David Seaman | Echo
A young girl runs away to L.A. to pursue her dream. But what if the young girl is a Christian? "Grace Unplugged" asks this question. The film had an advanced special screening Sept. 17 in Metcalf 002.
Andy Peterson, a '95 Taylor grad, presented the film as part of Propeller Marketing, which targets potential audiences for Christian films.
"I want to see films that are not just evangelical, but healthy, positive entertainment and family-friendly," Peterson said. "I'd like to see better Christian movies be successful."Produced by Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions, "Grace Unplugged" has a production budget of less than $2 million and stars AJ Michalka as Grace Trey, the daughter of converted pop star Johnny Trey.
Grace struggles in her father's shadow, and when his former manager Frank "Mossy" Mostin shows up, she jumps at the chance to prove herself. She records a demo and sends it to Mossy, then runs away to Los Angeles. There she begins to experience stardom. But her father crashed and burned in the spotlight. Only through a Christian conversion was he able to start over. Grace must choose to either stick with her faith or compromise it with pressures of Hollywood and the music industry.
With stars like Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez falling from favor, "Grace Unplugged" is very relevant. A teen pop star whom Grace admires states at one point, "Your body is currency here." Image, rather than ability, is the focus. The film shows that Grace is a manufactured star who can be replaced easily.It's ironic that the filmmakers would choose AJ Michalka, who has come out of the Disney machine. It's also a smart one. Known as half of the singing duo Aly & AJ, Michalka is well-known with the teenage girl audience. She is also a professed Christian. With her casting, the film further pushes the message that you shouldn't compromise your faith in the music industry.
So is "Grace Unplugged" a well-done film? For the most part. Michalka has a beautiful voice to accompany her fine acting ability. Her innocence, as she is surrounded by two-faced music executives, is both sad and charming. Michalka is convincing as an out-of-her-element teenager. Her conversations with her father are cheesy in the beginning ("It's not about God. These days it's all about you!"), but they become more meaningful as the film progresses.
This is mainly because James Denton (who plays Johnny Trey) is the best actor here. Known for his role in "Desperate Housewives," his appearance here is a surprise. But he commands the role, playing the washed-up, former-star part with conviction. He truly does not want his daughter's experiences to mirror his own.
Kevin Pollak plays Mossy as manipulative and slimy, sometimes realistically and sometimes one-dimensionally. Michael Welch as Quentin, Grace's love interest, was another good call. Though not a Disney star, he has the look and the vibe and brings appropriate humor and romantic tension. He's a good moral guide for Grace as well.Films made for a Christian audience are not known for their production values, but this one made an impact on a small budget. "These are real Hollywood studios with a real Hollywood budget," Peterson said about "Grace Unplugged," and he's not kidding. This is a great-looking and great-sounding film. The set pieces and lighting look fantastic for a Christian film on a limited budget, and it helps that the film was actually shot in L.A.
So what are the flaws? "Grace Unplugged" explores many themes but quickly disregards many of them. When Mossy first visits Johnny, some great manipulative dialogue flies about how Mossy helped the star and feels betrayed when Johnny won't return the favor. Johnny's conversion sounds extremely interesting-how did this one-hit wonder, who apparently used to be a total drunk, become saved? This story is glossed over to focus on Grace, and though it is Johnny's reason for concern about his daughter, it is never fleshed out.
Another problem is how Hollywood and the church seem separated. No one in Hollywood, besides Grace and Quentin, is religious. The executives don't even use Grace's Christianity to their advantage, which would make monetary sense. It's all lies and talk behind closed doors. Denzel Washington and Carrie Underwood combine their faith with their work. The film doesn't want to explore that. Characters like Mossy start as interesting and morally ambiguous characters and end clichéd villains.
Despite some flaws, the true message of "Grace Unplugged" is clear. As AJ Michalka said on projectinspired.com, "You can surround yourself with people who are not necessarily looking out for you from a godly perspective, but want you to make money, or are using you for a certain thing, or have a certain motive that isn't pure. It's really about surrounding yourself with fellow Christians and putting God first-I think that is the biggest part of this story.""Grace Unplugged" will be released to select theaters on Oct. 4. Featured songs "You Never Let Go" and "All I've Ever Needed" are on iTunes, with music videos on YouTube.
