Gracie Review
by Steve Rhodes (Steve DOT Rhodes AT InternetReviews DOT com)May 31st, 2007
GRACIE
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2007 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): **
Playing like a female version of THE KARATE KID, GRACIE is as predictable and clichéd as they come. Director Davis Guggenheim, as he did in his last message movie, AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH), again beats us over the head with issues and tells us exactly how we're supposed to feel. This time the subject is soccer. The last time this movie was made, it was called BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM, and it was a lot more enjoyable and genuine. GRACIE, which is inspired by some incidents in the life of actress Elisabeth Shue (LEAVING LAS VEGAS), concerns the first girl to play on a boy's soccer team in New Jersey.
(One supposes that forty-nine sequels are now possible, so that we can observe the life of every girl who first played on a soccer team in her state. Gosh, I can't wait.)
The story is about one Gracie Bowen (Carly Schroeder, who played Melina Bianco on "Lizzie McGuire"), who is a semi-rebellious high school student. Living in a family of boys, she is always the odd one out. Her high school, Columbia in South Orange, New Jersey, is a soccer-centric school. Her dad (Dermot Mulroney), a blue-collar worker for the Mayflower Moving Company, has but one passion, teaching his boys how to play soccer better. Gracie is forbidden to participate in the family games since she is, after all, a girl. She is also a girl with a killer kick, which can pick off distant bottles with the accuracy of a military sharpshooter.
After missing the big kick in the ending game against their long-time rival, Kingston High School, Gracie's brother Johnny is killed in a car accident. Since Johnny was the most talented kid among the Bowen boys, the dad becomes despondent, barely noticing a raft of bad behavior by Gracie, who gets into stealing, adult clubs, failing grades and promiscuous behavior.
The Bowen world, however, is turned upside down one day, when Gracie announces she knows how to replace the irreplaceable Johnny on the soccer team and beat Kingston next year -- she will go out for the team and take Johnny's old position.
Between battles with the coach and the school board, Gracie spends most of the movie training on the chance that the powers that be will let her join the team. Her dad quits his job, causing her mom (Elisabeth Shue) to have to get a second job, so that he can put Gracie through arduous workouts. The movie doesn't have much soccer; it is much more interested in cheesy, family melodrama. Of course, Gracie will endure her punishing training, no matter how painful, and will finally make the team.
Now, any guess as to who will kick the winning goal against Kingston in the big ending game of the movie? (Gosh, do I have smart readers or what?)
GRACIE runs a long 1:38. It is rated PG-13 for "brief sexual content" and would be acceptable for kids around 11 and up.
The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, June 1, 2007. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC theaters, the Century theaters and the Camera Cinemas.
Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com
Email: [email protected]
***********************************************************************
Want free reviews and weekly movie and video recommendations via Email?
Just send me a letter with the word "subscribe" in the subject line.
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
