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WSR Detailed DVD Review
Saving Grace


Genre: Comedy

Reviewed In Issue 46 (Mar 2001) Of Widescreen Review®

Stars:
Brenda Blethyn, Craig Ferguson, Martin Clunes, Tcheky Karyo & Leslie Phillips

WSR Review Scores
WSR Picture Rating: 3.5
DD Sound Rating: 3.5
DTS Sound Rating: NA
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Reference Systems
Critics' Composite Score: 3.5
Internet Links
http://www.newline.com

Special Features
Includes audio commentary with actors Blethyn and Ferguson, and a second with writers Craig Ferguson and Mark Crowdy. Both also include input from director Nigel Cole. Also offers cast and crew biographies and the theatrical trailer.


 DVD General Information

(Studio/Distributor): New Line Home Entertainment
(Catalog Number): N5142
(MPAA Rating): R
(Rating Reason):

(Retail Price): $24.98
(DVD Type): Single Side, Dual Layer (DVD9)
(Widescreen Edition): Yes
(Full Screen Edition): Yes
(Anamorphic Widescreen): Yes
(Running Time In Minutes): 95
(Color Type): Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
(Closed Captioned): Yes
(Regional Coding): 1
(Theatrical Year): 1999
(Theatrical Release): Yes
(Direct-To-Video Release): No
(DVD Release Date): 12/19/00
(THX® Digitally Mastered): No

 Credits Information

(Director): Nigel Cole
(Screenplay/Written By): Subscribe Now!
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(Supervising Sound Editors): Subscribe Now!
(Re-Recording Mixers): Subscribe Now!
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  DVD Picture Information

(Principal Photography): Subscribe Now!
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(Measured DVD Letterbox Aspect Ratio): Subscribe Now!

  DVD Sound Information

(DVD Soundtrack): Subscribe Now!
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  WSR Narrative Review
Story Synopsis:
Gardening enthusiast Grace Trevethan (Blethyn) has just lost her husband in a nasty parachuteless fall from an airplane, and his none-too-successful business ventures have left her destitute and fearing the loss of her home. Desperate, she asks her gardener friend Matthew (Ferguson) for advice, and he comes up with a unique way of Saving Grace. He suggests she assist him with his failing marijuana crop, and what the green thumb of Grace does with those plants in her greenhouse is, well...can you pass me those chips, and the cookies, and ooh, how about a couple of those candy bars as well. (Laurie Sevano)

DVD Picture:
The anamorphically enhanced 2.35:1 DVD exhibits a pleasing picture with fully saturated colors that exhibit nice balance. Fleshtones are generally natural and blacks are deep and solid. Images are sharp and detailed, but finer details are a bit wanting and some scenes are a bit soft. Contrast and shadow delineation are nicely rendered, but the darkest scenes lack visual information. There is minor edge enhancement noticed on occasion, as is pixelization. The picture is beautifully shot, with colors seeming stylized at times. Minor source element artifacts are noticed. (Suzanne Hodges)

Soundtrack:
The Dolby


  WSR DVD-ROM Review
DVD-ROM Enhancements Rating:
Disappointing

DVD-ROM Review:
There literally is nothing to this title. After installing, you get a great main menu, with links for Play Movie, Original Website, Hot Spot, and Help. After clicking the Original Website link, you are brought online to the original theatrical Web site. You must have an Internet connection established to view this site. Once you are at the site, you can read cast and crew biographies, production notes, and story lines. There is also a link to an online store where you can purchase Saving Grace merchandise, and a link to read what people eat when they get the munchies. Playing the film from the PCFriendly software brings you directly to the DVD-Video main menu, which works well using a mouse. I am pretty disappointed with the DVD-ROM components to this film. I have never actually watched the film, but I would imagine much could have been done with this title. (Danny Richelieu)