Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
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Doug Wright Reporting
Set in 1978, Carly Shroeder stars as Gracie, the lone girl surrounded by a gaggle of brothers in the Bowen family.
To say that dear old dad, played by Dermot Mulroney, is focused on Soccer is a understatement to say the least….in the back yard he's constructed a net and daily coaches his sons.
The only person who seems to appreciate Gracie's athletic abilities is her beloved older brother Johnny, the high school soccer star, played by Jesse Lee Soffer.
When tragedy strikes and Jonny is killed in a car wreck, Gracie has an epiphany….she'll take her brothers place on the team.
When her dream is met, not by mere discouragement, but outright ridicule, Gracie slips into depression and rebellion.
This is a tough, and I believe a weak point in the movie that helps to deliver the PG-13 rating with some sketchy stuff….shoplifting, joy riding and even straying-although not to far, thankfully-into sex.
Fortunately, the film pulls out of this nose dive as dad comes around and the family starts to support "Gracie" as she battles to break through the gender barrier.
There are some loose ends here including a grandfather that is left totally unexplained and undeveloped. But, ultimately, with some warts, Shue's dream of bringing an inspiring story with elements of her life, especially her love of soccer to the big screen is worth seeing.
"Gracie" gets 2 ½ stars and it's rated PG-13
