SCREEN IT! PARENTAL REVIEW: SAVING GRACE

"SAVING GRACE"
(2000) (Brenda Blethyn, Craig Ferguson) (R)

Alcohol/ Drugs	Blood/Gore	Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude	Frightening/ Tense Scenes	Guns/ Weapons
Extreme	Minor	Heavy	Mild	Mild

Imitative Behavior	Jump Scenes	Music (Scary/Tense)	Music (Inappropriate)	Profanity
Moderate	None	Mild	None	Extreme

Sex/ Nudity	Smoking	Tense Family Scenes	Topics To Talk About	Violence
Moderate	Mild	Moderate	Moderate	Mild

QUICK TAKE:: Comedy: A recently widowed woman takes to hemp farming when she sees that as the only way to pay off her late husband's debts and save her home.

PLOT:

Grace Trevethan (BRENDA BLETHYN) is a middle-aged woman living in a quaint seaside village on the Cornish coast. A recent widow, Grace has just learned that her late husband racked up a considerable amount of debt and even took out a second mortgage on their three-hundred year old house, all to fund some ultimately unsuccessful business ventures. To make matters worse, he was also having an affair with Honey (DIANA QUICK), a woman from London.

Everyone in the small town knows of Grace's financial difficulties, but despite their efforts to help her out, the creditors continue to arrive and remove her belongings bit by bit, and it looks like she'll eventually lose her home. Even her gardener and all around handyman, Matthew (CRAIG FERGUSON), decides to stay on with her, despite his last check bouncing.

When Matthew asks Grace, who's known for her lovely greenhouse and proficient green thumb, to look after some ailing cannabis plants he's been covertly growing with his fishing captain girlfriend, Nicky (VALERIE EDMOND) and the town's local physician, Dr. Martin Bamford (MARTIN CLUNES), the two suddenly hit upon an idea. If Grace could bring his sick plants back to life, they could then sell the lucrative marijuana and raise enough capital to pay off her debts and save her home.

Converting her formerly traditional greenhouse into a marijuana factory, Grace and Matthew set out to do just that, despite Nicky's objections and the possible criminal ramifications of doing so. Nonetheless, they manage to keep their operation secret from the local lawman, Sgt. Alfred (KEN CAMPBELL), although most everyone else in the town eventually gets wind of what they're doing.

