Nearing Grace

Nearing Grace **1/2

"Nearing Grace" is the second screenplay from Jacob Aaron Estes, who impressed me so much with "Mean Creek" that I made it imperative to see this new one. Maybe it's the fault of the director, Rick Rosenthal, but this turned out to be a little more predictable, not as engrossing, and the characters kind of compared to those that you would see on a made for tv movie. It was not bad, but it fell slightly short of being anything worth talking about. It's been two weeks since I've seen it, and I don't really remember much about how the story worked.

It is a standard coming of age story, the type that we've seen a dozen times and a half before. In the beginning we are introduced to the Nearing family, who have all just taken the blow of a horrible tragedy. The mother in the family has died, and after an
unsuccessful attempt to throw her ashes into the middle of the ocean the family all has to come to terms with the death in their own different way. Of course she was probably the rock and foundation of the family. Her oldest son, Blair, has moved to another country with his wife, and instead of getting a decent job for his family, him and his wife decide to try whatever drug they can get their hands on. The father of the family, Shep, a former professor who now dresses up in leather jackets and rides a motorcycle, a switch from his original short hair, glasses, and button up shirts. And then there is Henry, our hero, who deals with the death with a mysterious infatuation on Grace, a girl in his class who insists on hitting on him every time she sees him. He is so blinded by his interest in Grace that he doesn't see the true love that is right in front of him. And that is his best friend since he was two, Merna. He even tends to pop in through her window whenever he goes to hang out with her. Isn't that cute? He tries to woo Grace into an actual relationship, while at the same time trying to avoid her sometimes boyfriend, and also trying to piece his life back together again.

I've seen this before, and while the story is far too predictable for my taste, the acting really does become a saving grace, no pun intended. Gregory Smith as Henry is a television actor, who stars in some show on the WB, I can't remember with, is an interesting choice for the lead. But he is the central character, and he does it with casual wit and bitterness. His tone of voice tries to make everything he says sound mysterious and wise. As one of the other characters say, "Why does everything you say sound like its coming from a fortune cookie?" Jordana Brewster takes a break from all the screaming and mutilation of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning," and actually takes a stab at acting. She's pretty good at it, as the seductive temptress. And then there is David Morse, who appears to be the heart and soul of the movie, as well as the only character that I actually felt for. Morse also wowed me in spring's "Down in the Valley." These three actors especially, as well as the supporting cast, actually bring life to otherwise lifeless characters. And the final few moments of the film are actually very eye-rolling, even more so than some of the other situations these people find themselves in. Come on, Henry and Grace end up swimming naked until her boyfriend steals their cloths. Wrapped in only a blanket, they run back to town to her house, in the middle of the rain nonetheless. Fine performances are able to make "Nearing Grace" actually near grace, but the film as a whole is simply a better made tv movie. Like I said, it isn't a bad film, but it doesn't have anything very special about it. I'd say look for "Mean Creek," but don't expect more of the same. Expect less.