some. I dont know how they will do it - I cant imagine the journey they are on. This film is about that journey, one none of us would choose to take. This is what grace is gone is about: the family affected by loss is a dad, and his two daughters. They live in a struggling middle class life, without amenities, and mom is serving in Iraq. Dad was in the army too, but his eyesight became too bad and he was discharged. This is a patriotic couple - they met while both were serving in the army. he finds out his wife, grace, is killed in action. he has to tell his daughters, but he doesnt know how, because he cant imagine living without Grace...he takes his daughters on a road trip and along the way, the three adjust to life as a three some without mom. Of course, at the end, he has to tell his daughters what has happened. No spoilers here. The movie is beautiful. Well acted. Clint Eastwood wrote the music (!?) this is not anti war, this is not michael friggin Moore crap - it is a story about loss, and hope and...well, grace. I have read lots of negative reviews from hyper jingoists about how this film is anti war, anti bush etc - no, its about loss and continuing to live. I have know people who have experienced loss, and have not gone on: I remember a couple who lost their teenage son in an accident many years ago, they were always outside working on their house, their yard, their christmas displays, always with their son, and after the accident, the shades were drawn the yard went to hell, no christmas display and I never saw them outside again - they shut down. The dad in this movie cant shut down - he has a big responsibility to his wife to be a good dad and raise their children. Absolutely brilliant movie - Johnny Cusack is amazing.

Grace is Gone does for the tear jerker genre what Paranormal Activity did for scary movies. It's a film that actually comes through on its premise. John Cusack is far outside of his normal character and an emotional freight train. The two girls that play his daughters are each in their own rights charming, believable and devastating. I love this movie even though it is one of the hardest things I've ever watched. I couldn't wait to purchase this masterpiece so my wife could watch it as I knew it would devastate her as it had me. Nothing like torturing the wife!!!

I've been anticipating this movie since, well, early 2007 when John Cusack was rumored to be heading for an Oscar nomination. I have never really been a huge Cusack fan (at least not John, for I have always adored his sister Joan) but there was something about the plot and concept of this film that just really spoke to me. I love these somber character studies, and grief is one of the most emotionally connective ways to study someone's character.

Conceptually, `Grace is Gone' has promise, but the way in which the film is constructed turns that promise in an empty gesture.

The film revolves around Stanley Phillips, a former soldier who, because of poor eyesight, has been reduced to department store manager. While his wife is overseas, fighting the war he wishes he could fight, Stanley raises their two daughters, Heidi and Dawn. When word comes that Grace, his wife, has died, Stanley struggles with his own feelings as well as when and how to tell his daughters. Instead of just `telling' them, Stanley decides to take them on a trip, driving from Minnesota to Florida to visit a theme park.

For me, and I know I'm in the minority here, the film feels very bland. It comes across like a `made for television' movie, very middle of the road and amateurish. The performances are all decent, but nothing truly admirable (except Alessandro Nivola, who has a small but important part, and he plays it flawlessly). John Cusack's approach to grief is very one-note. He just looks grumpy throughout the entire film. In fact, the films conclusion is the only part to remotely works for me, for it shows a father actually being a father. Yes, I understand that grief is a very tumultuous thing, and it affects people differently; I just wish that Cusack had found the layers within his character. It is preposterous to conclude that his daughters wouldn't figure out what was going on; I mean, their father doesn't even shower. It was an overstated depiction of grief to me. I have seen people shut down when a loved one dies, but when you have children you can't really `shut down' to the extent that Stanley does.

It feels like a performance, not something genuine. Watch Tom Wilkinson in `In the Bedroom' for an accurate and stunning portrayal of grief.

The other aspect of the film that I found rather distracting was the way it couldn't clearly decide what film it wanted to be. It fluctuated between a film about grief to a film about war, and I think that the political stand it was trying to make actually took away from the film. It is a part of Stanley that needed to be expressed in order to flesh out his character, and so I respect that decision, but they needed more time to make it feel more than just a random expression. The film is barely over an hour in length and so it almost feels simplistic, never really `going there' as it needed to in order to make either of the films two primary topics connect with the viewer.