With the pot now ready to be harvested, Grace then sets out to find someone who will buy it. As her venture eventually involves international drug dealer Jacques Chevalier (TCHÉKY KARYO) and his henchman China McFarlane (JAMIE FORMAN), Grace races to unload her stash before the various creditors seize her home or the police figure out what she's up to.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: The drug angle might be enticing to some, and those who are fans of anyone in the cast or foreign films such as "Waking Ned Devine" may want to see it. As a general whole, however, most kids will probably pass on this one.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R: For drug content and language.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:: BRENDA BLETHYN plays a middle-aged woman who begins growing copious amounts of pot hoping that she can sell it, pay off her late husband's debts and save her home. To see what she's selling, she smokes a joint (or more) in one scene and gets rather high.
CRAIG FERGUSON plays her gardener and all around handyman whose small patch of cannabis (he occasionally smokes its yield) leads to Grace's unconventional idea to get herself out of debt. He uses strong profanity, smokes (cigarettes and joints) and has recently gotten his live-in girlfriend pregnant, but seems to be sincere and does what he can to help Grace.
VALERIE EDMOND plays that pregnant, live-in girlfriend and resident fishing captain who doesn't mind Matthew's casual usage of marijuana (in fact, she seems to be one of the three "co-owners" of the small cannabis patch), but draws the line upon learning of his and Grace's plan to grow and then sell a large amount of pot.
MARTIN CLUNES plays the small town's doctor who's also involved with the initial cannabis patch, smokes a joint or two and also helps Grace with her plan.
DIANA QUICK plays the former mistress of Grace's late husband who also assists Grace in her plan.
KEN CAMPBELL plays the local constable who seems to be a bumbling law officer, but turns out to know more than everyone assumes.
TCHÉKY KARYO plays an occasionally menacing, international drug dealer whom Grace eventually contacts and who finds himself smitten with her.
JAMIE FORMAN plays his switchblade-yielding henchman who threatens several people while working for his boss.; CRAIG FERGUSON plays her gardener and all around handyman whose small patch of cannabis (he occasionally smokes its yield) leads to Grace's unconventional idea to get herself out of debt. He uses strong profanity, smokes (cigarettes and joints) and has recently gotten his live-in girlfriend pregnant, but seems to be sincere and does what he can to help Grace.
VALERIE EDMOND plays that pregnant, live-in girlfriend and resident fishing captain who doesn't mind Matthew's casual usage of marijuana (in fact, she seems to be one of the three "co-owners" of the small cannabis patch), but draws the line upon learning of his and Grace's plan to grow and then sell a large amount of pot.
MARTIN CLUNES plays the small town's doctor who's also involved with the initial cannabis patch, smokes a joint or two and also helps Grace with her plan.
DIANA QUICK plays the former mistress of Grace's late husband who also assists Grace in her plan.
KEN CAMPBELL plays the local constable who seems to be a bumbling law officer, but turns out to know more than everyone assumes.
TCHÉKY KARYO plays an occasionally menacing, international drug dealer whom Grace eventually contacts and who finds himself smitten with her.
JAMIE FORMAN plays his switchblade-yielding henchman who threatens several people while working for his boss.; VALERIE EDMOND plays that pregnant, live-in girlfriend and resident fishing captain who doesn't mind Matthew's casual usage of marijuana (in fact, she seems to be one of the three "co-owners" of the small cannabis patch), but draws the line upon learning of his and Grace's plan to grow and then sell a large amount of pot.
MARTIN CLUNES plays the small town's doctor who's also involved with the initial cannabis patch, smokes a joint or two and also helps Grace with her plan.
DIANA QUICK plays the former mistress of Grace's late husband who also assists Grace in her plan.
KEN CAMPBELL plays the local constable who seems to be a bumbling law officer, but turns out to know more than everyone assumes.
TCHÉKY KARYO plays an occasionally menacing, international drug dealer whom Grace eventually contacts and who finds himself smitten with her.
JAMIE FORMAN plays his switchblade-yielding henchman who threatens several people while working for his boss.; MARTIN CLUNES plays the small town's doctor who's also involved with the initial cannabis patch, smokes a joint or two and also helps Grace with her plan.
DIANA QUICK plays the former mistress of Grace's late husband who also assists Grace in her plan.
KEN CAMPBELL plays the local constable who seems to be a bumbling law officer, but turns out to know more than everyone assumes.
TCHÉKY KARYO plays an occasionally menacing, international drug dealer whom Grace eventually contacts and who finds himself smitten with her.
JAMIE FORMAN plays his switchblade-yielding henchman who threatens several people while working for his boss.; DIANA QUICK plays the former mistress of Grace's late husband who also assists Grace in her plan.
KEN CAMPBELL plays the local constable who seems to be a bumbling law officer, but turns out to know more than everyone assumes.
TCHÉKY KARYO plays an occasionally menacing, international drug dealer whom Grace eventually contacts and who finds himself smitten with her.
JAMIE FORMAN plays his switchblade-yielding henchman who threatens several people while working for his boss.; KEN CAMPBELL plays the local constable who seems to be a bumbling law officer, but turns out to know more than everyone assumes.
TCHÉKY KARYO plays an occasionally menacing, international drug dealer whom Grace eventually contacts and who finds himself smitten with her.
JAMIE FORMAN plays his switchblade-yielding henchman who threatens several people while working for his boss.; TCHÉKY KARYO plays an occasionally menacing, international drug dealer whom Grace eventually contacts and who finds himself smitten with her.
JAMIE FORMAN plays his switchblade-yielding henchman who threatens several people while working for his boss.; JAMIE FORMAN plays his switchblade-yielding henchman who threatens several people while working for his boss.

CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
Then read OUR TAKE of this film.

(Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).

OUR WORD TO PARENTS:

Here's a quick summary of the content found in this R-rated film. Being a comedy about a woman who grows and then tries to sell an enormous amount of marijuana, there are various scenes involving the purposeful and accidental inhalation of that drug, resulting in various people being "high." Some drinking and "regular" smoking also occurs.

