Grace Is Gone
by James C. Strouse
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Emily Churchill, Jennifer Tyler, John Cusack, Rebecca Spence, Susan MessingDirector: James C. Strouse
Brand: Genius
Writer: James C. Strouse
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.66:1
Running Time: 85 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-05-27
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Model: 81172
Studio: Weinstein Company
Product features:
- 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 hus
Movie Reviews of Grace Is Gone
Movie Review: A Story About the Side of War That's Rarely Discussed
Summary: 5 Stars
This heart-wrenching movie is beautiful and brilliant on so many levels. I went into this movie expecting an anti-war story, knowing about Cusack's politics and agreeing with what I know of them. What really struck me though is that the movie was very subtle with its opinions, and it showed sides of the war that's rarely talked about or discussed.
In the months leading up to the Iraq war, I remember the media hyping it up (pushed by the Bush administration), and "pro-war" protesters being out on the streets. I was amazed that people were actually PUSHING for this country to go to war - which would lead to inevitable suffering and loss for both the people of our country and the people of Iraq. This movie is one story about such a loss, from the perspective of an American family.
It specifically focuses on a man with two daughters who is informed that his wife was killed in battle in Iraq (something a bit unique in itself, since most people stereotypically think of military widows rather than widowers). Cusack's character is on the conservative side; having voted for Bush, being very pro-military (having been in the military himself previously but was forced to leave for medical reasons) - and he was a strong believer in the Iraq war and was proud to see his wife go to fight for her country. He never expected the shock of having uniformed soldiers show up and tell him that his wife has died. The rest of the movie has him struggling to figure out how to tell his daughters the worst news of their lives, knowing that the moment he tells them, their lives will be forever changed. He takes them on a spontaneous trip to "Enchanted Gardens" (a theme park that is supposed to represent Disney World). He's trying to enjoy a few more moments of joy with them until he's forced to give them the horrible news that will bring their world crashing down, and he himself will be forced to deal with the reality of the situation.
The movie has various scenes which bring tears to one's eyes, e.g. him calling home to listen to his wife's voice on the answering machine, and leaving a message begging her to help him explain to his kids what has happened. The acting was fantastic - Cusack's character, his anti-war / anti-Bush brother, and the two daughters were portrayed excellently by the respective actors and actresses.
The movie was released awhile back now, but retrospectively now that more truths have come out about the U.S. going to war under false pretenses etc etc, the movie really drives home the point that it's people such as these families who really got screwed over. They supported the Bush administration and firmly believed in the all the lies - not because they were bad people, but because they were naive. In one scene the older daughter asks her father about the controversy - that some people were saying that the war was unjustified, etc. And the father's response was "you just have to believe that we're doing the right thing". She asks in response "what if you can't believe?" The father responds "Then....all is lost." This is the dilemma of the truly moral conservatives that supported the war-dodging president (and VP) that sent thousands of Americans to die for his neo-con agenda. The truth is too unbearable to face, especially for those who have lost loved ones. Despite the circumstances and politics that led to the war though, these topics are overshadowed by the topic of heroism of soldiers and their families, and the unfathomable loss they endure when tragedy strikes. When he finally tells his girls that their mother has died, I wanted to cry with them.
Summary of Grace Is Gone
Unlike previous Iraq War films, the poignant directorial debut from writer James C. Strouse (Lonesome Jim) uses the conflict as starting point rather than subject. Early in the proceedings, Stanley (John Cusack) finds out his wife has been killed in the line of duty. The bespectacled disciplinarian decides not to tell his daughters right away. In his younger days, Stanley tried to serve his country, but poor eyesight dashed that dream, and now he's a superstore manager. The sort of middle-American conservative rarely seen at the art house, Stanley believes in his president. That doesn't alleviate his pain. Putting on a brave face, he asks his oblivious girls for their greatest wish. Eight-year-old Dawn (Gracie Bednarczyk) exclaims, "Enchanted Gardens!" With that, they hop in their SUV and drive from Minnesota to the Florida theme park. Twelve-year-old Heidi (Shélan O'Keefe) knows something is wrong--her dad isn't the spontaneous type--but she doesn't know what it is. En route, they visit Stanley's brother, John (Alessandro Nivola), who offers some insight into their bottled-up father. By the end of the trip, Stanley figures out how to break the news, in the process becoming a real parent. After winning the Audience Award at Sundance, Clint Eastwood, Cusack's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil director, gave the soundtrack a jazz-oriented overhaul. In tone, it's almost too refined for the blue-collar world Strouse depicts, but never distracting. More importantly, Grace Is Gone features Cusack?s finest performance to date. --Kathleen C. FennessySimilar DVD Movies
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