I've read some complaints (not here necessarily) about the way in which the climax is delivered to the audience. Personally, the films conclusion is the best part of the film. The way the dialog is stripped during the theme park scene (and another pertinent scene) and the facial expressions (happy or sad) are allowed to do all the talking for us was truly inspired and beautifully tailored to elicit our deepest emotional sympathies. Yes, I broke down in tears at the final scene (which did feel more manipulated than anything else) but one small speckle of brilliance (I don't consider the manipulated emotions brilliance, but the two scenes leading up to it are) doesn't make the film worth watching. There are far better films that tackle this subject (`In the Bedroom' for one) and so I'd recommend you watch one of those.

Heartbreaking story starring John Cuasck (playing mostly against type). His wife ('Grace') has been killed serving in Iraq, but he's too overwhelmed himself to bring himself to tell his two young daughters about it. So instead he decides to take them on a road trip to Disneyland (or the generic movie-equivalent). Surprisingly non-political, other than the fact that it helps bring home the message that behind every fleeting headline of war casualties, there are hundreds of lives that are devastated and forever changed.

I always have a tough time finding movies to watch on planes, given the violence and/or sexual content of so many adult films. I thought this would be a safe one to watch (and it was). But I'm sure the woman sitting next to me was wondering why I was crying in my seat at the end of the film.

Writer-Director James C Strouse has put together a seemingly simple film about grief, and how it affects individuals differently. I don't think I'll be giving away too much by saying that Grace is a soldier who is killed in action, and Stanley (Cusack) is the husband who doesn't know how to break the news to his 2 young daughters. He hasn't been the most attentive father, and, faced with raising them without a mother frightens him. He also has a gnawing guilt complex because he was kept out of the military because of his eyesight. He asks his girls what they want to do, and they settle on a road trip to Florida (from Minnesota) to a popular theme park. One reviewer thought this an irreponsible action, but his kids have loads of fun before he finally breaks the news. How much fun would they've had with this knowledge before-hand? The film is not preachy about war; rather, a close-up of an individual who must make decisions about his family. The performances are excellent all around. John Cusack is so in control, a new depth of insight, that belies his reputation as the wacky comedian he is capable of being. Soft, sweet and caring, he handles the role with conviction. Most astounding are 2 brilliant young actresses, Shelan O'Keefe and little Gracie Bednarczyk; true naturals and very in touch with their given material. I hate bad kid actors, but these two kept me convinced throughout. Along the way they briefly stop to see Stanley's brother, Uncle Jack, an irrepressible character played to perfection by Alessandro Nivola. Though dismal at the outset, once they get to the theme park the colors are suddenly quite vivid and true; the kids are happy now, and Stanley realizes it's time to tell them. I found no problem with the development of story or characters. I was quite moved. DVD Extras are fine, mostly from Survivor's Groups and personal accounts. Clint Eastwood wrote the score, which was quite unobtrusive and effective, though other reviewers didn't like it. Too bad. I did. Someday the Academy will recognize John Cusack; he's always been one of my faves. It's annoying to me that so many reviewers are quick to condemn when a character doesn't deal with grief the way they think. My favorite example is Naomi Watts' character in "21 Grams". I believed it completely. Let's not be too quick to criticize the frailty of the human condition.

As both a military officer and a John Cusack fan, I couldn't resist this. While I was expecting it to be sad, I didn't expect it to be so touching. Cusack's performance as the father of two little girls who don't yet know there mother was killed in action shows a depth that I hadn't seen in much of his other work. I particularly liked the way he seemed to move from completely lost and out of his mind to eminating strenght for his daughters. This is not a feel good movie, but it is a very solid work about humans dealing with tragedy and loss. Definately worth a look.

It isn't a rant about the war pro or con, or have anything to do with women in combat. It's a story about being a good parent, and losing your spouse, and loving your children, and doing the best you can every day. A quiet, powerful, true film, and John Cusack is a revelation, and the two girls are great, too. How come I never heard about this movie when it was in the theatres?

I am a total John Cusack "fiend", and believe me when I say that Grace Is Gone is his best! He is total perfection in his protrayal of a father whose wife dies in Iraq, and he is left to break the news to his two daughters. By the end of this movie, I was in tears; and totally convinced that John Cusack is completely underrated by Hollywood...why he did not win an award for this one is beyond me! He is my all-time favorite actor! **Try Identity...it is my 2nd favorite movie of his.