People involved in the drug trade are also present, including a local drug dealer and another who's more of the international caliber. In addition, all of those who use, grow and buy/sell the drugs get off scot-free in the end, and those aware of that behavior/business, including a local police officer, turn a blind eye to it. That, and the fact that all of the material is intended to elicit laughs could entice impressionable kids to experiment with the drug.

Profanity is rated as extreme due to at least 16 uses of the "f" word, while other expletives and colorful phrases occur. A single woman is pregnant by her live-in boyfriend, while some non-graphic, sexually related dialogue occurs. We see the beginnings of a sexual encounter (nothing graphic and no nudity), while we briefly see a nude man running by in a non-sexual context.

Some threatening violence is present in the form of a drug dealer's henchman and his switchblade (along with some other, less volatile material), and the film starts off with a funeral (thus some tense family scenes are present). Should you still be concerned about the film and its appropriateness for anyone in your home, you may want to examine are detailed content listings a bit more closely.

For those concerned with the repetitive flashing of bright lights on the screen, a few brief moments of that occur during a thunderstorm at night.

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE: Various people drink wine and other alcohol at a wake.
Matthew and Dr. Bamford share a joint with the latter trying to hide it (and the smoke in his mouth/lungs) from Sgt. Alfred.
Matthew and others drink in a pub.
The local priest and Grace drink wine or some other sort of alcohol.
Dr. Bamford wakes up on Matthew and Nicky's couch, apparently with a hangover. Matthew thinks that Nicky has one as well, but instead she's pregnant with morning sickness.
Matthew takes Grace off to see some sick plants, but she immediately identifies them as marijuana (that Bamford and Nicky know about). Even so, she agrees to take one of them back to her greenhouse to nurse it back to health.
Grace decides to grow and then sell Matthew's marijuana plants to make enough money to pay off her late husband's debts and save her home. From that point on, we see various shots of the native plant growing in abundance in Grace's greenhouse.
Dr. Bamford has a drink in the pub.
Bamford, Sgt. Alfred and the local barkeep have drinks in a pub.
Grace and her late husband's lover have drinks.
Grace decides that if she's going to be selling pot, she might as well try it. Thus, she and Matthew go off to the seashore and share a joint. She asks if it's addictive and he replies that it's not crack (cocaine). Although it doesn't affect her at first (and she's surprised at that), it eventually does and the two of them then laugh hysterically and then get a case of the "munchies." Later, however, we see her acting doped up and not feeling that well from the experience.
People sit outside a pub and drink.
People drink inside a pub.
Grace goes to London to find a drug buyer and shows many people on the street the sample inside her purse.
Grace asks Honey to call a drug dealer for her to meet and sell her drugs to. She does and they then meet a local drug dealer who rolls a joint, lights and then smokes it to test the quality of the goods.
Grace and her entourage meet Jacques, an international drug dealer.
Jacques and Grace have wine.
One of the town's older ladies unknowingly uses Grace's marijuana leaves to make some tea and later she and her old friend act quite high after drinking it (laughing, giggling, having the "munchies" and basically acting foolish).
A large pile of marijuana catches on fire and the smoke from it soon intoxicates everyone nearby (and they all seem happy, etc.), including Bamford who purposefully walks into the smoking-filled greenhouse.
We see that Grace wrote a book called "The Joint Venture" that has a picture of a marijuana leaf on its cover.
People have drinks in a pub.
Bamford has a beer and comments on it seeming odd that beer is legal but pot isn't.

BLOOD/GORE: On the TV, we see a scene from a Dracula movie where the title character has a bit of blood on his lips after working on someone's neck.
A man farts as he walks outside at night from the pub to relieve himself (we don't see the latter, although we do see him standing there).

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE: Although she does so to save her home, Grace ends up growing a huge amount of marijuana in her greenhouse and nearly everyone in the town knows and turns a blind eye to what she's doing.
We learn that Grace's husband was having an affair.
Jacques is an international drug dealer who initially acts somewhat menacingly toward Grace (at one moment threatening to cut off her fingers).
A police officer ignores Grace's activities.

