grace is gone

I have little interest in seeing most movies about the Iraq war that Hollywood has spit out. Too agenda-driven for my taste. I'm not even sure why I rented this one. Maybe because it stars John Cusack, and I do love his acting.

Grace is Gone has a sad premise. A female soldier's husband and father of two receives word that his wife (Grace) has been killed in action in Iraq. Heartbroken and unable to break the news to his daughters (ages 8 and almost 13), he takes them on a road trip to a theme park in Florida.

Cusack is in top form. He transformed himself in this film into an entirely different man. Even the way he walks was altered. When I first saw him onscreen, I didn't think it could possibly be him. The actresses who play his daughters do a truly fine job, too.

My heart hurt more than once during the film, but I didn't cry until the last two seconds.

-rlh-