Stream it now Grace Is Gone 2007

 

Ha great thing

A small indie film about the Iraq War that doesn't preach a message but simply tells a story extremely well. John Cusack is great as a widower who goes on a road trip with his kids shortly after his wife dies in Iraq. Unfortunately, a thin plot keeps this film from being great.

The movie is quite good, but would have been excellent if John Cusack's character would not have been so incredibly nerdy. Why not portray him as a normal man, with normal communication skills, a normal walk, look, behaviour, haircut and without those glasses ? He seems mentally damaged, and that even before the news of the death of his wife. It is hard to sympathize with a nerd...

In the End, We All Weep

They think little kids don't understand death. I know that no one assumed I did, when Dad died. I remember walking around the house, feeling like I was the ghost, with no one talking to me or even seeming to notice I was there. Elaine was eight; she was old enough to know. I was six; I was not. (Elizabeth was two and almost certainly really wasn't, but in those days, she looked like a cherub and had people paying attention to her for that.) It was considered bold and daring when Sesame Street told us all the truth when Mr. Hooper died, and I know Mom brought in her mother and Dad's sister, my beloved Aunt Susie, to tell us about Dad. It's not easy, and it hurts. It's all the harder when you've just lost someone you love so much yourself--and even Grandma Dillon was hardly indifferent to Dad. And we were awfully young. It's also true that my memories of that week are pretty vague, despite the fact that a lot of other memories from that time and earlier are still crystal clear. Here, it doesn't seem as though there's much support from family or friends, either--they are barely shown to have any.

Stanley Phillips (John Cusack) is raising his two kids, Heidi (Sh

Stanley is a very strict dad whose wife is serving as a soldier in Iraq. Stanley stays at home and takes care of the two daughters. Even though Stanley is a strict dad, he is also a very good dad who would never purposely hurt his kids. Then when the two girls are at school and Stanley is at work there are two men at the door and soon Stanley is alone and wondering how to tell his daughters about Grace. He tries to sit them down and then take them out to eat but the movie then becomes a road trip to an amusement park. I think he took them to Enchanted Gardens is because he needed the time to figure out how to tell the girls about their mother. I also think that he took them to the amusement park so that they would have a happy memory no matter how bizarre that sounds. This movie is a good tearjerker.

The biggest thing about this film is that the music is supervised by Clint Eastwood. Like, Dirty Harry "Make my day" Clint Eastwood I kid you not. Nice move there Clint, you supervised the music really well. It's sad, emotional, riveting, wonderful, glorious and magical. This short 80 minute film delivers. It's satisfying.

But I did have a couple of problems with the movie though. When Cusack takes the family to his mother's house, where was she? Is it just the uncle who lives there? And I found the oldest daughter to be quite disturbed, even before her mother passed away.

(***): Thumbs Up

Small thumbs up. Cusack is good here and the film does have its heart in the right place and didn't come off as TOO melodramatic for me.

John C. gives a strong performance, the movie is touchy only at some parts.

The first hour dragged. Fortunately, the movie redeemed itself in the last half hour. Sad and touching...

This is my first review and I sure hope to do more review at the prestiges Rotten Tomatoes.

About me, I am very critical about military drama since I myself is in the military for almost 20 years. I have been in four deployments with two combat tours to the Middle East. My various positions (or in the Army lingo Military Occupational Specialities-or simply MOS) ranges from Combat Arms to Desk Jockey. Currently, I'm pursuing Broadcast Journalism in the Army.

Now, about "Grace is Gone", many soldiers (men and women) worry about the most important thing when they go thru deployment. Many people believe it's death but, that's not always the case. It's what will happen to my family if I die.

Grace is Gone gives a good representation on how a military spouse would react when his wife is killed in action. You would think a suddenly widowed father would act as stone and give the hard facts to his daughters. This may not be the case in this modern times.

Many of my military friends who's gone thru the Casualty Notification/Assistant Officer program, said that since women who are getting more involve in combat ops, fathers left behind have reacted in a whole spectrum of emotions.

In John Cusack's character Stanley Phillips, he has phase thru the circles of grieving...denial, angry, bargining, depressions and acceptence...thru out the movie. With Cusack's wide dynamics of acting, he proves that good acting is not nessesarily crying or yelling or wailing. It's in the body and facial expressions.

The two daughters,Dana Lynn Gilhooney and Sheley O'Keefe, provides a commendable performance as any children should act. I sure hope they continue to do more movies with dynamics later on in their career.

The movie may seem drawn out and each minutes seems excruciating but, look at the point of view of the main character: how can you shield your children from growing up faster than expected and be able to live without your soul mate?

For those who given this movie a lower rating, that's understandable. For me, I probably have a more effect on me than some of the reviewers. Like I said before, most servicemembers are afraid on how my family will be will survive without me.

And don't think I haven't forgotten our brothers and sisters in law enforcement and firefighters and any public services that involves danger.

The subtle nature of this film is beautiful. The father (John Cusack) grows in many ways and you will enjoy seeing him transform, for the better, as he deals with the death of his wife. Yet, there is no 'healing' aspect of the film. It simply leaves you feeling... nothing. The emptiness of the ending makes you wonder if watching the film was even worthwhile.