Saving Grace (2000)

Imagine a Cheech and Chong pothead comedy, only instead of two scruffy lowlifes, the movie is about an aimless Scottish gardener and a middle-aged British widow with a green thumb. Grace (Brenda Blethyn of Secrets and Lies and Little Voice) has just discovered that her recently deceased husband has left her with an enormous debt when her gardener Matthew (Craig Ferguson, The Big Tease) asks her to help him tend to his small, personal-use marijuana crop. Grace soon realizes that they can turn her green house into a hydroponics laboratory and turn out a profitable crop--if only they can keep the local constables at bay and then find a dealer to actually sell the stuff. Saving Grace has well-developed characters, intelligent dialogue, a charming and capable cast, and clean, clear direction. But at heart it's still a marijuana comedy, with most of its funniest moments coming from the silly, stoned behavior of elderly ladies and other stuffy Brits. Nothing wrong with that, and Blethyn and Ferguson give the film a strong anchor. The ending goes a little over-the-top, but most of the movie is well-grounded in genuine human behavior. A subplot about Matthew's girlfriend's pregnancy is treated with respect and integrity. Sweet, silly, and sincere. --Bret Fetzer Amazon.com

Happy to find this on dvd

I had forgotten the name of this movie, though remembered the plot well. I was excited to find it and had a great time watching it. Now I know where I knew Craig Ferguson from! This is a great movie for anyone who lived through the seventies and has grown more responsible yet enjoyed the wild days of youth. December 16, 2008

phew!

This is my favorite movie, I have seen it at least 30 times and never tire of watching it. I think this is worth owning. very uplifting! October 10, 2008

batcall

I can't recall if Craig was making the Drew Carey show, or if he made the movie first. The movie is funny and great. How the whole town grouped together reminds me of the Andy Griffith show where small towns cared together. Saving Grace is a great movie. September 17, 2008

Craig Ferguson's Finest Hour.

I laughed from start to finish. It just keeps getting funnier every time I see it. Craig Ferguson is just so damn loveable and cute. He is witty, believable, and just...well...Craig. You'll see glimpses of his Late Late Show humor of which we've grown to love. Grace is the same lovable mother from the new "Pride and Prejudice." If you love Electricians, Lobster Queens, Vicars, Tea Ladies, and the Town Doctor, you'll love this movie. (It's my new favorite.) September 12, 2008

Lovely! Simply Lovely!

The film opens with a funeral. Grace (Brenda Blethyn) has just lost her husband to some unusual circumstances.

As the story unfolds, you realize that widowhood is not all she's facing. Grace is literally about to lose everything due to her former husband's poor financial decisions. It's going to take a miracle to save her home.

Scotsman Matt (Craig Ferguson) could use a miracle, too. With his wage check from Grace bouncing, he's about to have to leave England and go home. Since Grace owes him, he asks her to help him save a marijuana plant he's been growing to sell.

Grace has more than a green thumb. A partnership is born and the two have devoted Grace's greenhouse to the illegal plant. Trouble comes when they have to figure out how to sell it.

Both Grace and Matt are hilarious, but so is the whole small town cast. If you don't object to drug films, "Saving Grace" is definitely a film you're going to get a kick out of.

Rebecca Kyle, August 2008

August 23, 2008

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