Gracie

Plot synopsis:
Gracie is an underdog story set against the back drop of high school soccer. The movie is loosely based on the lives of actors Andrew Shue (who played professional soccer) and Elisabeth Shue (who played on boys soccer teams until she was 13). In the 1980's the Shue family did lose their oldest son in an accident.Johnny Bowen is a star on the Columbia High School soccer team in South Orange, New Jersey, in 1978. The movie opens with a bet that involves kicking a soccer ball and hitting a bottle perched on the hood of a car, twenty yards away. Johnny coaches his sister Gracie through the mechanics of the kick. When she says that it is too much to remember, he tells her, "Take your time...you can do anything". At the sound of the bottle smashing on impact, we hear the classic rock song, "Don't Look Back" by Boston as we watch Johnny and Gracie gleefully dribbling and passing a soccer ball to each other throughout 1978 South Orange, New Jersey.When they get home, they are met by their father, Bryan Bowen (played by Dermot Mulroney), who is annoyed that Johnny is late to his coaching session. While two younger Bowen boys take part in the practice on a makeshift soccer pitch in the Bowen's driveway, the father is dismissive of Gracie's desire to take part as well. Bryan Bowen is a working man who we learn has played soccer himself and is now immersed in Johnny's soccer career.The night of the big game against rival Kingston High School, Bryan Bowen is nervous as he instructs Johnny how to stretch and when to stretch. During the big game, Johnny scores for Columbia, but during the shootout, Johnny hits the crossbar, losing the game. After the game, Gracie waits for her brother to come out of the locker room to comfort him. As they exit the locker room, Johnny puts his arm around Gracie in understated thanks. However, still upset, he gets into his teammates' car. The next shot is of the reflection of red police lights flashing on Gracie's bedroom ceiling. We learn that Johnny has died in a car accident.At the final team dinner, Bryan Bowen tells the rest of the team that Johnny loved playing soccer and exhorts them to beat Kingston next season because that is what Johnny would have wanted. "Do it for Johnny", he tells them. The next morning, when Gracie announces that she will play varsity soccer and take Johnny's spot on the team with her Dad's coaching, her younger brothers and father all laugh at her. Outside in the rain, Bryan Bowen proves that Gracie is not even good enough to beat her younger brother. When Gracie tearfully asks for her Dad's help, he refuses telling her, "It's this simple. You're not tough enough. They're gonna cream you".Winter passes, and the soccer net in the Bowen's yard falls into disrepair. Gracie loses interest in school and starts smoking. When she dresses provocatively to go out, her father barely notices. Grace's mom (played by Elisabeth Shue), tells her husband, "You still have three other children". On a date with Kyle, the captain of the soccer team, Grace asks if he thinks a girl can play, to which he laughs.Determined to prove that she is tough enough, Gracie begins training alone. With Bruce Springsteen's, "Growing Up" in the background, we see Gracie running and sneaking into the boy's weight room and getting stronger. In an effort to get close to the soccer team, she continues to date Kyle, the soccer captain who treats her badly. We learn that Grace cheated on an exam and is on academic probation. During the summer, Grace steals the family car and goes to a club on the Jersey shore. When her father finds her in the car with a strange man, he brings her home and sets up a meeting with the high school soccer coach. The coach tells them there is no girls soccer team, and it is up to the school board whether or not Gracie can try out for the boys varsity soccer team. Bryan Bowen agrees to train Gracie, telling her, "I don't know if you are good enough but let me help you".Bryan Bowen agrees to train Gracie but initially focuses just on conditioning, not believing that she will ever make the team. Realizing she has to start training with boys, Gracie gets into a pick-up soccer game but is manhandled by the boys. Gracie then learns that the school board has denied her request to play soccer. Bryan Bowen tells Gracie that the coach agreed to let her play field hockey. Angry, Gracie tracks down the School Board Chairwoman who agrees to hold a hearing. At the hearing, the women's coach tells the Board that Title IX provides money for a girls soccer team, but there is no interest, "because