Grace Is Gone
A grieving Minnesota father takes his daughters on an improvised Florida road trip while struggling to reveal devastating news about their deployed mother.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- melancholic
- tender
- restrained
- quiet evening
- reflective weekend
What critics said
Critics generally found the film heartfelt and finely acted, valuing its intimate portrayal of wartime grief on the American home front while noting its restrained politics and occasional emotional manipulation.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Stan and his daughters process the consequences of Grace's Army service from their Minnesota home and during their journey.
Stan turns a car ride into an unplanned trip to Florida, using travel and stops along the way to delay and prepare for a painful revelation.
Stan's unusual behavior and the morning visitors create dramatic tension as he struggles to tell Heidi and Dawn what has happened.
The film focuses on Minnesota domestic life, roadside stops, and understated family interactions rather than battlefield action or political spectacle.
Films like Grace Is Gone, and why
The Messenger
shared intimate family drama, grief, and wartime home-front perspective
Nebraska
shared road movie structure, parent-child bonding, and emotionally restrained mourning
The Descendants
shared father-daughter relationship, travel as emotional healing, and bittersweet family drama
Movie Details
- Director
- Jim Strouse
- Release Date
- 2007-12-07
- Runtime
- 85 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (159)
Cast
- John Cusack
- Alessandro Nivola
- Gracie Bednarczyk
- Shélan O'Keefe
- Doug Dearth
- Doug James
- Emily Churchill
- Rebecca Spence
- Jennifer Tyler
- Susan Messing
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Grace Is Gone about?
- A grieving Minnesota father takes his daughters on an improvised Florida road trip while struggling to reveal devastating news about their deployed mother.
- What is Grace Is Gone like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Grace Is Gone as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Grace Is Gone violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Grace Is Gone.
- What did critics think of Grace Is Gone?
- Critics generally found the film heartfelt and finely acted, valuing its intimate portrayal of wartime grief on the American home front while noting its restrained politics and occasional emotional manipulation.
- Which films are like Grace Is Gone?
- Films with a similar feel include The Messenger, Nebraska, and The Descendants.
- How long is Grace Is Gone?
- Grace Is Gone runs 85 minutes.
- Where can I watch Grace Is Gone?
- In United States, Grace Is Gone streams on Amazon Prime Video, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
