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Cultivating chuckles
'Saving Grace' answers the never-before-asked question: Can widow save the farm with a big pot crop?
(CNN) -- Nigel Cole's "Saving Grace" is a modestly effective comedy that stars Brenda Blethyn as Grace Trevethan, a recently widowed British woman who resorts to cultivating marijuana in her greenhouse to pay off her debts. Though it's no great shakes, this is a unique film in that it manages references both to Robert Benton's bringin'-in-the-crops Oscar-winner "Places in the Heart" (1984) and the complete works of Cheech and Chong. Some audience members could be offended by its casual acceptance of the demon weed. Everyone else will grin knowingly, and maybe even laugh out loud a few times. Grace is a pillar of her secluded Cornish community; the local Women's Institute gathers every year for a tea party at her beautiful home. But when her philandering husband suddenly keels over, she discovers that he had huge, unpaid business debts. It's not long before creditors come knocking. One even goes so far as to seize a riding lawnmower from Matthew (Craig Ferguson), Grace's erstwhile, pot-smoking groundskeeper. Grace is on the verge of panic. She needs to come up with a pile of money, quick. An idea flowersOne night, Matthew asks Grace to take a look at some pot plants that he has hidden in the woods. They've been drooping lately, and he's afraid that they might die. He's somewhat embarrassed to show her what he's growing, but she doesn't view the plants as future contraband. To her, sick plants are sick plants, and it's her duty to save them. When Matthew informs Grace that good marijuana is worth more than gold, she realizes that drastic measures can be taken to save her home. She and Matthew move the plants into her greenhouse, set up a massive bank of fluorescent lights, and start growing the stickiest, most powerful weed on the British coast. They plan to raise the crop themselves, then find a Notting Hill street dealer who will take it off their hands at a fair price. Grace wants to erase her entire debt in one fell swoop. Any surplus income will be given to Matthew. His fishing boat captain girlfriend (Valerie Edmond) is pregnant and hoping to get married, so the extra money will come in handy. If all goes well, that'll be the end of Grace's life as a pot supplier.
Everyone in town realizes that Grace is up to something fishy. Fortunately, the more knowing residents appreciate a good scam, so nobody blows the whistle on her. Chairs are even set up in front of the pub so that patrons can watch the greenhouse's fluorescent lights flick on at night. The resulting glare on the horizon serves as a makeshift aurora borealis. Even Grace's doctor (Martin Clunes) gets a kick out of her surprising entry into criminal activity. Budding enterprise threatenedBut things take a relatively nasty turn when she finally tries to unload her bumper crop. The movie bounces along on genial charm for most of its running time, though it gets pretty ridiculous once Grace ventures into London looking for a dealer. Blethyn has impeccable comic timing, and she's an endearing presence when given the right role. Grace displays none of the pent-up anger and frustration that drove Blethyn's character in Mike Leigh's funny-but-lacerating "Secrets and Lies"(1997). She's understandably jittery about her scheme, but Blethyn breaks into a disarming grin whenever she marvels at her thriving plants. The scene where Grace decides to sample her wares for the first time is funny and only a little bit naughty. After a few hits, she suddenly finds it hilarious that Matthew is Scottish, and they both fall into fits of laughter over the revelation. It may not be Oscar Wilde, but it gets the job done. The real question here is whether audiences will be able to accept this woman's "descent" into the drug underworld. It's not like she's growing poppies in preparation for a heroin deal, but certain people won't be able to make that all-important distinction. "Saving Grace"'s druggy shenanigans are harmless enough, and should be the movie's most appealing characteristic. Don't be surprised, though, if they're exactly what sinks it at the box office. "Saving Grace" contains a little profanity, but the obvious drawback as far as kids go is the unabashed use of an illegal narcotic. Worldly high schoolers should be able to handle it without falling into a life of crime and rampant destruction. For a conflicting viewpoint, rent "Reefer Madness" (1936). Rated R. 93 minutes. RELATED STORIES: Review: Brenda Blethyn shines at Sundance in 'Saving Grace' RELATED SITES: Saving Grace Homepage |
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