soccer is not considered a girls sport". Kyle, the boy soccer captain, says that the team would be afraid to play hard if she was on the team, adding, "Just because she's Johnny's sister and he died, doesn't mean she should play." Gracie's mom makes an emotional appeal, telling the committee that her daughter is "fierce...She loves to win. She loves competing." After a split vote, the Chairwoman decides that Gracie can tryout, but it is up to the coach if she makes the boys varsity team.At grueling all day tryouts, Grace survives three cuts, including being roughed up by Kyle, only to learn that she is awarded a spot on the junior varsity squad, a first for any girl. Then she learns that her father was offered a coaching job. Bitter, Grace tells her father she won't do it. She quits. Bryan Bowen tells his daughter, "Johnny played more for me than he did for himself. You're different...You truly love this game." Thinking that he is just appeasing her, Gracie still threatens to quit. Flustered, her father angrily tells her, "Quit because you're not good enough, but don't quit because you got your feelings hurt." He then tells her that she has to dig deep to prove to everyone else that she is good enough.Swallowing her pride, Gracie begins practicing with the JV squad and logs long hours afterwards practicing penalty shots. When the coach tells her to suit up for the big game against Kingston, Grace thinks the coach just wants her to be a token bench warmer. In sudden death, with the score tied, Kyle draws a penalty kick. Coach puts Gracie in to take the free kick. Grace thinks about everything her brother taught her, lines up her shot, and makes a strong kick, which is blocked by the goalie. Shaking off her disbelief, Gracie gets her head back in the game but gets knocked down several times by the larger Kingston players. Digging deep, Gracie calls for the ball, powers her way around several defenders, avoids slide tackles, and scores the winning goal.

Tags: home movie

Review:
This film is more about a family as it copes with tragedy and life in the 70's than it is about soccer, which is a good thing!
It has enough soccer content for those interested, but people who dislike sports movies have nothing to fear either.
Gracie is a great, family film.
Gracie is played beautifully by Carly Shroeder as a girl surround by three soccer-playing brothers, Johnny, Mike, and Dan. The film opens as her brother has her kick a soccer ball barefoot to hit an empty bottle on top of the car.
This film is set in South Orange, New Jersey in 1978 and is inspired by the events of the Shue family.
It was a family affair in the filming process including Elisabeth Shue not only as an actress but as an executive producer along with her husband and director, Davis Guggenheim.
Her brother Andrew Shue plays an assistant soccer coach and history teacher.
Until her father decides that he will coach her to get on the team, there are difficulties since she is a girl but she is determined and the film is not entirely predictable.
These people believed in this film and it's paid off big time.No, Hollywood is not quite as astute or clever as it thinks it is, so Carly's future can't be assured.
As the father of a daughter, I am always looking for the kind of film that matter-of-factly informs girls that, through desire and plain hard work, you can achieve your goals.
Also, although the film has a football/soccer theme it doesn't require any special interest in this sport to enjoy (I'm no fan).
They gave such a believability to their roles that you loved and hated them at the right times and you really struggle for Gracie in the since where putting yourself in her shoes and saying well I would have done this but your not Gracie and you have to stick with her and watch her triumph.
A good movie about grief, a girl's struggle, and yes, soccer.
This movie is inspired by (and thus LOOSELY based) on producer/actress Elisabeth Shue's life.
I didn't love it, but I did like it.While this movie is a "soccer" movie, in my eyes, it is really a movie more about a family - esp.
Gracie eventually turns to one of the things she used to love to share with her brother - soccer.
Soccer is also something that her dad and her brother shared, so Gracie and her dad reconnect through the sport.As a drama addressing the challenge of growing up as a female athlete a few decades earlier, I give it an 7.5/10.
Some people on this Message Board want to bash it as a man-hating message, but you have to remember that this movie is NOT trying to represent girls' athletics today - in 2007.
