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 Estes (screenplay) (as Jacob Aaron Estes)

Stars:

Gregory Smith, Jordana Brewster, Ashley Johnson

1 nomination.

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.

---

Plot Keywords:

drug abuse | watching television | reference to the incredible hulk | taxi | friend | 

---

Taglines:

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

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

---

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:

Beyond the Box

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 yellow car which Henry (Gregory Smith) drives around is an early 1970s Volkswagen 181, known in the United States as a Volkswagen Thing.

---

Goofs

A modern-day SUV can be seen in an aerial view of the city.

---

Quotes

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

---

Connections

References The Incredible Hulk (1978)

---

Soundtracks

Heart of Glass
Written by Debbie Harry and Chris Stein
Performed by Band of Warhols

User Reviews

Vague, poorly cast movie

After I saw this film, it left me scratching my head for a few reasons. At first, I thought it was a movie about college, since all the actors were so old and just walked in and out of classrooms at their leisure, but then I was stunned that they were suppose to be high school age. They are all obviously in their twenties and looked ridiculous as teenagers...it's like casting white people to play blacks in a movie, just as out of place and ridiculous. Next, the movie plays on it's vagueness, we don't understand the motivations behind any of these characters and the dialogue comes off as contrived and phony. Finally, for a film that was supposed to be set in the seventies, it truly fails to capture any feel for that era, it seems more modern than anything in dialogue and appearance. Not a movie that you will hate, but bland and vague enough to leave an empty feeling in your gut after viewing.