GracieMovie Reviews

Poster art for "Gracie."

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So-so
Avg. Critic Score: 52 out of 100 Mixed or average reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
13 OK for kids 13+
Read Common Sense Media review

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

  • 75
    Philadelphia Inquirer | Carrie Rickey

    Guggenheim doesn't bring much visual style to the game. But he brings heart (and some Bruce Springsteen on the soundtrack) to the story of a lost Jersey girl redeemed by sport. Yeah, I cried. And cheered. You will too. Read full review

  • 63
    Boston Globe | Ty Burr

    An inspirational sports movie, soccer subdivision, and it stops at every expected station of the cross on its road to the triumphant against-all-odds finale (in sudden-death overtime, yet). Yet it also feels appealingly handmade in a way most jock dramas don't. Read full review

  • 60
    Washington Post | Desson Thomson

    Directed by Davis Guggenheim ("An Inconvenient Truth"), the movie is heavy on hokum but easy to like, thanks to the spunky Schroeder. Read full review

  • 60
    Los Angeles Times |

    An earnest, well-acted, poignant drama that nevertheless runs afoul of sports movie clichs. Read full review

  • 60
    The New York Times | Jeannette Catsoulis

    A familiar underdog story told with unusual sensitivity. Read full review

  • 50
    The Hollywood Reporter | Sheri Linden

    For all the personal ties to the material, the film too often reaches for broad-strokes inspiration in a way that feels generic. Read full review

  • 50
    Variety | Joe Leydon

    Modestly engaging but thoroughly predictable. Read full review

  • 50
    Entertainment Weekly | Owen Gleiberman

    You miss the knockabout edge of "Bend It Like Beckham" -- though the ending, in its Pavlovian sports-flick way, pumps you up. Read full review

  • 50
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    Gracie is ably played by Carly Schroeder, and the tale of her uphill battle to play competitive soccer is based on the youthful activism of actress Elisabeth Shue. Shue was the first person in her New Jersey community to break down the hurdles erected to keep girls from the sport. Read full review

  • 25
    San Francisco Chronicle | Peter Hartlaub

    Sporadic on-field violence is only a tiny reason that Gracie disappoints, but it's indicative of the film's greater problem. Producers Elisabeth and Andrew Shue seem so intent on creating a hero out of the main character and villains out of almost everyone else, that they've completely distorted reality. Read full review

View more reviews for Gracie on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says OK for kids 13+ Gritty girl soccer drama with a powerful message.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that the 15-year-old main character in this '70s-set sports drama is a strong heroine who acts out after one of her family members dies early in the film (a loss that may be upsetting for sensitive kids). She sneaks out of the house, steals her mother's car, shoplifts, and makes out with a guy she met at a bar. She also does a good deal of lying and teenage sulking until her father -- who, along with her brothers, says a lot of sexist things to her -- takes her seriously. Language includes "s--t" and "bastards," as well as some derogatory terms for lesbians. Some underage smoking, as well as a fair amount of rough soccer action (Gracie is knocked down, punched in the face, etc.).
  • Families can talk about how the perception of girls playing sports has changed since the 1970s, both in real life and in the media. How are girls and women portrayed in contemporary sports movies? Kids: How do people at your school talk about girls who play sports? Are any of the stereotypes or assumptions made about the girls in this movie still in effect today?
The good stuff
  • message true0 Positive messages: After a family tragedy, Gracie acts out, sneaking out of the house to go on dates, stealing the family car to drive to the shore and meet older boys, shoplifting, etc. There's also a lot of sexist language, including overtly diminishing Gracie's worth and her ability to play sports as well as any boys. But she's a strong heroine with a fierce resolve to achieve her goal.
What to watch for
  • violence false3 Violence: A main character dies in an off-screen car crash. Gracie is the object of a lot of soccer-field violence, including getting punched in the face, knocked down, tripped, and tackled.
  • sex false3 Sex: Gracie kisses and makes out with Kyle. She also makes out with a stranger she meets at a bar who knows she's underage.
  • language false3 Language: Language includes "s--t," "hell," "bastards," damn," "dyke," and "lesbo."
  • consumerism false3 Consumerism: Gatorade is prominently featured at the beginning of the movie.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Gracie and her friends smoke cigarettes and go to bars, but they aren't shown drinking.
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

3.5

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… full of sweetness and decency. Read full review See Dave White's on MOVIENAME on Movies.com

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