It was obvious from the way both of them talked about the movie that it was going to be very special and close to the hearts of the Shue family.
I would highly recommend going to see this movie, especially if you are a soccer fan or any sports fan.
This is a great family movie, so take you children to it, you won't regret it!.
But first Gracie will have to overcome the strenuous objections of both the coach and her own misogynistic father to her plan.Although it has many of the hallmarks of a Lifetime Original Movie - souped-up gender conflict, an overdose of sentimental uplift, and a plucky, inspirational heroine at its core - "Gracie," which is set in late 1970's New Jersey, transcends many of its stereotypes and clichés through heartfelt performances, unpretentious writing and earnest direction.Carly Schroeder has grit and charm to spare as the indomitable Gracie, while Dermot Mulroney and Elizabeth Shue acquit themselves nicely as her ultimately supportive parents.It's true that "Gracie" provides us with nothing we haven't seen a thousand times before - from "The Karate Kid" to "Bend it Like Beckham" - but inspirational-sports-movie fans should still find themselves cheering on this latest underdog story..
I always enjoy to watch soccer movies from Ladybugs to Bend it like Beckham.
And its about the hardship Gracie faced trying to join a boys soccer team in a time when that wasn't accepted.
i enjoyed this movie.i thought it was pretty good from an entertainment point of view.however,i didn't fee it was very inspirational and for me,it didn't have the impact that many of the movies of the genre have.i didn't find anything profound about it.i think it may be loosely inspired by real events,which could mean anything as far as movies go.i could not really get into it beyond a superficial level.i'm not sure why.maybe it's because i'm not a real soccer fan.having said that,it was well acted,and well paced.it certainly wasn't boring,by any means.the songs they chose for the movie were also really good.i would probably watch this movie again down the road,though,because as i said,it's enjoyable as entertainment.for me,Gracie is a 7/10.
Even though nothing was actually shown, the suggestive scenes were graphic enough to prompt me to have a conversation with my daughter about proper dating behavior.Aside from my concerns about the appropriateness of the film for pre-teens, the characters were underdeveloped (e.g. no mention or development of the Dad's former soccer star status), there were continuity errors, such as using the word "suck" in an era when it was not used, and at least one half of the film was a complete downer.
This, to me, was a, "how to not make a sports movie." I suppose credit should be given for something and with that I'll compliment the credits at the end of this mediocre film for giving it a home spun touch that was worth a nickle.
They do that to all their family and friends, their beautiful wives, and even when they look into their mirrors, they still won't forget to criticize others.A must see for everyone.1st, a true hero lives in a regular person, yeah, even a little girl, in her careless family, and male-dominant society, "the rule is boys get the game, ball; girls stand by, cheer" sounds like 70's, even now.But no, our society needs something big, stronger, something muscular, to present a "Hero" to blind our society in thru Homer's Classics, to Shakespeare's stages, now many many Hollywood big buck, huge name, legally plagiarized films, or franchised special male sports: what's sexy about the fat asses on the dirt mount and green pitch?
Most critics under the "industry" "expertise" once again disclosed their dumb ass opinion in public eye.70's world was not far way, when 60's moms were afraid of their girls' teen pregnancy, so they would fall into a wrong man's family, prison their whole life in small cells, 70's provided them a solution: condom and pills.
Boys were dressed in jeans,danced in rock, but Gracie was our true Beatle.Beginning of the movie, a great sign told in a small scene.
She claimed her love, and was willing to play her brother's game for her brother, her dad laughed just like our critics did.
And it still is!A tragic scene in this movie tells us that our household is in vacuum if family members are without faith with each other, coz love does not work Her actions when faith is not in the heart a person.
she quited her soccer dream, and played the pickup game on street, fooled about with beachboys, and drove without permit, tried discovering unprotected teen sex; but her Dad broke into her off course life.
This is a great movie to alarm family parents to strength the girder of a household, and a good chance to lead a family to a teen sex and life talk.
