There by the Grace of God
It's been five years since his wife was killed right in front of him and retired cop, Rick (Joey Lawrence - Wish For Christmas), is still struggling to come to terms with her death, with every passing day he sinks deeper and deeper into depression. With his young son living with relatives Rick is on the verge of doing some thing which will change his and other people's lives for ever. But then he meets a mysterious woman called Grace (Catalina Rodriguez) who through her stories starts to have an affect on him.
"Saved by Grace" is firstly a movie with a strong religious side, it is a movie about faith, about God and quite simply the sort of movie that if you tend to have an automatic dislike of movies which are about faith and God then you had better give it a miss. And secondly "Saved by Grace" is a simple movie as through Rick meeting Grace and giving her a lift as well as an encounter with a homeless guy called Jeremiah he not only starts to open up but also gets to see how God has blessed others and that all things happen for a purpose with his own faith refreshed thanks to Grace. Alongside this we get flashbacks to the day Rick's wife died and why it happened but it doesn't make this movie complicated in the slightest.
Aside from the fact that "Saved by Grace" is a faith based movie it also has nice casting with Joey Lawrence having the opportunity to use his talent for delivering witty responses but without it destroying the emotional side of the movie. Now on that side it has to be said that whilst I am a huge fan of Joey Lawrence some times he seems to struggle with the emotional side of his character and when he does it starts to feel a little forced. Despite this Lawrence's persona adds to the charm of "Saved by Grace" as does Catalina Rodriguez who brings this air of positivity to the character of Grace yet with moments of sorrow which gives her character depth, providing contrast to the joy and optimism which fills her character.
What this all boils down to is that "Saved by Grace" is not a complicated movie and is a simple uplifting story about a man who has lost his faith and an encounter he has with a woman helps him to climb out of the dark place he has descended to. Whilst it is a movie full of uplifting scenes with a general appeal it is also a faith based movie and I can appreciate out how for some that side might come over as heavy handed.