FRIGHTENING SCENES: On the TV, we see a scene from a Dracula movie where the title character has a bit of blood on his lips after working on someone's neck (possibly scary to the very youngest of kids).
Grace thinks she hears someone break into her house, and thus slowly goes to investigate with her flashlight (it turns out to be a cat).
Jacques' right-hand man, China, pulls out a switchblade and holds it to Matthew's neck, and Jacques acts somewhat menacingly toward Grace.

GUNS/WEAPONS: Switchblade: Used by Jacques' crony to threaten others (he holds the blade to Matthew's neck).

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR: Phrases: "Who the f*ck is...?" "Stiffy" (erection), "Bastard," "Bollocks," "Bloody," "Piss off," "Where the hell have you been?" "Shut up" and "Who the hell are you?"
The fact that various people smoke or otherwise ingest pot and then get giddy from it (and the fact that it's all played for laughs) could inspire kids to experiment with marijuana.

JUMP SCENES: None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE): A mild amount of suspenseful music occurs in a few scenes.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE): None.

PROFANITY: At least 16 "f" words, 4 "s" words, 2 hells, 1 crap, 2 uses each of "Jesus" and "Oh God" and 1 use each of "For Christ's sakes," "God" and "My God" as exclamations.

SEX/NUDITY: We see several shots of a bra on a busty mannequin torso in a general store.
Matthew and Nicky live together and we learn that she's pregnant. Before that, however, she shows some cleavage as both lie (clothed) on their bed. After he mentions something and then asks her if that's the way she says thanks, she says that it isn't and instead unzips his pants (we see the motion and hear the sound but don't see anything explicit) and tells him, "You are tonight's lucky Scotsman." It's then implied that they have sex or fool around.
Dr. Bamford and a bartender discuss the books they're reading (the former is reading Jackie Collins, the latter something about beetles) and the bartender then jokes that it's unlikely anyone is sleeping with a beetle in one of Collins' works.
Worried about Matthew going to jail for growing so much pot, Nicky comments on him being chased around his cell by another prisoner "with a stiffy" (erection).
Grace and her late husband's lover, Honey, have drinks and discuss the deceased. Grace then asks Honey how she dealt with sex. Honey says that it was a nightmare (and both laugh) and then adds that it was exhausting (which surprises Grace since she says it was frustrating for her and like flogging a dead horse). Honey then says that she screamed during sex and had to act like she was passed out because the man was insatiable, which is much to Grace's surprise again since she thought he wasn't interested in sex.
When Grace tells Matthew that she wants him to give her one, he thinks she's referring to sex, when in reality she asking for a joint (as he's relieved to figure out he was mistaken).
Honey shows some cleavage.
High from inhaling pot smoke, we see an older man run/skipping by completely nude (we see his bare butt as well as a possible but very brief side view of full frontal nudity).

SMOKING: Matthew smokes several times, while Grace, Jacques and Bamford, all smoke once (as do a few minor/miscellaneous characters).

TENSE FAMILY SCENES: The opening of the film deals with the funeral and wake for Grace's recently deceased husband (and she's obviously grieving/shell-shocked from the loss).

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT: That family members should know the financial status of their family's money (Grace didn't know about her husband's debts).
Matthew and Nicky live together and we learn that she's pregnant.
Although she does so to save her home, Grace ends up growing a huge amount of marijuana in her greenhouse and nearly everyone in the town knows and turns a blind eye to what she's doing. Then there's the fact that Grace and the others get away with doing so, without getting into any trouble.

VIOLENCE: Jacques' right-hand man, China, pulls out a switchblade, holds it to Matthew's neck and then does the same to a local drug dealer.
China kicks a coin-operated, sightseeing, binocular stand.
Matthew slaps another man on the head for telling Nicky where we was/what he was doing.
China holds his switchblade to another man's neck.
A bunch of old ladies hit China with their purses until the police take him away.
Grace smacks Jacques.
We see a video camera's point of view of Jacques getting violent and pushing the camera and evidently the reporter.

Reviewed July 20, 2000 / Posted August 4, 2000

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