Gracie

Gracie is a great, family film. Gracie is played beautifully by Carly Shroeder as a girl surround by three soccer-playing brothers, Johnny, Mike, and Dan. The film opens as her brother has her kick a soccer ball barefoot to hit an empty bottle on top of the car. This film is set in South Orange, New Jersey in 1978 and is inspired by the events of the Shue family. Elisabeth Shue plays the mom and school nurse at Columbia High School in South Orange which does exist and whose alumni includes the Shues and Zach Braff. South Orange is also an upscale suburb of New York City and Newark, New Jersey. At the time of the movie set in 1978, an average dual income working class couple with four children could live comfortably there. South Orange has become an upscale white collar community ever since 1978 to feature celebrity residents like Kelly Bishop and Andre Braugher. Also, South Orange is home to Seton Hall University. The film was filmed on location around New Jersey including Maplewood where we see Gracie running on a downtown street. It was a family affair in the filming process including Elisabeth Shue not only as an actress but as an executive producer along with her husband and director, Davis Guggenheim. Her brother Andrew Shue plays an assistant soccer coach and history teacher. In real life, Andrew played soccer too. Dermot Mulroney is terrific as the father, coach, and moving man in his profession. At first, the family has a star, Johnny Bowen, but tragedy strikes the family. We see Gracie rebelling against her parents who are already heartbroken with despair over their loss as well. The two younger brothers seem unaffected at least in the movie. Gracie has one best female friend who is afraid of being labeled a lesbian because of her association with Grace. She decides one night to take her brother's spot on the team much to her father's laugh. She is serious but rather than prepare and strive. She rebels, dates a boy, fails history, and plays hooky at Asbury Park with a college boy. Until her father decides that he will coach her to get on the team, there are difficulties since she is a girl but she is determined and the film is not entirely predictable. It is a family oriented. It's just in time for Father's Day! The film is somewhat believable and realistic at times. They do their best to maintain the authenticity of the time and playing Bruce Springsteen songs as well. I admire the Shues for their determination in making the film entirely on location in New Jersey keeping with their roots. Stay until the end of the credits, you will be interested to see what it has to say. I like this film overall and it's message is that a girl can do it too.

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.

When high school soccer star Johnny Bowen is killed in a car crash, his grieving kid sister vows to keep his memory alive by taking his place on the team. But first Gracie will have to overcome the strenuous objections of both the coach and her own misogynistic father to her plan.

Although it has many of the hallmarks of a Lifetime Original Movie - souped-up gender conflict, an overdose of sentimental uplift, and a plucky, inspirational heroine at its core - "Gracie," which is set in late 1970's New Jersey, transcends many of its stereotypes and clichés through heartfelt performances, unpretentious writing and earnest direction.

Carly Schroeder has grit and charm to spare as the indomitable Gracie, while Dermot Mulroney and Elizabeth Shue acquit themselves nicely as her ultimately supportive parents.

It's true that "Gracie" provides us with nothing we haven't seen a thousand times before - from "The Karate Kid" to "Bend it Like Beckham" - but inspirational-sports-movie fans should still find themselves cheering on this latest underdog story.

i enjoyed this movie.i thought it was pretty good from an entertainment point of view.however,i didn't fee it was very inspirational and for me,it didn't have the impact that many of the movies of the genre have.i didn't find anything profound about it.i think it may be loosely inspired by real events,which could mean anything as far as movies go.i could not really get into it beyond a superficial level.i'm not sure why.maybe it's because i'm not a real soccer fan.having said that,it was well acted,and well paced.it certainly wasn't boring,by any means.the songs they chose for the movie were also really good.i would probably watch this movie again down the road,though,because as i said,it's enjoyable as entertainment.for me,Gracie is a 7/10

I watched this movie out of pure boredom, thinking it was some fluffy family friendly movie - but it was actually dark and engrossing. The cover art for this movie really gives the wrong impression - the sunshine on the box never appears in the actually movie, and although this movie is inspiring it manages to do it without the lollipops and flowers that one might expect. This film is more about a family as it copes with tragedy and life in the 70's than it is about soccer, which is a good thing! It has enough soccer content for those interested, but people who dislike sports movies have nothing to fear either. I will admit there are a few sappy moments in this film, but luckily Gracie is no goody two shoes, and thus a more complex character. EXTRA BONUS - the sound track is excellent featuring Blondie.