Getting Grace

I was lucky to be at one of the sneak peaks last night and what a BRILLIANT film this is! I know that to say "I laughed and I cried" is pretty cliche, but it was never quite so true before. This is truly a joyful comedy. Yes, Grace is a teen-aged girl dying of cancer, but the movie is so much more about how she touches the lives of those around them and teaches them to live life to its fullest. She asks all the tough questions and drags people into doing what makes them happy. Daniel Roebuck really kills it as the funeral director Bill in the story, and the fact that he also wrote, directed and produced this film is truly impressive. Madelyn Dundon is a newcomer to film and you would never know it if it weren't in the credits. She is subtle and authentic and truly delightful to watch. I am not a "laugh out loud" person yet I guffawed several times. And then suddenly, I'm crying and you are SO in love with Grace and ALL the characters who are going to miss her that by the end you can't stand to see her go. Ultimately, this is uplifting and glorious, but to say you experience all the feels is an understatement. Highly, highly, highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys life and all it brings.

"Getting Grace" (PG-13, 1:52) is a comedy drama directed by, co-written by and co-starring Daniel Roebuck. Roebuck's directorial debut, he describes it as "a love letter to the Lehigh Valley", the area in eastern Pennsylvania, where Roebuck was born and raised, where he filmed his movie and where he found most of his cast - including an amazingly talented lead actress in her first film role. The movie is about a teenager dying of a cancer and a funeral director whom she helps to live again.

Grace (newcomer Madelyn Dundon) isn't one to let a little thing like dying of cancer get her down. She's usually upbeat and often effervescent. Even when she's talking about her cancer, her gallows humor is disarming. When she starts talking with a humorless funeral director named Bill (Roebuck) about what's going to happen to her body when she dies, she sympathizes with the sadness in his past and sets out to help him get emotionally balanced - even if he doesn't want her help. Grace is also trying to make sure that her single mother (Marsha Dietlein) is going to be okay (emotionally & otherwise) after she's gone.

"Getting Grace" is unexpectedly enjoyable. The subject matter is sensitive, but Roebuck's efforts strike the perfect balance between taking it seriously and making it entertaining. Much of the credit for the latter goes to Dundon. Her character's charm is infectious and her performance is mature and effective beyond her years - and well beyond her level of screen acting experience. This is the kind of indie that deserves to be sought out by Movie Fans, who will likely feel they've discovered something special. "A-"

Getting Grace: you get her or you may not but this movie hopes that you do. From the first moment I met them I liked the characters, Grace and her Mom and I became joyously lost to this story. I say joyously even though cancer is the catalyst for all that is to be. This film is not about cancer, it's about spirit, love and hope. Getting Grace is about a young lady with cancer who in seeking to find answers to what the world and her mom will be like without her manages to touch the many lives she meets along the way leaving their lives a bit better for knowing her and each other. She discovers on her journey that her quirky self will be missed and loved and that her life does matter. It's sweet, sad at times and uplifting. She (Grace) asks questions we think but do not say aloud sometimes. She is brave and hesitant hoping for the best and she is strong and honest, she brings out the best in those whose lives touch hers. It has some great milk out your nose laughs and it may make you cry a little, but you will enjoy the journey.

The one word I think of when I describe this movie to friends is authentic. From watching the trailer I had a pretty good idea of what to expect. But when watching the movie and seeing the story unfold I was immediately taken with all of the main characters. The title character, Grace (an outstanding performance by newcomer Madelyn Dundon), is a pebble in a lake and the ripples of her life touch those around her. It's not too often that you see a funeral director in a film that is not a cliche, but Daniel Roebuck (who, impressively, wore 3 hats here, co-writer, star and director) gives an honest and believable portrayal of the funeral director that makes the interaction with Grace real which sets up some funny but also very tender moments. Overall, the movie is sweet, sensitive but also very funny and that speaks to the care that went in to the script that kept the story grounded in real life which, day to day, under normal circumstances, sees joy and laughter turn to tears and sorry. Some movies about a tragic death may be hard to watch, but Getting Grace is handled so beautifully, that to me, it is a movie I can't wait to share with friends. The take aways from this movie are very uplifting.

I had the pleasure of not just seeing Getting Grace at the Northeast Film Festival in New Jersey in September 2017, but also meeting the cast and watching their discussion panel.

Let me start by saying this is not my typical kind of movie (no explosions) but I was riveted from the start. Above all else it is a story of the human condition, including everything that makes us who we are: love, sadness, illness, laughter, anger, friendship, painful truths and wishful thinking.

These aren't characters, they're real people that the audience develops feelings for. I'm thankful to have been able to meet the cast - their discussion revealed that their portrayals weren't just great acting, they put their heart and souls into this film and it shows.