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Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that kids and teens may have a hard time processing some of this somber indie drama's mature themes, notably war and the death of a parent. The characters swear on occasion, a 12-year-old girl smokes and acts out in other ways (though mostly fairly tamely), and a grown-up suffers a near-emotional breakdown. Nevertheless, the movie has a soft center, empathizing with the experiences of a father and his two daughters as they deal with the terror that comes with knowing their loved one is on the front lines.
Families can talk about how the media typically depicts war and its consequences. How is this film different from other movies about war? What are the experiences of families who go through this type of tragedy? Why do you think Stanley can't tell his daughters the truth right away? Also, what is the effect of never having Grace show up on camera? Is the film more or less effective for her absence?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: S. Jhoanna Robledo
There's no denying that GRACE IS GONE is potent. After all, it tells the story of a father, Stanley Philipps (John Cusack), faced with the heart-wrenching task of informing his two young daughters, Heidi (Shélan O'Keefe) and Dawn (Gracie Bednarczyk), that their soldier mother has been killed in Iraq. The sadness is built in from the first frame.
It's a far cry from the typical Hollywood war movie, where the battlefields take center stage: This time, those left behind are the ones whose experiences are in the spotlight. And for the most part, director/screenwriter James C. Strouse manages to convey their grief in an admirably understated way.
Cusack, for whom the role was written, is a revelation as Stanley; he wholeheartedly gives himself to playing Dad. His interactions with the kids seem so organic that it's as if he's been a dad for years, rather than a hip, intellectual heartthrob. That said, did Stanley have to be such a schlub? Everything from his facial expressions to his shuffling gait spells defeated -- so much so that viewers feel they're dragging, too. And, frankly, it makes for little contrast when Stanley receives the bad news about Grace. He already seems so crushed that after he hears of his wife's death, he seems only a wee bit sadder.
The film, which received the Dramatic Audience Award at Sundance 2007, starts clumsily, not quite finding its footing in the first half. Humorous early scenes, as when Stanley attends a support group for soldiers' wives, seem forced. And later, when he calls home to hear his wife's voice on the machine and leaves her messages -- as if there was a way for her to retrieve them in the afterlife -- it doesn't fly. It feels like Strouse is trying too hard.
But thank goodness for the children, who are clearly and genuinely talented. Soon after the film begins, you lose track of the fact that they're actors. Instead, your heart aches for them and the thought that they, real characters or not, won't grow up with their mother.
Older viewers may also enjoy In the Valley of Elah, another thoughtful film about war, or Coming Home, which deals with the aftermath of Vietnam. More kid-friendly dramas with similar themes about coping with loss include Stepmom and Bridge to Terabithia.
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ViolenceNews footage of the war in Iraq on TV screens; a man shoves his adult brother and forces him against a wall; a pervading sense of gloom hangs over the film. |
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LanguageOccasional uses of "s--t," "goddamn," "crap," and, very sparingly, "f--k." |
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Social BehaviorThe characters are decent and well-intentioned, though the father seems distant at first and doesn't tell his daughters the truth about their mother as soon as he should. Nevertheless, he's a devoted family man at heart. Tween daughter Heidi acts out a couple of times, but it seems to be mostly in response to knowing something's wrong with her dad/their family. |
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CommercialismSignage and mentions of HomeStore, the fictional "big box" home improvement store where Stan works, and Enchanted Gardens, the similarly made-up amusement park that Stan and his kids are planning to visit. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoSome talk of drinking, but little is seen onscreen. A tween girl tries a cigarette; her father then smokes with her, intending to turn her off the habit. |
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