Nearing Grace (2005)

In the shadow of a family loss, the youngest son develops interest in an attractive high school classmate, paying little mind of her athletic boyfriend or of his own female best friend.

Director:

Rick Rosenthal

Writers:

Scott Sommer (novel), Jacob Aaron Estes (screenplay)

Stars:

Gregory Smith, Jordana Brewster, Ashley Johnson

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gregory Smith	...	Henry Nearing
Jordana Brewster	...	Grace Chance
Ashley Johnson	...	Merna Ash
David Moscow	...	Blair Nearing
Chad Faust	...	Lance
Brian Doyle-Murray	...	Clement C. Haydes
Logan Bartholomew	...	Tripp
David Morse	...	Shep Nearing
Shannon Day	...	Rose Nearing
Amy Main	...	Strawberry (as Amy Minderhout)
Raissa Fleming	...	Spanish Teacher
Noah Rosenthal	...	Studly Bartender
Courtney Taylor-Taylor	...	Prom Band - The Band of Warhols
Brent DeBoer	...	Prom Band - The Band of Warhols
Jon Fell	...	Prom Band - The Band of Warhols (as John Fell)

Storyline

In New Jersey, 1978-79, the Nearing family loses Rose Nearing, leaving a husband and two sons reeling with the loss. As the father slips increasingly toward drink and the collegiate older brother toward substance abuse and a career in drug smuggling, youngest son Henry has eyes for Grace, the high school senior class beauty. She reciprocates Henry's interest, despite having a steady boyfriend. What Henry takes for granted is his best friend friendship with Merna, a girl who's been there for him since childhood.

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Plot Keywords:

friend | best friend | drink | friendship | high school | 

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Taglines:

What if the one thing you want is the last thing you need?

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for drug use, language and sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 June 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Flertarontas me tin katastrofi

Filming Locations:

Grant High School - 2245 NE 36th Avenue, Portland, Oregon, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,650,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Whitewater Films, Ironic Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The car which Grace (Jordana Brewster) steals, and Henry (Gregory Smith) burns is a 1969 Plymouth Fury.

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Goofs

When main character Henry Nearing is carded at the bar, the bartender asks if he is 21, but the drinking age in NJ in 1978 was 18 not 21.

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Quotes

Merna Ash: What do you want, Henry? I mean truly want?
Henry Nearing: I want to be above all the thorns.

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Connections

References The Incredible Hulk (1978)

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Soundtracks

"Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D Major, OP. 35: Canzonetta Andante"
Written by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (as Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky)
Performed by Philharmonia Slavonica
Courtesy of Point Classics LLC

User Reviews

High Hopes Not Really Met

I saw this movie this weekend here in New York, and I had really high hopes for it. Maybe that's where things first went wrong. This was a good idea for a story, heck, it's been done before. But this kind of coming of age story can usually be redone and retold in a rewarding way with the right script and cast. I think my main problem isn't that I hated this movie - I didn't feel one way or another about it. I didn't understand why the characters were the way they were. I wanted to know more about Grace - okay, maybe she was supposed to be mysterious but that didn't come across on screen...I was interested in why she was the way she was about guys, her stance on love, etc. As for the protagonist, i don't think it was the fault of the actor, but the he was just annoying and not sympathetic at all.