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I love this movie so much

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Absolutely Fantastic

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

When high school soccer star Johnny Bowen is killed in a car crash, his grieving kid sister vows to keep his memory alive by taking his place on the team. But first Gracie will have to overcome the strenuous objections of both the coach and her own misogynistic father to her plan.Although it has many of the hallmarks of a Lifetime Original Movie - souped-up gender conflict, an overdose of sentimental uplift, and a plucky, inspirational heroine at its core - "Gracie," which is set in late 1970's New Jersey, transcends many of its stereotypes and clichés through heartfelt performances, unpretentious writing and earnest direction.Carly Schroeder has grit and charm to spare as the indomitable Gracie, while Dermot Mulroney and Elizabeth Shue acquit themselves nicely as her ultimately supportive parents.It's true that "Gracie" provides us with nothing we haven't seen a thousand times before - from "The Karate Kid" to "Bend it Like Beckham" - but inspirational-sports-movie fans should still find themselves cheering on this latest underdog story.

This is my favorite soccer movie I have ever watched. I always enjoy to watch soccer movies from Ladybugs to Bend it like Beckham. I didn't find Bend it like Beckham to be all that great of a movie. Gracie is more about soccer. And I don't have to explain that. From the many reviews that talk about it, they are all right. Its about the loss this family had to deal with. And its about the hardship Gracie faced trying to join a boys soccer team in a time when that wasn't accepted. As for someone's comment saying that Guggenheim failed to make an emotional connection with the audience, apparently that person must have no heart if they didn't feel a connection! I was one of many who were an "audience" to this movie and I can speak for myself when I say that I was connected emotionally to this movie and to the character, to all of the characters. There is so much more to sports than winning and losing. There's the heart and soul that many of the athletes put into the game and I think Gracie is a great example of someone who didn't give up and succeeded in their goal.

Carly Schroeder has made, with this little film, perhaps the most pure-hearted big screen debut I've ever seen. The only other movie I can think of to rival this is "Whale Rider" and Keisha Castle-Hughes performance. But I really think Carly has the edge here. It's as if she's plucked a dream out of the ether and made it palpable. It's what the great actresses do, and I'm betting this woman could easily outdo every major name out there, given the chance. She's instantly likable and she transmits emotions through her face, voice, and body like she was born to convince you of her champion heart.This is not an easy role. It's quite physical and most women have a deep dislike for exercise and even competition. After all, women are like dune buggies; men are like Mack trucks. But the truth is soccer can be played and won with finesse and heart, though it takes a special sort. Someone who can bring a deft touch to her play just when she should be exhausted and beaten. And there's no question in my mind none of the current crop of starlets would have struggled to do half the job that Carly does here. There are very few camera tricks that only imply physicality in the direction, instead it's all there for real, in a way that completely blew me away. These people believed in this film and it's paid off big time.No, Hollywood is not quite as astute or clever as it thinks it is, so Carly's future can't be assured. But if there were ever a promising beginning, this is it. This is one beautifully acted and directed movie that I'm very sorry I didn't see when it first came out. I've no idea why it's not rated higher here. With all the ugliness we have to contend with, you'd think these armchair critics would be forced to let a breath of fresh air in. I'm guessing they're too far gone. I, on the other hand, think Carly has created, out of an impossibly pure and quite visible heart, one of the most memorable and believable female heroines I have ever seen.

GRACIE (2007) *** Carly Schroeder, Dermot Mulroney, Elisabeth Shue, Christopher Shand, Hunter Schroeder, Trevor Heins, Josh Barclay Caras, John Doman, Andrew Shue, Julia Garro, Jesse Lee Soffer. Formulaic yet well-produced sports-themed drama about a young girl (Schroeder in an exemplary role of courage) who wants to play on the high school boys' soccer team after a family tragedy prompts her to realize her own potential in a brood obsessed with the sport and the attempt for her to bond with her hard-headed, distant father (Mulroney in one of his best roles) in New Jersey circa 1978. Fun, yet earnestly determined script by Lisa Marie Petersen and Karen Janszen based on the Shue's real-life family occurrences around sister Elisabeth (who co-produced with brother Andrew who co-stars) and her own attempt to do as well in her youth. Directed with assurance by Shue's real-life husband Davis Guggenheim, the film's strengths lie in the fine assembly of acting talent, an excellent collection of '70s songs and the accurate production design by Dina Goldman.