The Age of Commercialism

Expected more

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Based on a true story that is nothing new in a movie. This movie was just a typical American made for TV "tearjerker". You can see that it is a small budget movie. The movie is most of the time slow-paced and the script is so-so, but Heche and Bell make the movie with their acting. Two lesser actors would have reduced it to a hack piece of garbage. Kristen Bell does an descent job in this movie. So does Dianne Laid. But Anne Heche steals the show with her truly outstanding performance as the dysfunctional mother who neglects her children to lead a most disgusting life in pursuit of a good time. If you are not a fan of drama, Anne Heche's performance is the only reason to invest time in watching "Gracie's Choice"

Based on a true story, this is a movie that I decided to watch on Lifetime, simply because I was bored and couldn't find anything else to watch. I went in with expectations of another 'okay' Lifetime movie. However, I was more than just slightly surprised. Anyone with a heart would like this movie, and anyone who can relate to even SOME of the experiences shown, cant help but get pulled in immediately. Gracie is the oldest of 5 children, (the other 4 half-siblings), but even as a young teen, she was always more of a mother than the drug/ alcohol addicted 'mother' who seems to go a come as she pleases. Usually accompanied by a new 'man', aka flavor of the week. The grandmother attempts to help, but only enables her daughters behavior. Gracie makes a choice. She chooses to put her siblings ahead of herself and give them a better life, at the expense of her own. She gets emancipated & convinces a judge to give her a chance to be the mother that her own could and never would become. She goes to highschool, has a job, saves money for a car, gets a place to live, and manages to get her sibling's back in school, getting better grades and actually doing well. She proves that some teenage moms ARE able to do it all. She manages to do it w/ not just 1 child, but 3 (her sister had become pregnant & left by the time Gracie took over. She showed that giving birth doesn't make you a mother. She works hard to do what is right, and by the end, she still goes to college & gives her siblings/children a real life. This is not the typical Lifetime movie. VERY well made & great acting by everyone. A true story of a heartbreaking life, transformed into a story of "you can really come from nothing and become something amazing. Loved it!

Gracie had some tough choices to make in this movie, playing mom to 3 brothers and a sister are choices that any teenager should not have to make, once in a while you'd care for siblings under the supervision of your parents, you'd simply carry out the instructions. Gracie had to make decisions for everyone, basically she put her life on hold, And as mentioned earlier, her boyfriend came across as stupid, one moment he's in love and admiring her strength and the next he's urging her to chuck it in and throw her lot with him and "his nouveau riche" family. It seemed stupid and trite and somewhere out, there's one stupid man who's lost the woman of his life.Anne Heche's drugged out mom was over-stretched but drugs do things to people, I was glad that Gracie's influence held the kids together.The scene where the boys had to decide who they'd live was heart-wrenching and actually brought tears to my eyes. Watching the youngest one, talk about his love for horses but wanting to sleep in his bed and wake up at home with Gracie totally melted me.This is a story that touches the heart, my hat's off to the real Gracie.You rock Sista, you really do.Kristen Bell actually made the character believable, she was and is still Gracie for me.SOUND SOLID MOVIE

This movie actually kept my wife awake! It was an excellent story and you just have to admire Gracie for her determination. She would be someone I would like to meet. The acting was extremely good, especially Anne Heche. She should be nominated for some kind of award for her performance,scary at times. Diane Ladd, great, as always, and Kristen Bell was reasonably convincing. I was a bit puzzled about the romantic relationship that Gracie had in the story. It should have had more substance to it. At first the boyfriend was completely understanding of Gracie's plight, and in an instant he reversed his feelings. I couldn't understand the meaning of the robbery/shooting scene involving Gracie and the children either. No matter, overall a must see.