"It basically comes down to a gut thing... Or you'll never actually see the truth at all."
- John Phillips, Grace is Gone (2007)
"Grace is gone" centres on how Stanley Phillips (John Cusack) comes to terms with the death of his wife by bringing himself to reveal this tragedy to his children, Dawn and Heidi. He stalls this inevitable confrontation by bringing them to the Enchanted Gardens theme park while he comes to terms with reality himself. The reserved and obedient Heidi realises that something is amiss when she notices her father being unusual.
Stanley exhibits all the signs of a person in grief, according to the Kubler-Ross stages of grief model. This includes a a transition through these phases:
- Denial (Leaving to the Enchanted Gardens) and Isolation (Curling up alone in the bed)
- Anger (Fighting with his brother, John)
- Bargaining (He tells Grace it would have been better if he had gone and she stayed)
- Depression (Throughout the film he distracts himself from his grief by spending all his time doing his children wants, i.e. Enchanted Gardens, piercing ears and smoking)
- Acceptance (Breaking the news to Heidi and Dawn)
Heidi is a reserved 12 year old who is well mannered and often annoyed at her younger sister's playfulness. Certain telltale signs in the film reveal that she is also affected by the absence of her mother, such as her strict adherence to rules and her insomnia. She was portrayed as a very perceptive child. She knew that fun had to be spontaneous, that her father's job was important to the family, and asked both Stanley and John difficult and important questions. Heidi also noticed her father's change in behaviour, coming very close to guessing at her mothers death.
Dawn, on the other hand, consistently portrays a fun-loving oblivious 8 year old who is just excited at the opportunity to go to the Enchanted Gardens. This persona only changes once, when she quietly hides in a toy house after getting her ears pierced. She proudly tells a random adult woman about it, who brushes her off, and hides presumably because she misses her mother. Nonetheless, when Stanley reveals to them about their mothers death, both Heidi and Dawn reacted the same way, regardless of their age or personality.
I believe the reaction of the two children at the end reflects how grief isn't a respecter of age or personality. Cusack portrayal of a conflicted father was neither loathsome or annoying, but convincing for the most part. While the movie gravitates around Cusack, political sentiments that are suggested prove distracting. This is evident in Grace's death as a soldier, Stanley's failure and shame in not being able to serve in the US military, and John's anti-war stance.
Stanley exhibits all the signs of a person in grief, according to the Kubler-Ross stages of grief model. This includes a a transition through these phases:
- Denial (Leaving to the Enchanted Gardens) and Isolation (Curling up alone in the bed)
- Anger (Fighting with his brother, John)
- Bargaining (He tells Grace it would have been better if he had gone and she stayed)
- Depression (Throughout the film he distracts himself from his grief by spending all his time doing his children wants, i.e. Enchanted Gardens, piercing ears and smoking)
- Acceptance (Breaking the news to Heidi and Dawn)
Heidi is a reserved 12 year old who is well mannered and often annoyed at her younger sister's playfulness. Certain telltale signs in the film reveal that she is also affected by the absence of her mother, such as her strict adherence to rules and her insomnia. She was portrayed as a very perceptive child. She knew that fun had to be spontaneous, that her father's job was important to the family, and asked both Stanley and John difficult and important questions. Heidi also noticed her father's change in behaviour, coming very close to guessing at her mothers death.
Dawn, on the other hand, consistently portrays a fun-loving oblivious 8 year old who is just excited at the opportunity to go to the Enchanted Gardens. This persona only changes once, when she quietly hides in a toy house after getting her ears pierced. She proudly tells a random adult woman about it, who brushes her off, and hides presumably because she misses her mother. Nonetheless, when Stanley reveals to them about their mothers death, both Heidi and Dawn reacted the same way, regardless of their age or personality.
I believe the reaction of the two children at the end reflects how grief isn't a respecter of age or personality. Cusack portrayal of a conflicted father was neither loathsome or annoying, but convincing for the most part. While the movie gravitates around Cusack, political sentiments that are suggested prove distracting. This is evident in Grace's death as a soldier, Stanley's failure and shame in not being able to serve in the US military, and John's anti-war stance.
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