Saving Grace is a British comedy with strong appeal to adult audiences. Its formula of eccentric supporting characters, picturesque seashore cinematography, and charming rural small town culture is reminiscent of Local Hero (1983).
Grace (Brenda Blethyn) is a middle-aged socialite and horticulturist. When her husband unexpectedly dies, she is left saddled with his debts. This will force the loss of her assets, including the expansive manor where she lives, in Corwall, England.
With her now unemployed Scottish gardener Matthew (Craig Ferguson), she concocts a scheme to grow mountains of high quality marijuana in her greenhouse. She holds off the unsympathetic bankers until the crop is market ready, then tries to sell it to hippie dealer Vince (Bill Bailey) and French drug lord Jacques (Tcheky Karyo). This, of course, leads to ridiculous and 'hilarious' complications that somehow result in an amazingly unlikely and happy ending.
Ferguson also co-produced the film, and is credited as one of the screenwriters. His onscreen girlfriend Nicky (Valerie Edmond) is a rugged but attractive fisherwoman. She disapproves of Matthew's risky venture, because it could land him in prison.
She is unique among the villagers, however. Most of the town seems to know what Grace and Matthew are up to, and even applaud it as a pro-active method of avoiding abject poverty. Those looking the other way include the town policeman (Ken Campbell), vicar (Leslie Phillips), and doctor (Martin Clunes). Like all the supporting characters, they are given 'charming' eccentricities as per the formula for British comedies.
It seems that everybody in town knows that Grace has become England's largest marijuana grower. Everybody, that is, except for a set of pleasant but hopelessly clueless old ladies. They encounter the plants in her greenhouse, confuse them for tea leaves, and promptly get stoned.
The silliness that follows prompted waves of laughter from the theater audience, who gave the film thunderous applause when it ended. Saving Grace won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, and its crowd pleasing prowess (at least for those 35 and up) is undeniable. One of the 'corn flakes' women is played by Phyllida Law, the real-life mother of Emma Thompson.
British actress Brenda Blethyn received Oscar nominations two years in a row, for Secrets & Lies (1996) and Little Voice (1998). While she is unlikely to be nominated for Saving Grace, she is clearly the star of the film, and gives it needed class. She is a good comic actress, and doesn't resort to the exaggerations that her supporting cast is prone to.
But the film cannot escape mediocrity, partly due to its increasingly unbelievable story, but mostly because the dialogue is used to create contrived situations rather than to broaden characters and their relationships. However, if you are patient, forgiving, and looking for a good laugh, you will eventually find it in Saving Grace. (47/100)
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