Gracie (2007)

A teenager faces an uphill battle when she fights to give women the opportunity to play competitive soccer.

Director:

Davis Guggenheim

Writers:

Lisa Marie Petersen (screenplay), Karen Janszen (screenplay)

Stars:

Carly Schroeder, Andrew Shue, Elisabeth Shue

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jesse Lee Soffer	...	Johnny Bowen
Christopher Shand	...	Kyle Rhodes
Carly Schroeder	...	Grace Bowen
Karl Girolamo	...	Curt
Vasilios Mantagas	...	Craig
Donny Gray	...	Donny
Emma Bell	...	Kate Dorset
Dermot Mulroney	...	Bryan Bowen
Hunter Schroeder	...	Mike Bowen
Trevor Heins	...	Daniel Bowen
Josh Caras	...	Peter Wicker (as Joshua Caras)
Elisabeth Shue	...	Lindsay Bowen
Madison Arnold	...	Granddad
John Doman	...	Coach Colasanti
Andrew Shue	...	Coach Owen Clark

Storyline

This is the story of a teenager named Gracie Bowen, who lives in South Orange, New Jersey, is crazy about soccer, as are her three brothers and former soccer star father. Although Gracie wants to join her brothers and father in the nightly practices, she is discouraged by everyone except her elder brother, Johnny. Her father does not believe that girls should play soccer and tells her that she is neither tough enough nor talented enough to play with the boys team. Undeterred, Gracie finds reserves of strength she never knew existed, and persists in changing everyone's beliefs in what she is capable of, including her own. She faces an uphill battle when she fights to give women the opportunity to play competitive soccer. But as the beautiful and strong person that she has always been but she also brings her family together in the face of their own tragedy.

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Plot Keywords:

soccer | teenager | girl | boy | south orange new jersey | 

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Taglines:

Inspired by one family's real story

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for brief sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 June 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Finding Gracie

Filming Locations:

Alpine, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$9,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$1,355,904 (USA) (1 June 2007)

Gross:

$2,955,039 (USA) (20 July 2007)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Elevation Filmworks, Ursa Major Films LLC

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The female lead was to be cast as part of a nationwide search for an unknown. After two months they went with Lizzie McGuire (2001) star Carly Schroeder who was chosen from over 2,000 girls for the character of Gracie.

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Goofs

In a scene where Gracie's mom and dad are talking in the basement, Gracie's mom is ironing laundry using an iron that is definitely post 1978, when the movie is set.

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Crazy Credits

A dedication to Elisabeth Shue's deceased brother, William, appears at the beginning of the film. Quotations from Elisabeth and William appear before and after the closing credits.

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Connections

Features The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962)

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Soundtracks

Bad Intensions
Written and Performed by Dweezil Zappa
Courtesy of Extreme Production Music USA

User Reviews

A good movie about grief, a girl's struggle, and yes, soccer

This movie is inspired by (and thus LOOSELY based) on producer/actress Elisabeth Shue's life. So coming from the fact its producers are actual soccer players, I wanted to love it. I didn't love it, but I did like it.

While this movie is a "soccer" movie, in my eyes, it is really a movie more about a family - esp. the main character Gracie - dealing with the death of a loved one (her brother). It shows how different characters deal or avoid dealing with their grief. Gracie eventually turns to one of the things she used to love to share with her brother - soccer. Soccer is also something that her dad and her brother shared, so Gracie and her dad reconnect through the sport.

As a drama addressing the challenge of growing up as a female athlete a few decades earlier, I give it an 7.5/10. Some people on this Message Board want to bash it as a man-hating message, but you have to remember that this movie is NOT trying to represent girls' athletics today - in 2007. It is representing how it was practically 30 years ago, when it WAS tough to have an equal shot at sports. They did a decent job.

As a drama dealing with death, I give it an 8/10. A lot of the character's grief is portrayed through action, not dialogue, which worked pretty well. However, with so much build-up, I was waiting for more of an emotional punch and it didn't quite come full circle.

As soccer movie, I give it a 7/10. Given that I love soccer, I'm probably harshest on that. I will say the soccer is more realistic than a lot of soccer movies out there. But they definitely take some creative license with the rules of the game. There seems to be a lot of irresponsible coaches and ref's in this movie. The parking lot/backlot soccer seems most realistic to me.

If you like soccer OR dramas, I recommend this movie.