Saving Grace (2000)

Director:

Nigel Cole

Writers:

Mark Crowdy (story)
Craig Ferguson (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

1 September 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

Grace's doctor is worried about the state of her joints...

Plot:

A small-town English widow, facing financial troubles after her husband's suicide, turns to agriculture of an illegal kind.

Plot Keywords:

Plant | Debt | Marijuana | Greenhouse | Drug Dealer

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 3 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Brenda Blethyn	...	Grace Trevethyn
Craig Ferguson	...	Matthew Stewart
Martin Clunes	...	Dr. Martin Bamford
Tchéky Karyo	...	Jacques Chevalier (as Tcheky Karyo)
Jamie Foreman	...	China MacFarlane
Bill Bailey	...	Vince
Valerie Edmond	...	Nicky
Tristan Sturrock	...	Harvey
Clive Merrison	...	Quentin Rhodes
Leslie Phillips	...	Rev. Gerald Percy
Diana Quick	...	Honey Chambers
Phyllida Law	...	Margaret Sutton
Linda Kerr Scott	...	Diana Skinner
Denise Coffey	...	Mrs. Hopkins
Paul Brooke	...	Charlie
Ken Campbell	...	Sgt. Alfred Mabely
John Fortune	...	Melvyn
Philip Wright	...	Nigel Plimpton
Darren Southworth	...	Terry
Magnus Lindgren	...	Tony
Dean Lennox Kelly	...	Bob
Johnny Bamford	...	Removal Boss
Bill Hallet	...	Postman
Alison Dillon	...	Secretary
Bill Weston	...	John Trevethyn
Jonathan Kydd	...	Presenter #1
Mark Crowdy	...	Presenter #2
Jay Benedict	...	Master of Ceremonies
Ben Cole	...	Man at Checkout
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gary Greenberg	...	Inmate (as Gary Edwins)
Peter Evans	...	Alex (uncredited)
Alexander Jovy	...	Man in Taxi (uncredited)
Trevor White	...	Wally (uncredited)

Directed by
Nigel Cole

Writing credits
Mark Crowdy		(story)
Craig Ferguson		(screenplay) and
Mark Crowdy		(screenplay)

Produced by
Steve Clark-Hall	....	line producer
Mark Crowdy	....	producer
Craig Ferguson	....	co-producer
Sara Giles	....	associate producer: Freewheel International
Torsten Leschly	....	co-producer (as Torsten Leschley)
Xavier Marchand	....	executive producer
Cat Villiers	....	executive producer
Keith Evans	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Mark Russell

Cinematography by
John de Borman		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Alan Strachan

Casting by
Gail Stevens

Production Design by
Eve Stewart

Art Direction by
Tom Read

Costume Design by
Annie Symons

Makeup Department
Shelley Manser-Cossey	....	second makeup artist: second unit (as Shelly Manser-Cossey)
Claire Pritchard	....	first makeup artist: second unit
Gill Rees	....	makeup artist
Gill Rees	....	makeup designer: second unit
Roseann Samuel	....	hair designer
Roseann Samuel	....	makeup designer
Alyn Waterman	....	makeup assistant

Production Management
Mairi Bett	....	production supervisor: second unit
Brian Donovan	....	production supervisor: second unit
Mark Harris	....	post-production supervisor
Leontine Ruette	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Russell Channon	....	first assistant director: second unit
Russell Channon	....	second assistant director
Peter Evans	....	third assistant director
Mark Griffiths	....	first assistant director
Lance Roehrig	....	third assistant director: second unit
Tom Rye	....	additional third assistant director: second unit
Candy Marlowe	....	crowd second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Tony Charalambous	....	props storeman
David Cheesman	....	dressing props (as Dave Cheesman)
Andrew Forrest	....	set dresser
Karen George	....	stand-by painter
Douglas Glen	....	stand-by props
Andrew Grant	....	stand-by carpenter
Peter Grant	....	stand-by props
Katy Harvey	....	trainee: FT2 (as Katy Pain)
Al Libby	....	art department assistant
Jo Littlejohn	....	set dresser
Lisa Lloyd	....	dressing props
Adam McCreight	....	dressing props
Richard Mills	....	property master
Tom Overton	....	construction manager
Sheba Phombeah	....	assistant art director
Dom Sharp	....	art department assistant
Michael Standish	....	production buyer
Ricky Stone	....	stand-by rigger
Sophie Tyler	....	props buyer: second unit
Marko Waschke	....	props maker (as Marko 'Skunk' Waschke)
Clive Wilson	....	stand-by props: second unit
Warren Lever	....	carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department
John Bateman	....	foley mixer
Kasper Val Bjerregård Larsen	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Søren Bjerregaard-Ryan)
Petter Fladeby	....	sound re-recording mixer
Pauline Griffiths	....	foley artist
John Midgley	....	sound mixer
Jeff Milner	....	sound maintenance: second unit (as Jeffrey H. Milner)
Alan Paley	....	sound editor
Stephen Phillips	....	sound mixer: second unit
Simon Price	....	dialogue editor
June Prinz	....	boom operator
Ruth Sullivan	....	foley artist
Andy Thompson	....	adr mixer
Ken Dufva	....	foley artist (uncredited)
Mark Kenna	....	consultant: Dolby film sound (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Robin Beard	....	digital compositor: The Film Factory
Zoe Cain	....	digital film scanning: The Film Factory
Alan Church	....	digital effects producer: The Film Factory
Sally Clayton	....	digital compositor: The Film Factory
Diane Kingston	....	digital effects production assistant: The Film Factory (as Diane Kelly)
Trevor Young	....	digital compositor: The Film Factory
Dave Sewell	....	digital artist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
John Attwell	....	focus puller
Joss Barratt	....	still photographer: second unit
Paul Borg	....	gaffer: second unit
Steve Chammell	....	clapper loader: second unit (as Steve Scammell)
Paul Chedlow	....	still photographer
Jim Crowther	....	grip: second unit
Martin Davidson	....	camera operator: DVC camera
Arthur de Borman	....	camera trainee: second unit
Rosalyn Ellis	....	clapper loader (as Ros Ellis)
Danny Espey	....	electrician
Sue Gibson	....	director of photography: second unit
Liz Hoar	....	camera trainee
Steve Kitchen	....	gaffer
Brad Larner	....	focus puller: second unit
Adam Lee	....	electrician: second unit
Denis Madden	....	camera operator: digital betacam, second unit
Paul McGeachan	....	electrician
Campbell McIntosh	....	generator operator
Andy Purdy	....	generator operator: second unit
Alastair Rae	....	Steadicam operator (as Alistair Rae)
Alastair Rae	....	camera operator (as Alistair Rae)
Mike Redmond	....	rigger: second unit
Mark Ritchie	....	best boy
Robin Stone	....	grip
Dan Thomas	....	electrician
Garry Thomson	....	electrician
David Toft	....	video sync technician: second unit
Richard Wyke	....	technician: digital betacam, second unit

