Gracie is one of those projects you can't help but root for because it sounds so special. It is set in 1978 and based on true-life events from the life of the Shue family. That's right, the main character is modeled on Elisabeth Shue, and her brother Andrew produces the film.
Gracie is a 15-year-old girl living in South Orange, New Jersey. She's the only girl in her family, as she has three brothers. Gracie's family's life is centered completely on soccer. Her father (Dermot Mulroney) and brothers are totally obsessed, practicing drills at all hours of the day. Tragedy strikes the family, however, when Gracie's older brother Johnny is killed in a car accident. He had been the star of his high school's varsity soccer team and a constant advocate for his younger sister.
As she struggles to come to grips with her loss, Gracie has a great idea. She petitions the school board to let her join the varsity soccer team in place of her brother. Her father, a former soccer star, is against the idea and tries to prove to his daughter that she simply can't compete in this rough and athletic world. Gracie doesn't find much help or sympathy from her mother, either, as the woman already feels isolated from the rest of her family due to the constant presence of sports in their lives. Undeterred, Gracie becomes determined to persevere and bring her family together in the process.
Gracie is directed by the Academy Award-winning Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth), who also happens to be married to Elisabeth Shue. The personal connections to the film should make it a labor of love. It's the kind of movie we like to advocate for. (Kim Hollis/BOP)
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