Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
John Cusack | ... | Stanley Phillips | |
Emily Churchill | ... | First Woman | |
Rebecca Spence | ... | Second Woman | |
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Jennifer Tyler | ... | Third Woman |
Susan Messing | ... | Fourth Woman | |
Shélan O'Keefe | ... | Heidi Phillips | |
Gracie Bednarczyk | ... | Dawn Phillips | |
Doug Dearth | ... | Captain Riggs | |
Doug James | ... | Chaplain Johnson | |
Alessandro Nivola | ... | John Phillips | |
Zach Gray | ... | Boy at Pool (as Zachary Gray) | |
Marisa Tomei | ... | Woman at Pool | |
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Penny Slusher | ... | Ear Piercer |
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Dana Lynne Gilhooley | ... | Grace Phillips |
Mary Kay Place | ... | Woman at Funeral |
Stan Philipps's wife Grace is a sergeant with the U.S. Army. While she's posted to Iraq, the earnest Stan is home in Minnesota with their daughters, Heidi, 12, and Dawn, 8. He manages a home supply store. After morning visitors bring Stan news, he takes the girls for a car ride that turns into a spontaneous trip to Dawn's favorite place, a Florida amusement park. On the way, they stop at Stan's mother's house, where his brother is staying. Heidi is an insomniac, who tries to fathom her father's uncharacteristic behavior. Dawn is cheerfully unreflective. They have fun at the park. Stan summons his courage. Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
"Grace is Gone" is a very sad, but important film. Until I read about it on IMDb, I had no idea that it was being made. Very subtley, it slipped in and out of theaters. Finally, I found it at Blockbuster and picked it up to watch with my family. At the end, my family remarked on how sad the movie is. They are very right with this comment. In fact, this may be one of the saddest, but beautiful films I've ever seen. It takes a situation that every parent may face and turns it into a beautiful story about family and love.
Stanley Phillips is a dad taking care of his two daughters while their wife and mother, Grace, is in Iraq in the Army. When the news comes one day that Grace has been killed overseas, Stanley is left alone and clueless as to how to tell his daughters that their mother is not coming home. As a way of avoiding the conversation, Stanley takes the girls on a trip to Enchanted Gardens, an amusement park that looks similar to Disney World.
The plot, with Clint Eastwood's beautiful score and James Strouse's great writing and directing, brings the viewer a subtle and beautiful film. "Grace is Gone" definitely stays with the viewer.
9/10