Saving Grace B. Jones
Connie Stevens came to Boonville and St. Louis with many of the actors to preimere her film, Saving Grace B. Jones. Seeing it in historic Thespian Hall, with Connie in the audience with the rest of us, in the town where it was filmed, may have influenced how I rate the film, but I rate it extremely high.
The film is set in 1951, and based on a true experience Connie had one summer when she stayed in Boonville with a family whose father was a friend of her father. The drama is intense, emotional, and Tatum O'Neal turns in an amazing performance, especially considering how few words she speaks. The story is about Grace, who returns home to live with her brother and his family after spending almost 20 years in a mental institution.
After the film, Connie and the child actors and several other of the adult actors came on stage and answered questions. Tatum and a few other key actors were filming elsewhere and couldn't be there. Seeing Connie in person was also a treat. She is one very together and gracious lady.
It's a powerful performance by Tatum, and a gripping story. See it if you have the chance.
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Danita Allen Wood is editor-in-chief and co-owner of the magazine, along with her husband, Greg Wood. They bought and revived the magazine in 1999. Since then, it has won multiple awards from the International Regional Magazine Association, including Magazine of the Year in 2008. Danita will share her journeys around the state, some of the behind-the-scenes stories about making the magazine, and reflections on life in Missouri.
Reader Comments:
The movie started slow - got better 2/3rds into it but ended with a feeling of not wanting to see it again...too sad, not inspirational, not ending with hope.
I guess I was hoping for "saving Grace".
I saw this movie last night as one of the many films of the 16th annual Sedona International Film Festival in Sedona, AZ. After the show, Connie Stevens, her adult daughter, (who also starred in the film) and Rylee Fansler, (she played a young Connie Stevens in the movie) took questions from the audience. Connie who lived through this ordeal as a 10 year old girl decided to bring her story to the big screen. It was a fantastic but sometimes hard to watch movie. It tugged at all your emotions. Although it didn't end in typical "Hollywood" fashion, it ended realistically, which is more powerful than any Hollywood ending, could be.
I met with Connie and other actors in the film after the show and left with a feeling that they are "real" people with real stories. And I feel this movie is one to see as the acting is superb, especially Tatum O'Neil and Penelope Ann Miller, and the story line unusual but hard hitting at times.
It makes you think of growing up all over again and what some people had to endure as a child.
Over all I would give this film a 4 out of 5 rating.
I also had the wonderful opportunity to see Saving Grace B. Jones. I personally loved the film It was inspirational, and left me thinking even after I left the theater. I personally don't think that all movies must have happy endings. But of course thats just my opinion. I felt that the wonderful actors in the film really helped the story flow and seem more believable. One actor that really stood out to me was the amazing Rylee Fansler. She played the young Connie Stevens in the film and did a fabulous job. She was only ten when she shot the film, but somehow her acting seemed to forgot that she was just some kid, but really connie. Overall I loved the film and hope it comes to the theaters soon!