Casting Department
William Davies	....	casting assistant (as Will Davies)
Maureen Duff	....	casting associate
Brendan Donnison	....	adr voice casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jemima Cotter	....	assistant costume designer
Elaine Curtis	....	dress supplier: second unit
Eliza Hunter	....	wardrobe assistant
Marco Scotti	....	wardrobe supervisor
Jessica Snell	....	wardrobe: second unit
Ciara Sweeney	....	dress supplier: second unit

Editorial Department
Torben Ager Andersen	....	digital video conformation
Rupert Hall	....	post-production coordinator
Katura Jensen	....	post-production coordinator
Khalid Mohammed	....	assistant film editor
Katja Mordaunt	....	post-production coordinator (as Katja Leschly)
Julie Strachan	....	assistant film editor
Jackie Vance	....	post-production coordinator

Music Department
Matt Dunkley	....	additional orchestrator
Gerry O'Riordan	....	music mixer
Greg Rogers	....	executive music producer
Ray Williams	....	executive music producer

Transportation Department
Trevor Atkin	....	unit driver
Mick Atkins	....	driver
Terry Atkins	....	driver
Alan Barker	....	driver
John Butcher	....	driver
Joe Drinkeld	....	transportation captain
Tony Elwell	....	driver: camera car
Colin Giffin	....	unit driver
Edward Leach	....	driver
Roger Lupton	....	driver
Derek McPhail	....	rushes driver
Peter Moss	....	driver
Robert Reeve	....	driver
Glenn Reynolds	....	driver: props
Laurie Winter	....	driver

Other crew
Lee Alliston	....	location security: The Movie Lot
Kim Armitage	....	script supervisor
Ben Bamford	....	assistant location manager: Cornwall
Johnny Bamford	....	location manager: Cornwall
Carol Bulmer	....	catering supervisor
Katherine Butler	....	script consultant
Mike Clark-Hall	....	production assistant
Katie Cole	....	crew: Sky Pictures
Simon Cullen	....	location security: The Movie Lot
Peter Dally	....	production legal
Adrian de Freitas	....	catering assistant
Tony Denham	....	location security: The Movie Lot
Sharon Gerussi	....	crew: Sky Pictures
Simon Giles	....	title designer
Dorte Gude	....	wave pictures: DK (as Dorthe Gude)
Shani Hinton	....	production legal
Carrie Johnson	....	unit nurse
Julia Jones	....	unit publicist
Tracy Low	....	production secretary
Kate MacNiece	....	production assistant
Heather Mansfield	....	financial services
Nadine Mellor	....	crew: Sky Pictures
Justin Miller	....	assistant accountant
Simon Milner	....	catering chef
Clive Noakes	....	laboratory liaison
Annabel Ropner	....	assistant to producer and director
Gerry Savage	....	unit nurse: second unit
Suzie Shearer	....	production coordinator
Nicky Short	....	production assistant
Matt Steinmann	....	location manager: London
Emily Stillman	....	assistant to producer and director
Eve Swannell	....	production assistant
Ian Thomson	....	unit publicist
Will Tyler	....	production accountant
Tristan Whalley	....	international marketing
Chris White	....	assistant location manager: London
David Wilder	....	completion guarantor
Sophie Wilson	....	production assistant
Richard Wood	....	chippy: second unit
Roger Phillips	....	end titles (uncredited)

