Not So Graceful

Judging from box-office receipts, most moviegoers have ignored so-called Iraq films this year. I don't know if it's fatigue with the subject matter, an overload of options, a desire for film frivolity, or some other reason, but I think the general disregard is unfortunate. Yes, flicks are great for escapism, but it doesn't hurt to learn something, too. Maybe it's why I enjoy documentaries (and along those lines, everyone should rent the best one from 2007, No End in Sight). Rendition was an utter mess, but In the Valley of Elah made both my parents cry. So where did Grace Is Gone fall on my spectrum? Read on.

James C. Strouse tries to convey a different war tale in Grace Is Gone, that of Minnesota widower Stanley (John Cusack) unable to tell his daughters (Shelan O’Keefe, Gracie Bednarczyk) their mother died in Iraq. However, the enterprise feels forced: Count chain stores as Dad impulsively drives to a Great Adventure-like park in Florida! (Ignore this is avoidance behavior at its finest.) Watch former soldier Stanley interact clumsily with his girls but muster enough spirit to debate his burnout-liberal brother! (It’s nice that Grace doesn’t present conservatives as naïve idiots, but everyone's arguments still sound like stump speeches.) Listen to the plinky-plucky score from Dirty Harry himself, Clint Eastwood!

The normally sharp Cusack (Say Anything, High Fidelity) strains to mute his vibrancy, relying on glasses and awkward gait. Fortunately, O’Keefe saves the Sundance-winning drama from maudlin overkill. With Grace gone, 12-year-old Heidi has become the real household head; she monitors her father’s emotional state and reports her sudden absence to her school. Actor and character are reminiscent of the eldest daughter from In America, holding their families together amid tragedy. O’Keefe sees all and smiles warily, even in an arcade, which makes her late-night solo huddling that much more affecting.