James C Strouse's Grace is Gone is the story of Stanley Philipps (John Cusack) finding out that his wife died in Iraq, and having to deal with informing his two daughters: Heidi (Shelan O'Keefe) and Dawn (Gracie Bednarczyk).
This is an acting film hidden in a road trip to Enchanted Gardens (which bares a resemblence to another large amusement park in Florida). John Cusack's Stanley is a wondrous range of emotions and contradictions. What was taboo before the news now is done on a whim. Stanley is unsure and hiding his own fear, and has few golden moments to break down. He is undenialably human.
The daughters are spectacular. Shelan O'Keefe's Heidi is the older responsible one who wants to be a kid, but is already becoming that adult. She is the one prodding Stan about why everything is happening. It is role filled with range that O'Keefe never wavers in. She is an actress to watch. Gracie Bednarczyk's Dawn is simplier. She is a kid and wants to be just that. She wants to have fun: whether it is joking with Heidi or finding a way around dad. She is the innocence this film needs.
Strouse paints a road trip that not beholden to the road. A department store is a dream palace with flourescent lighting. Stan's mother's house is traditional, but a fleeting haven. There are few shots of driving without dialogue. The car is just another place, not a cramped environment from one destination to another.
Strouse has also made a war story that is not dominated by the war. It is the flip side of Home of the Brave. It is the family who has thoughts about what is happening but is not dominated by it. Even Stan's support of the war and why is not an issue. This is life, not politics.
Grace is Gone is a strong, personal film. It is about the strength of one family. It grabs the audience by the soul and never lets go. It is beautiful and heartfelt and should not be missed.