20th Century Fox | 2008 | 601 mins. | Not Rated
There was a time when, if a successful film actress made the transition to television, it was considered a major step down; an admission that their career was on the fast track to nowhere. Times have changed and it’s not uncommon to see a successful film star make a guest appearance on television or star in their own television series. Oscar winner Holly Hunter has made the transition with her first television series, TNT’s Saving Grace.
Created by Nancy Miller, the show focuses on Grace Hanadarko (Hunter), a heavy drinking, smoking, tough talking and promiscuous Oklahoma City detective. The basic premise of the show was set up during the series premiere in July of 2007: Grace meets her “last chance’ angel when one of her drinking binges results in her running down and killing a pedestrian. Distraught, she pleads for God’s help and a scruffy man who calls himself Earl (Leon Rippy) appears. Earl tells her that she’s headed for hell and asks if she’s ready to turn her life over to God. When he finally disappears, the person she struck is gone and it’s as if the accident never happened. The only evidence left is a small amount of the victim’s blood on her blouse, which she brings to her best friend, forensics expert Rhetta Rodriguez (Laura San Giacomo), to analyze. With Rhetta’s help, Grace discovers that her accident “victim” is actually an inmate on death row, Leon Cooley (Bokeem Woodbine), who is also visited by Earl on a regular basis.
As the first season ended, audiences were left to ponder the fate of Father Patrick Murphy (Rene Auberjonois), the priest who had raped Grace as a young girl. As the second season begins Grace is running down a man with a gun, on what is supposed to be her day off. Without giving any significant details away, I will say that we soon learn that Grace has essentially kidnapped Father Murphy and has him stashed away in her apartment.
While the Father Murphy story arch is wrapped up rather abruptly, the season two continues to focus on Grace’s complicated relationship with her married partner Ham Dewey (Kenny Johnson). It is early in this season that he reveals to her that he left his wife months before. Though Grace has many faults, she can also be surprisingly caring. One of the most important people in her life is her young nephew Clay (Dylan Minette), the son of her Grace’s late sister, Mary Frances. When Clay learns about his aunt’s relationship with her partner, Grace clearly feels a sense of shame about the whole thing.
Like most police dramas, most of the episodes feature a “crime of the week.” However, unlike the fellow TNT series The Closer or CBS’s C.S.I. Miami, at times it seems as though Grace’s personal issues dominate the storyline. While Holly Hunter and the other actors are superb, there is little doubt that in the real world she would have lost her badge years ago. Her co-workers, including Captain Kate Perry (Lorraine Toussaint) and Rhetta Rodriguez (Laura San Giacomo), are aware she has a drinking problem but do everything they can to cover it up from internal affairs.
Aside from Grace’s personal life, sometimes the plots seem a bit too contrived. What are the odds that Grace’s car was once involved in a heist? Or that her niece would be at a drug party where an overdose occurs? The strongest episodes of the season are the final four, which have one story at their core; Grace’s series long connection to death row inmate Leon Cooley (Bokeem Woodbine) seemingly comes to an end, as he is executed.
Despite Saving Grace’s flaws, the thing that makes the show well worth watching is the strong acting by Holly Hunter and her co-stars. Hunter showed great range in films like Broadcast News, Raising Arizona and The Piano and she continues to do so here. As Grace Hanadarko, she is at once drunk and angry but passionate and committed to her job and nephew. In the course of a single episode, Hunter might have to express three or four different emotions and she does it with conviction.
The Saving Grace: Season 2 DVD set presents all fourteen episodes in widescreen. The picture is solid. The colors aren’t exactly what I would call bold but the series has a fairly muted palette. As you might expect with a new show, digital issues such as haloing and dirt aren’t a problem.
The set comes with English 5.1 audio and optional Spanish Dolby surround track. The audio does the job very well; dialogue is clear and things like foot chases and take downs are captured well. The package also includes English, French and Spanish subtitles and is closed captioned for the hearing impaired.
Saving Grace: Season 2 has limited special features:
• Have a Little Faith: The Successes of Saving Grace: Holly Hunter and creator/writer Nancy Miller discuss what has made the show work. Your basic EPK type stuff.
• The Wrap Party Red Carpet, Hosted by Dylan Minnette: The young actor who plays Clay on the show interviews cast and crew on the red carpet at the wrap party for the series second season.
[xrrgroup][xrr label=”Video:” rating=”4.5/5″ group=”s1″ ] [xrr label=”Audio:” rating=”4.5/5″ group=”s1″] [xrr label=”Extras:” rating=”2.5/5″ group=”s1″] [xrr label=”Film Value:” rating=”4.5/5″ group=”s1″] [/xrrgroup]