Thanks
Moira Bellas	....	special thanks
Julie Henry Black	....	thanks: Crap Props
Martin Brooke	....	thanks (as Dr. Martin Brooke)
Sherena Dugani	....	special thanks
Keith Evans	....	thanks
Matt Lawrence	....	special thanks
Rob Maberly	....	thanks: Hycliffe Cottages
Tony McGuinness	....	special thanks
Greg Mills	....	thanks
Kristi Prenn	....	thanks
Neil Westbrook	....	thanks (as Sir Neil Westbrook)
Andy Wright	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Portman Entertainment Group (as Portman Entertainment)
• Sky Pictures (in association with)
• WAVEpictures (in association with)
• Homerun Productions
• Rich Pickings Ltd.

Distributors

• 20th Century Fox (2000) (UK) (theatrical)
• Advanced (2000) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Europafilm AS (2000) (Norway) (theatrical)
• Triangelfilm (2000) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Fine Line Features (2000) (USA) (theatrical)
• A-Film Distribution (2000) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• UGC-Fox Distribution (UFD) (2000) (France) (theatrical)
• Keyfilms Roma (2000) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Eurocine (2001) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Amfiteatro Filmai (2000) (Lithuania) (theatrical)
• Kitokio kino klubas (2008) (Lithuania) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• CCV (2001) (Norway) (DVD)
• Europa Filmes (200?) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Europa Filmes (200?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• New Line Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• TV2 Norge (2009) (Norway) (TV)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2010) (Argentina) (DVD)

Special Effects

• The Film Factory at VTR (digital effects)

Other Companies

• 2020 Casting  extras casting
• Film Finances  completion guarantor
• Lee Lighting  lighting
• Location Junkies  layout board (uncredited)
• Mike Fraser  negative cutting
• Movie Lot, The  security
• Movietech  camera equipment provided by
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services
• Square Sail Shipyard Ltd.  ship supplier

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for drug content and language

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Brazil:14 | Canada:PG | Finland:K-15 | France:U | Germany:6 (w) | Netherlands:AL | New Zealand:M | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | Australia:MA | Iceland:12 | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Norway:11 | Ireland:15 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Boscastle, Cornwall, England, UK

Company:

Portman Entertainment Group

Trivia:

Some of the marijuana plants used in the shooting were real. The British government gave permission to the filming crew the use of 150 marijuana plants, under supervision of the authorities. This meant that the plants had someone guarding them on the set, and watching over its transportation to a nearby storage facility for its safekeeping at night.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Matthew is climbing up the ladder and Grace speaks to him out of her window, his left hand is alternately on/off the rung between shots.

Quotes:

Nicky:You're getting older.
Matthew Stewart:These are laugh lines.
Nicky:Nothing's that funny.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Grandma's Boy (2006)

Soundtrack:

Human (Tin Tin Out Mix)

A lovable, feel-good comedy

Charming doesn't even begin to describe "Saving Grace;" it's absolutely irresistible! Anyone who ventures into this movie will leave with their spirits soaring high (haha).

Grace Trevethyn (Brenda Blethyn) has just lost her husband, but her problems are about to get a whole lot worse. Her dearly departed has left her with no money and outstanding debts. Faced with losing everything, she has to find out a way to get a lot of cash...fast! She gets an idea when her gardener, Matthew (Craig Ferguson) asks the town-famous horticulturist to give him advice on a plant he is secretly growing. Grace immediately realizes that his plant is marijuana, so they decide to use her gardening skills to grow a lot of top-quality weed, and then sell it to pay off her outstanding debts.

The most notable quality about "Saving Grace" is its likability. Every character is extremely sympathetic, and, save for the first 20 or so minutes, the film is non-stop good cheer. Everyone wants a happy ending for everyone, even if it means turning a blind eye to some rather illegal activities.

The acting is top-notch. Brenda Blethyn is one of Britain's finest actresses, and here is why. She turns what could have been a caricature into a fully living and breathing individual. She's a nice lady, but she's not stupid. Craig Ferguson is equally amiable as Matthew. He's a deadbeat loser, but he's so likable that it doesn't matter. The rest of the ensemble cast fits in this category as well, but special mention has to go to Tcheky Karyo. The French actor always has a aura of menace about him, and that suits him well, but he also has great comedy skills.

Nigel Cole finds the perfect tone for "Saving Grace." It's all about the charm. One of the problems I have with British humor is that all the energy seems to be drained out of the film. Not so here. The film is thoroughly likable and always amusing. That's not to say that "Saving Grace" is just a likable movie that will leave you with a grin and a good feeling. While this movie is not an out and out comedy, it does boast two or three scenes that are nothing short of hysterical.

If there's any problem with the film, it's that the climax is a little confusing. The questions are answered though, and the ending boasts an unexpected twist.

See "Saving Grace," especially when you're having a bad day.