Her will, love and faith does not slave to anyone, or any concept.Yup her heroism raised, rose from her backyard to the boy's training field, and when her coach saw her skill and lured her into the game, as his wish, and told her teammate to fake an injury, told her "whatever you do, don't miss"(Male Coach's way) she hit the side post; coz her destiny chose her to parade step by step from the stereotype sideline to the ugly violent center field, and shined her talent and skill in her magical touch, dribble, dance, and shot a wonderful goal(Gracie way).
Gracie Is Not a Sports Film.
I was ready for a soccer story-and 'feel good' film-but found myself moved.
I think it's great it's a true story and all that, but you have to have GOOD ACTING, a good script, and something people actually want to watch!
First off the girl that played "Gracie" was one of the worst lead actresses I have ever seen in a theatrically released movie.
I realize that this had to do with Elizabeth & Andrew Shue's childhood, but that still doesn't make a good movie.
And the title says the truth: playing soccer in a male team for a girl is unthinkable, at least here in Europe.The movie is quite well acted, Carly is fine and the rest of the crew does a god job.
The screenplay communicates a false (and quite dangerous) message: everybody can do what they dream to do if they apply enough and is not discouraged, doesn't matter how difficult is the task.What if Gracie had liked to play football or baseball or basketball in a male team?
Believe it or not, this story is partly based (and I think very loosely) on the real, early, life of actress Elisabeth Shue, who grew up playing soccer with boys.
There are actually a whole lot of more of her family members involved with this movie in one way or another, so you can really call this a Shue movie.
Nothing wrong with that of course but it makes it just a bit all the more weird that the message at the end of the movie claims that female soccer in America was not accepted and didn't even exists, till there was Gracie, or should I say Lizzy Shue.
So, it's a movie about a girl who tries to make it to the boys soccer team at school...jeez, you think she will make it or not?
It was crazy how everybody was against Gracie playing soccer and saying silly stuff like 'grils can't play' or 'she is not good or though enough for the game'.
But this happens with no apparent reason, which was really annoying to be honest.I must say it also didn't helped the movie very much that the acting in this movie was really below par.The story can perhaps be understand and appreciated better if you understand that this movie was supposed to be set in the '70's, when girls at schools just had less choice on what to do with their lives and what sports to pick.
So bad film-making in that regard, though this can also be put on its low budget of course.But a more positive thing about this movie is the way the soccer matches are being portrayed.
What I liked was that it showed the game as the tough and hard game that it can be and you also don't necessarily have to understand the rules of the game to watch this film.
The true story this film was based on is touching, but I feel Davis Guggenheim failed to make any emotional connection with his audience.
Like I said, the story is touching, but this film does not tell it in a convincing way..
A Truly Moving Picture "explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life." Heartland gave that award to this film.This is a story of a loving, close-knit family in the 1970s.
The father is obsessed with his love of soccer and for his children, which include two grade school sons, his high school son and soccer star, and high school daughter, Gracie.
A tragedy occurs and the high school daughter is determined to play with the high school boys' soccer team.This is before title IX and the road to her joining the team is virtually impossible.
The only questions that remain are whether she will be given a chance, and whether given a chance, she is tough enough and good enough.Gracie eventually becomes a role model for young people and especially for girls.
Formulaic yet well-produced sports-themed drama about a young girl (Schroeder in an exemplary role of courage) who wants to play on the high school boys' soccer team after a family tragedy prompts her to realize her own potential in a brood obsessed with the sport and the attempt for her to bond with her hard-headed, distant father (Mulroney in one of his best roles) in New Jersey circa 1978.
Fun, yet earnestly determined script by Lisa Marie Petersen and Karen Janszen based on the Shue's real-life family occurrences around sister Elisabeth (who co-produced with brother Andrew who co-stars) and her own attempt to do as well in her youth.
'Gracie' is a movie about a girl who gets on the varsity boys soccer team after her brother, Johnny Bowen (Jesse Lee Soffer) who was the team star, dies in a car accident.
