GRACE IS GONE IS AMAZING GRACEWhen you chance something that you haven't heard any buzz on, it either really bombed or was so quirky that only a few people saw it in the theaters. This is one that went by unnoticed. Perhaps due to the reference to the war and the soldiers who die and those who are left behind to deal with the loss? John Cusack, as an actual character who played it straight and didn't reveal his usual screen presence, is Stanley, a man married to a woman stationed in Iraq. Early in the movie we get the picture than Stanley is a conservative who plays it tough with his two daughters (excellent work in both young actresses). After getting the news that his wife is dead, instead of telling his daughters, he takes them away for a long drive to an amusement park several states away. He uses that time to work through his grief and gets a perspective before he even thinks about telling his daughters. He tries his best in a sweet, nerdy way to show his daughters the value of having fun. All the rules go out the door as if it was a "make-a-wish" wish. The bond between Stanley and his daughters is so tender and real that your own heart beats in tandem with theirs. While difficult to first see Cusack in this huge departure to "adult" films (you know what I mean!) at the end of the movie he has proved his skill and craftiness as an actor. The moments that are told with subtlety are the ones I held my breath through. Both Cusack and his screen daughters are able to show what they are feeling without saying a word. In fact, I think the most poignant scenes are those where the words fade into the background as the score fills up the space. Those are the "Kleenex moments". I really enjoyed this film.
PICK: A powerful and special movie addressing the war in Iraq and the people whose lives are touched by it.
