Die Zeit ohne Grace

John Cusack was excellent in this role. I saw a side of him that I never expected possible. His characters are usually intelligent and witty with sarcastic undertones, but this film shows a side of his versatility that has never surfaced before. He plays a father of two that is struggling to find a common ground. His military background leaves little commonality between himself and his daughters. The devastating loss of his wife, and the mother of his children force this character in a place that few have ever been. After an entire childhood of emotional absents, his children finally see the softer side of their father as he struggles to tell them of the untimely death of their mother. It was truly an emotional roller coaster.

I get the feeling that people who do not like this movie wanted some large seen where John Cusack's character tells what he is thinking. I'm confused at this. If we wanted to watch movies where characters laid out their thoughts verbatim we wouldn't have an opportunity to infer our own emotions on the situation. I would have been upset if this filmed decided to tackle the issue of war instead of the issue of how modern loss can effect us. This is a film about being put on pause. When we are shaken out of our sense of normalcy how do we cope. In this case, how do you explain the loss you cannot comprehend to your children. I think that this film is powerful in it's absent of the affectation of the outside world. You have a man who insulates himself from the events and in that case you have something a lot more honest. If the film had chosen to attack those issues i think the depth of loss would have been shattered. This isn't an anti-war nor pro-war film. I think that if you go in expecting that you will dislike immensely. This is a film about normalcy and our failure to cope. I think it works. I think wanting it to do something it isn't trying to do is an incorrect way to view this film.

I saw this at the Traverse City Film Festival.

Grace is Gone stars John Cusack as a husband whose wife has just been killed in Iraq. He doesn't have the courage to tell his two young daughters that their mother has died, so instead he decides to take them on a road trip, perhaps not to just make it easier on the girls but to make it easier for himself.

This film was pretty good but I felt it was flat at parts and some tears were forced. It didn't have as much emotion as I thought it would have. John Cusack does a great job acting in the film, but most of the time his character is just trying to hide the sadness from his daughters. Some scenes drag on and others don't seem to really fit in with the rest of the story.

My favorite scene in the film takes place in a store and involves the younger daughter wandering off on her own. The scene is so subtle and the drama isn't as obvious as other parts in the film, but it's quite an emotional scene. I wish the rest of the film had moments like that.

Politics aren't really discussed much in the film, at least not as much as I thought there was going to be. However, when it does, it goes with the typical cliché of family members differing in beliefs and trying to get their own point across. People will probably be interested in this film because of the subject matter and the modern storyline, but apart from the cause of death of the wife, the war is never really mentioned. In a way, that's why this film doesn't work at times. Apart from the one scene with his anti-war brother, Cusack's character never gets a chance to express his emotions and regrets because he's always with his children.

Nonetheless, as a film about a father trying to reveal to his children the death of their mother, it's a good film. But if you're seeing the film because it involves the war in Iraq, you'll be disappointed because the war is hardly mentioned.

I absolutely loved this movie, I thought it was a very touching story that covers a very hard topic. John Cusak, Allessandro Nivola and the two little girls were all fantastic in the movie. It is such a simple story, but it hits home in a very big way. This is a movie that should be seen by everyone. It has so many human elements that I believe will make it a very important film for many years to come. It does not take a political stance. It is about life. The loss of life, and the effects of war. It does not force you to take a political stance, just a look at your own humanity and how you might deal with the tragic loss of a loved one. I am the first person to go and see a high budget action film and turn my brain off to enjoy, but some times its nice to leave your brain on in a movie.

My goodness gracious! John Cusack has to be one of the most underrated actors in the history of cinema. He has graced us with his witty banter and thespian charisma in such classics as "Say Anything", "High Fidelity", "Bullets Over Broadway", "The Grifters", "Being John Malkovich", and "Grosse Pointe Blank". To think that this legendary actor has never been nominated for an Oscar is unbearable to deal with! I accuse the Academy for having a case of the Cusack Snubbing Syndrome. In "Grace is Gone", the inevitable occurred again! Cusack delivered another worthy Oscar nominated performance and once again the Academy snubbed Johnny C. In the film, Cusack plays Stanley Phillips a home supply manager and father of two young girls. Stanley's wife Grace is a Sergeant in the U.S. Army who is killed in Iraq on duty. Stanley now has the painful duty of telling his young daughters Heidi & Dawn that their mom has passed. Stanley temporarily passes on the aforementioned duty, and decides instead to take his daughters on a road trip to their favorite amusement park "Enchanted Gardens". The acting of "Grace is Gone" was on duty! I already mentioned the brilliance of Cusack! In "Grace is Gone", he plays Stanley as a man who rightfully loves his country and believes in honoring your duty; but also as a loving father who authentically grieves for his wife's passing. Shelan O' Keefe and Gracie Bednarczyk also delivered genuine roles as the Phillips' girls. And I especially enjoyed another underrated actor Alessandro Nivola's performance as Stanley's anti-war but caring brother John. The only pitfall of "Grace is Gone" was its spontaneous dreary scenes. First time Writer-Director James Strouse's effort was somewhat commendable but it is evident that he is a rookie filmmaker, and in due time the disgrace of Strouse's overextended scenes will be gone in his signature direction. Nevertheless, I do recommend "Grace is Gone"! Why you ask? Mostly because of the Cusack! *** Average