Based on an experience of the Shue family, it has Elizabeth Shue playing Gracie's mother and another Shue, Andrew, as Coach Clark.
Gracie Bowen is played by Carly Schroeder, who projects energy and guts, as the role requires.
Dermot Mulroney is her father, Bryan Bowen, a former soccer player and a bit of a star in his time himself, but with childhood issues that give him some trouble as a parent.
He has coached the family boys as if soccer, for all of them, has always been the only thing, while Gracie was protected but overlooked.
Her struggle to be accepted at a time when girls didn't play soccer in America (this takes place in the late Seventies) is a way of moving forward when a kind of opening appears; it's also a chance for the family to redeem itself and progressing beyond its grief.'Gracie's' final trajectory leads (somewhat implausibly) to a predictable final big game triumph; but what makes the body of the movie different and good is its focus on training--the training, moreover, of a female athlete, and her endless struggle to prove herself.
Gracie first has to convince her father to coach her despite his not unnatural concern that she isn't tough enough to play against boys.
Again, maybe inevitably, the lesbian issue comes up in 'Gracie' as it does more prominently in 'Personal Best.' This time it appears only as a false stereotype, but at one point even Gracie's very up-front best friend Jena (Julia Garro) has doubts, while her sometime boyfriend, Kyle Rhodes (Christopher Shand), who wanted her for a long time but seemed hard to trust, indeed becomes an enemy at tryout time.The movie's lessons have to do with a family unsure of itself accepting layers of grief, but the fresh image is of a young girl who can be a tough and skillful athlete no matter what anybody thinks.
Director Guggenheim is Elizabeth Shue's husband, and Carly Schroeder's brother plays Gracie's younger brother Mike.
Watching this movie, I began to go through my own experience in soccer.
With your heart devoted into that thing, you can most possibly succeed.Brian Bowen (Dermot Mulroney) was a soccer player himself, he does not put effort in thinking that anyone else can play like he did, except for Mike (Hunter Schroeder).
Not only did her father did not believe in his only daughter, he laughed along with the two other younger boys in the family Daniel Bowen (Trevor Heins) and (), he believed that soccer was never needing real teaching because of Mike's talent in soccer.
Grace Bowen (Carly Schroeder) had to put up with all the boys, the coaches, the rules and the closest person, her father.I believe that girls are actually very fit to play any sport.
The determination to push is far greater than the relaxed mind of boys who were born to play a rough sport, who were already capable of playing these kinds of pushing limits in strength, speed and agility.Carly Schroeder played an amazing role as 'Gracie', she loved her brother and they were truly heart-to-heart.
I also loved how Carly played Gracie's different roles bravely.
Peter Wicker (Josh Barclay Caras) believed in her throughout the film, there was no doubt in his mind that Grace was incapable of beating the boys to the game.Lindsay Bowen (Elizabeth Shue) played a tremendous role as Grace's mother.
Elizabeth Shue and Andrew Shue directed this film very well.Kyle Rhodes (Christopher Shand) did not believe that girls can even kick a ball.
He has 'expectations' of the girls he dates, but until he realizes Gracie is very different, he will never reach deep enough to understand her.I went to watch it the first show in the morning today and loved it.
I recommend this movie to those who believes in true passion is the key to success, no matter how the road bends, there is always a way to walk around it..
Good movie, a girl wanting to play soccer, based on a real story..
This nice, small movie is a product of the Shue family of soccer fame.
In fact, the whole story is loosely based on their own family as the Shue kids grew up.
Carly Schroeder is Grace Bowen (Elizabeth Shue character), only daughter, of Bryan Bowen (Dermot Mulroney).
Dad is devastated, but sister Gracie wants to play soccer.
Andrew Shue plays a soccer coach.This isn't a great movie, but it is a very nice one.
I especially enjoy movies based on real events, like this one was.
It is also not anything like "Mean Green", except it revolves around soccer.Gracie wants to play soccer, but her father prefers not to after the death of the other child.