Gracie

Based on the true story of Elisabeth Shue breaking the gender barrier in New Jersey and being the first girl to play organized soccer. Carly Schroeder plays Grace “Gracie” Bowen, a teenager who loses her soccer-star brother in a car accident. She decides to make a run for the boys’ varsity soccer team, much to the dismay of her dad (Dermot Mulroney). After initial resistance, Dad decides to train his daughter and show the boys who can kick the ball best. The movie has a mighty big heart, and Schroeder is impressive, but Gracie’s rise to varsity-soccer play isn’t filmed in a very convincing manner. She gets kicked around a lot, and she often cries while running off the field. No high school coach I ever knew would pick her for a team. I have to think the real-life player (Shue) had thicker skin than her on-screen representation. There are also a few too many sports-film clichés tossed out. Shue plays Gracie’s mom, in effect playing her own mom. It’s a sweet movie, but a tad clumsy.