Grace Is GoneMovie Reviews

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Avg. Critic Score: 65 out of 100 Generally favorable reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
14 OK for kids 14+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 83
    The Onion A.V. Club | Tasha Robinson

    Attempts to address grief frankly, gently, and without didacticism, and it largely succeeds. Read full review

  • 80
    The New York Times | Stephen Holden

    Mr. Cusack demonstrates once again that he is Hollywood's second-most-reliable nice guy, after Tom Hanks. Devoid of vanity, with no hidden agendas, he never strains to be likable. Good will, integrity and a native common sense ooze out of him. Read full review

  • 75
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    As subtle and shattering as its title. Read full review

  • 75
    Rolling Stone | Peter Travers

    Simplicity -- four-square, not sappy -- is rare in film. James C. Strouse had it in his script for Lonesome Jim. As writer and first-time director, he gives Grace Is Gonethe quiet power to sneak up and floor you. Read full review

  • 75
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    Not a great movie, simply functional, but Cusack gives a great performance. The film somehow doesn't live up to his work. Read full review

  • 70
    Variety | Todd McCarthy

    Although clearly coming from an antiwar perspective, the story's emotional effectiveness and family grounding give the film a real shot at connecting with general audiences across the political spectrum. Read full review

  • 70
    Los Angeles Times | Kevin Crust

    An emotionally rich and satisfying drama featuring a terrifically understated performance from John Cusack. Read full review

  • 63
    New York Daily News | Elizabeth Weitzman

    Bednarczyk's natural instincts put most programmed Hollywood moppets to shame, and the quietly affecting O'Keefe shows genuine talent. Read full review

  • 50
    The Hollywood Reporter | Kirk Honeycutt

    A disappointing and manipulative look at one family's loss in the Iraq war. Read full review

  • 50
    Entertainment Weekly | Lisa Schwarzbaum

    Grace Is Gone grabs on to a name, a war, and the metaphor-come-to-life of a theme park with rides going nowhere. And we, the people, are spun around and shaken for tears. Read full review

View more reviews for Grace Is Gone on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says OK for kids 14+ Sad drama about loss may be too heavy for kids.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that kids and teens may have a hard time processing some of this somber indie drama's mature themes, notably war and the death of a parent. The characters swear on occasion, a 12-year-old girl smokes and acts out in other ways (though mostly fairly tamely), and a grown-up suffers a near-emotional breakdown. Nevertheless, the movie has a soft center, empathizing with the experiences of a father and his two daughters as they deal with the terror that comes with knowing their loved one is on the front lines.
  • Families can talk about how the media typically depicts war and its consequences. How is this film different from other movies about war? What are the experiences of families who go through this type of tragedy? Why do you think Stanley can't tell his daughters the truth right away? Also, what is the effect of never having Grace show up on camera? Is the film more or less effective for her absence?
The good stuff
  • message true0 Positive messages: The characters are decent and well-intentioned, though the father seems distant at first and doesn't tell his daughters the truth about their mother as soon as he should. Nevertheless, he's a devoted family man at heart. Tween daughter Heidi acts out a couple of times, but it seems to be mostly in response to knowing something's wrong with her dad/their family.
What to watch for
  • violence false0 Violence: News footage of the war in Iraq on TV screens; a man shoves his adult brother and forces him against a wall; a pervading sense of gloom hangs over the film.
  • sex false0 Sex: Not an issue
  • language false3 Language: Occasional uses of "s--t," "goddamn," "crap," and, very sparingly, "f--k."
  • consumerism false0 Consumerism: Signage and mentions of HomeStore, the fictional "big box" home improvement store where Stan works, and Enchanted Gardens, the similarly made-up amusement park that Stan and his kids are planning to visit.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Some talk of drinking, but little is seen onscreen. A tween girl tries a cigarette; her father then smokes with her, intending to turn her off the habit.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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Dave White

1.5

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