Saving Grace finds itself a worthy companion piece to Doc Hollywood and Three Fugitives, films whose main positive ingredient is an intangible quality known as charm, something Michael Bay has commissioned a team of scientists to create artificially in Hollywood labs.
When horticulturist Grace’s (Brenda Blethyn) husband dies unexpectedly no-one in the small tight-knit English seaside community knows why.
A couple months later when the bills pile up and various repo men show up Grace is suddenly – and rudely – made well aware. Her late husband had racked up incredible debts in pursuing failed projects leading to obligations of over three hundred thousand pounds.
In other words a thousand pounds for every year that the stately home has been in her family. And 300 odd more thousand pounds than she possesses…
Grace has no means of income, and a short time frame to repay the debt before losing her home for good.
Matthew (Craig Ferguson) is an amiable fourty-something slacker cum gardener with a nifty sideline in marijuana cultivation on church grounds near town. He consults Grace’s expertise in horticulture to revive his flagging pot-plants, and when Grace asks if there is money to be made with this particular illegal venture she and Matthew share a brainwave.
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
The film thereafter becomes a race between the powers of human assisted nature and the impending shadow of big business – who aren’t locals and therefore must be hated even if they are technically in the right and Grace is in the wrong.
Grace and Matthew ignore the constant reminders and requests from her bank, spending every waking hour nurturing and tending to the burgeoning crop. Working long into the night also causes Matthew to be increasingly away from his home and fisherwoman girlfriend, who unbeknownst to him is pregnant and none too pleased that her potential baby-daddy is balls-deep in highly illicit activities that might see him thrown away for a long time.
Especially as it seems that the entire population of the sleepy town knows full well just what is going on in the greenhouse on the cliffside.
Things escalate near the end of the film as Grace and Matthew realise that they need to find someone to sell this incredible crop to, which seeing that the local market is confined to Matthew and Doctor Martin (Martin Clunes) necessitates a trip to London to develop some connections…
… but really this is a film that exists to be pleasant and – for lack of a better term – nice. Despite the mature subject matter it is hardly a crime film, and while it boasts quite a bit of profanity (most thanks to Ferguson) it is hardly offensive cover the ears material.
Like the aforementioned Doc Hollywood the film is featherweight but succeeds thanks to a pleasant cast with some fine supporting roles, and a sense of warmth that goes with the film. You just feel better having watched it.
Final Rating – 7 / 10. I liked Saving Grace like some guys like green sticky stuff, and while it is not addictive I can definitely see myself experimenting with it again in the future. I can quit anytime. I swear.
