Cast: Brenda Blethyn, Craig Ferguson, Martin Clunes, Tchéky Karyo, Jamie Forman, Bill Bailey, Valerie Edmond, Tristan Sturrock, Clive Merrison, Leslie Phillips, Diana Quick, Phyllida Law, Linda Kerr Scott, Ken Campbell
Director: Nigel Cole
Producer: Mark Crowdy
Screenplay: Craig Ferguson & Mark Crowdy
Cinematography: John de Borman
Music: Mark Russell
U.S. Distributor: Fine Line Features
In recent years, the resurgence of the British film industry has been making waves all the way across the Atlantic. American audiences have shown an unexpected affinity for British imports, especially low-key, contemporary comedies. And, while there have been more box-office failures than successes, those titles to have risen to the top -- Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Full Monty, Waking Ned Devine - have escaped the obscurity that has claimed their lesser-known brethren. Each of these has made a nice profit for its distributor, and two (Four Weddings, The Full Monty) have been nominated for Best Picture Oscars. Fine Line Features is hoping that Saving Grace, the winner of the 2000 Sundance Audience Award (World Cinema), will be the next motion picture to enter this elite group of motion pictures.
Saving Grace has all of the formula elements in place: an isolated locale, heartfelt performances, quirky characters, a marriage of humor and drama, and a crowd-pleasing ending. The familiar, derivative feel is in part offset by a hard-to-deny level of appeal. Lead actress Brenda Blethyn is known to American audiences for her Academy Award nominated roles in Secrets and Lies and Little Voice, and co-star Craig Ferguson (The Big Tease) has gained North American exposure through TV's The Drew Carey Show. Followers of British television and cinema will find a number of other familiar faces (such as Phyllida Law, Emma Thompson's mother), but, if Saving Grace makes a late summer splash, it's going to be done without much star power.
Saving Grace is based on a simple, one-joke premise. The recently-widowed Grace Trevethan (Blethyn) has inherited a 300,000-pound debt from her husband, and, before the body is even cold, the vultures have begun to circle. Facing eviction from her home, Grace takes steps to put her vaunted horticultural skills to profitable use. With the help of her gardener, Matthew (Craig Ferguson), she clears out all the orchids from her greenhouse and develops a flourishing crop of marijuana. The whole town is abuzz with rumors about what's going on, and Matthew's pregnant girlfriend, Nicky (Valerie Edmond), is concerned that her beau and his boss are headed for jail. But growing the plants is only half of the struggle - a dealer has to be found who can afford the load that Grace wants to move. So, undaunted by the obvious difficulties and unconcerned about her personal safety, Grace travels to London in search of a dangerous man.
Compared to what passes for comedy in multiplexes these days, the laugh-generating material in Saving Grace is gentle and inoffensive. There are no body fluids, flatulence, or overripe sexual innuendo. The most off-color moment is a harmless scene in which an old man, under the influence of some aromatic smoke, strips naked and cavorts around in a garden. Saving Grace's comedy is subdued and whimsical - the script is occasionally witty, but most of the humor leads to chuckles, not guffaws. Laugh-aloud moments are at a premium, and even the comedic climax lacks punch. In fact, there's a creeping blandness to the proceedings. The picture is undeniably charming, but there are times when the lack of an edge is a detriment.
Going hand-in-hand with the comedy is a helping of light drama. Director Nigel Cole, making his feature debut, goes to great lengths to ensure that the audience cares about Grace and Matthew, and he understands that for a film like this to work, the characters have to develop beyond the caricature stage. The likability of the two leads is one of Saving Grace's strengths. Blethyn's performance hits the right notes - the combination of unflagging determination and appealing naivete with which she imbues Grace is effectively balanced. Meanwhile, Ferguson's enthusiastic attitude is infectious. These two play well off each other; a scene where they share a joint while watching the tide roll in is one of Saving Grace's highlights. It's funny and touching at the same time. (Not to mention beautifully photographed; John de Borman captures some wonderful shots of the wild Cornish coast.)
Of course, what would a British comedy be without those zany supporting characters to provide background color (many of whom seem to be modeled after the citizens of Bill Forsyth's Local Hero)? Take, for example, the two old gossips at the local convenience store who think Grace's greenhouse is being used to grow a new breed of tea. Or the stodgy old banker who wants to repossess Grace's assets. Or the local conspiracy theorist who believes the apocalypse is at hand when he sees strange lights in the sky above Grace's house. There's also an all-knowing priest with a fascination for vampire movies and a not-so-all-knowing policeman with a passion for catching salmon poachers. Finally, there are the London drug dealers who prove to be almost as inept as they are dangerous.
One of the things to appreciate about Saving Grace is its political incorrectness. Although the movie is not overtly pro-marijuana, there's little doubt that Cole is making a statement about the hypocrisy of a society that legalizes alcohol but sends marijuana users to jail. Saving Grace is more staid than any of the '70s and '80s pro-drug movies, but the central point is no different. Cheech & Chong would applaud Saving Grace with the same vigor that Sundance audiences did. Saving Grace took home the festival award because its feel-good mentality won over festival attendees in search of something frothy. The only remaining question is whether American audiences will transform this into the next The Full Monty.
© 2000 James Berardinelli