‘GRACIE’S CHOICE’: EMOTIONAL BUT HAPPY INSPIRED BY TRUE STORY TITLE
One of those inspired by a true story movies-of-the-week titles, Gracie’s Choice has the benefit of a wonderful cast.
Gracie’s Choice (2004) TV Film Review
Keeping some kind of balance and normalcy in her family is an impossibility for Gracie (Kristen Bell). Still a kid herself, the teenager still makes an effort to give her three young brothers some stability. She makes sure they go to school and helps them feel safe. Their mother (Anne Heche) disappears now and then, but this time, as they spend the night in a home full of drugs and users, Gracie along with her sister Rose (Kristin Fairlie) are separated from their brothers. The girls are sent to a juvenile detention center where they too are separated.
In a temporary custody case, thier grandmother (Diane Ladd) gets all five kids. Not in the best of health, the woman isn’t able to handle them all, and against the order, her daughter returns to their lives. This puts all of the minor children at risk of again being separated. This is something Gracie won’t stand for, and so, against all the rules and logic, she sets out to find a way for them all to stay together…
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‘GRACIE’S CHOICE’: EMOTIONAL BUT HAPPY INSPIRED BY TRUE STORY TITLE. #KristenBell leads this dramedy cast. #Movies #MovieReview Share on XA film that made its debut on Lifetime, Gracie’s Choice has one very big thing going for it, which sets it apart from the typical “ripped from the headlines” titles. It has an Emmy nominee, and the cast is good. From Kristen Bell (in a role that was just prior to her breakout in Veronica Mars) to Anne Heche, this film boasts a lot of talent. Even the supporting cast is good and I enjoy how everyone plays these roles.
The script puts these characters in a lot of perilous, emotionally if nothing else, situations and as a result, there is a lot of screaming. The heavy emotion playing out on screen won’t suit everyone, but if you like stories that have that true story thread, than Gracie’s Choice is a good film. I’d seen it years ago, but didn’t remember much, so re-watching this did remind me what an engrossing story this is.
If you like the TV genre or Kristen Bell, watching this drama is worth the time.
Stream, at publication, on Peacock, Prime Video, Roku and Tubi TV
Photos: Alamy
Content: this one is more about emotional upheaval than troubling content. The rating is TVPG. There is a scene that shows a woman and child being near gunshots (we see them duck and hear the sounds). Another scene shows a man trying to feel up a teenager; he hits her and pins her against a wall after she rejects him. There is two (or so) scenes where people slap or hit others.
