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Grace Is Gone

Play trailer Poster for Grace Is Gone PG-13 2007 1h 32m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
63% Tomatometer 72 Reviews 60% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
Stanley Phillips (John Cusack) receives the kind of news that every spouse of a soldier dreads: His wife, Grace, has been killed in Iraq. He has to find a way to break the news to his two young daughters, Heidi (Shélan O'Keefe) and Dawn (Gracie Bednarczyk), but cannot bring himself to do it. Stanley takes the girls on a road trip to Florida, all the while searching for the right time and place to tell them about their mother's fate.

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Grace Is Gone

Grace Is Gone

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Critics Consensus

A refreshing departure from the current crop of Iraq war dramas, Grace is Gone is a heartfelt, finely acted portrayal of grief and healing.

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Critics Reviews

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Mick LaSalle San Francisco Chronicle 05/27/2008
3/4
Depicts a side of the Iraq war, the American home front, that has been barely touched in other Iraq war movies. Go to Full Review
Moira MacDonald Seattle Times 01/25/2008
2/4
Despite the strength of the cast (in particular O'Keefe, who's making her film debut here and shows tremendous promise), it's hard to muster much enthusiasm for Grace Is Gone. Go to Full Review
Amy Biancolli Houston Chronicle 01/25/2008
1.5/4
Good intentions can only go so far. Go to Full Review
Debbie Lynn Elias Behind The Lens 11/06/2019
Heart-wrenching and poignant, simple and dignified, GRACE IS GONE gently speaks to the heart and soul while the world and war ravages around us. Go to Full Review
Enrique Buchichio Uruguay Total 06/19/2009
4/5
Una pelcula intimista, humana y conmovedora, con gran actuacin de John Cusack y estupenda banda sonora compuesta por Clint Eastwood. Go to Full Review
Stephen Schaefer Boston Herald 10/18/2008
B
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Audience Reviews

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Robert P @Superbad 1d Grace is Gone = a *3* star Movie See more 12/08/2023 Sooner or later we have to say that someone is truly gone John Cusack plays Stanley Phillips, a father of two girls He gets the devastating news that his wife, Anne while serving in Iraq is killed To cope with the loss he decides to take a trip to Florida He's very reluctant to tell his kids that she's actually gone and can't stomach how to do it This is an outstanding turn from Cusack; he's dealing with a lot to distract himself from his grief, sparing the pain from his daughters, and wondering how long it'll be before he can break the news The music is so beautifully composed and the two young girls are outstanding Director James C. Strouse makes a simple, short film about loss, grief, keeping it together, and how much time is left before we ultimately break down Parents deal with death in their own way much like their kids yet it's only a question of how to process it A finely acted portrayal of grief and healing as well as depicting a side of the Iraq war on the home front that's rarely explored these days See more Kyle M @RT77296778 10/15/2023 Praised as departure from the Iraq war's own selection in the war genre, pictures like this are engrossed in the realistic copes besides the inner actions, traumatized heroism and messages with occasional attendees. This seems like a broader collective scope focused on the corresponding war than others, but it contributes contextually in general, nonetheless. This drama pressures a father with his own personal war gripping whatever confidence he could barely muster to tell his daughters the tragic news he's been given about their fallen soldier of a mother. John Cusack performed his best with sympathetically resonating conviction amidst supportive patience, and skillfully worded via thematic preparation buildup that may seem coerced nondiegetically despite bringing up additional details. (B+) See more 12/07/2022 Sooner or later we have to say that someone is truly gone John Cusack plays Stanley Phillips, a father of two girls He gets the devastating news that his wife, Anne while serving in Iraq is killed To cope with the loss he decides to take a trip to Florida He's very reluctant to tell his kids that she's actually gone and can't stomach how to do it This is an outstanding turn from Cusack; he's dealing with a lot to distract himself from his grief, sparing the pain from his daughters, and wondering how long it'll be before he can break the news The music is so beautifully composed and the two young girls are outstanding Director James C. Strouse makes a simple, short film about loss, grief, keeping it together, and how much time is left before we ultimately break down Parents deal with death in their own way much like their kids yet it's only a question of how to process it A finely acted portrayal of grief and healing as well as depicting a side of the Iraq war on the home front that's rarely explored these days See more 02/02/2018 An utterly depressing film which mawkishly milks the death of a loved one for all its worth. For one and a half hours, all it's about is a man who can't bring himself to tell his children that their mother is dead. Yep, that's it. The budget for this one must have been about $100 (for the petrol?) because there's no relief from scenes of this anonymous little family driving around aimlessly whilst daddy tries to pluck up the courage to tell the kids what happened. The films' relentlessly heart rending music attempts, it seems, to ensure every emotion is drained from the viewer just to make its point. Reminds me of my candidate for worst film of all time. What Dreams May Come, starring Robim Williams. See more 11/03/2017 Não é grandes coisas e nem vai mudar a vida de ninguém, mas Johnzinho tá muito muito bem. Muito bem mesmo. E a trilha é do Clint. See more Read all reviews
Grace Is Gone

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Movie Info

Synopsis Stanley Phillips (John Cusack) receives the kind of news that every spouse of a soldier dreads: His wife, Grace, has been killed in Iraq. He has to find a way to break the news to his two young daughters, Heidi (Shélan O'Keefe) and Dawn (Gracie Bednarczyk), but cannot bring himself to do it. Stanley takes the girls on a road trip to Florida, all the while searching for the right time and place to tell them about their mother's fate.
Director
James C. Strouse
Producer
John Cusack, Grace Loh, Galt Niederhoffer, Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Celine Rattray
Screenwriter
James C. Strouse
Distributor
Weinstein Co.
Production Co
Plum Pictures, Hart/Lunsford Pictures, New Crime Productions
Rating
PG-13 (Thematic Material|Teen Smoking|Brief Strong Language)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 7, 2007, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$50.1K
Runtime
1h 32m
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