Saving
Grace (2000)
Craig Ferguson, best known for playing Mr. Wick on
the ABC-TV sitcom "The Drew Carey Show," must have made
a deal with someone to produce films. In the last year,
he has had two indie products in theaters that were
co-written by him and featured him in a leading role.
First was a poncey hairdressers film called "The Big
Tease" and now comes "Saving Grace," a film about an
aging widow who grows pot in her greenhouse to make
money.
Brenda Blethyn stars as the widow. As one of my favorite
actresses, she easily beguiles me here. Her performance
is, as usual, spot on, and it's just lovely to see her
in almost every frame of the film. She wins us over
easily. Ferguson, as well, as her gardener turned partner
in crime, is easy to like. His secondary storyline blends
in nicely with the theme at hand. This isn't Shakespeare,
or "Shakespeare in Love" for that matter, but the films
subtle charms soon win you over.
The main problem facing the plot, as it progresses,
is how to turn a moral/socially themed dilemma into
a conclusion that is neither heavy-handed nor a cop-out.
Ferguson, and co- scripter Mark Crowdy do a fairly adequate
job here but, unfortunately, have to avoid the issue,
really. The film becomes neither anti-drug nor pro-drug,
in the end.
Set amidst the lovely bucolic landscapes of a small
English fishing village, "Saving Grace" is often quite
wonderful to look at. The story is keen and the actors
are charming. What more could you ask for in a delightful
and smart indie comedy?
Note: Directed by Nigel Cole.
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