Nearing Grace tells the story of what happens to the Nearing family after their mother’s death. Though total anarchy and abject dysfunction are not always the effect, boy, does it hurt to lose your mom. The film drips with emotion, from the screenplay (with its thoughtful and adult lines) to the effective and innovative photo-storytelling technique employed by director Rick Rosenthal.

The story is about suffering in many forms. We fall into the emotional abyss with the boys (Henry and Blair) and their father Shep. As Shep, David Morse is masterful and overwhelmingly believable. As Blair, David Moscow is over the top but exemplifies the effects of loss. But to get the total effect of this movie, don't watch the individual characters, good as they are; watch for the depth of emotion as it accumulates through the entire cast.

Artistically speaking, Nearing Grace is delightful. The period-appropriate cinematography reminded me of the old 70s style of filmmaking. There were home movie flashbacks throughout the film, and the filming often matches this style. The camera is not always stock-still and the angles are often askew. The effect certainly took me back to my own era.

In one powerful scene, Henry Nearing decides to move into the basement and stay until he finds the meaning of life. He camps on the couch. Behind him are the cast-offs of his past. Heating and ventilation tubes against the wall make a formidable picture. The mood created is riveting, with the added effect of time-lapse photography. Henry and the room go from sullen to vulnerable to a figurative composite of Pandora (the world's ills) and Shiva (the destroyer and restorer). Awesome! Not home movie stuff, but brilliant cinematography and visual storytelling.

When Henry first arrived in the basement, I was shocked by the heating vent tubes. I thought to myself, who saves that crap? Why behind the couch? I figured it out. Cynthia Morrill (costume designer) and David Geddes (director of photography) needed to create a surreal costume out of the entire room without seeming totally contrived. Awesomer!

Nearing Grace is a lot like high school was for me. It may seem counterintuitive; I am the guy and supposedly can not commit, but I wanted a lasting relationship. I was looking for the girl I could spend my life with. You can psychoanalyze me all you want. I loved my mom and we were close. My dad was a great guy and had my respect. The girls I knew and occasionally dated were just like Jordana Brewster's character, Grace; pretty, looking for fun without commitment. As beautiful as Jordana Brewster and my high school classmates were, they were all of a type. They were not all sex maniacs or uncontrolled flirts, but none really wanted a commitment. I think I was in college before I caught on to the game.

I was a contemporary of the class of 1979, so many of the film's nuances made sense and didn't seem as funny to me as they did to the 20-somethings in the audience with me. When I was moved, the younger people around me were either squirming or snickering. It is weird to be the cliché in the audience. I wonder if this generation will be as ignorantly sentimental for the 70s as I was for the 50s after seeing American Graffiti?

Yet I do not know if this would be considered a coming of age movie. More or less, it is a coming-to-grips story; a story of searching. And Henry finds what he needs.  

The final scene was a treat for me. Much of my life I have condemned myself for not following my dreams. Other times I was not sure I really had any dreams. But a peace settled into me at this moment, when Henry and his faithful childhood friend, Merna (Ashley Johnson), realize their friendship is more companionship and commitment than either knew. They leave the earth to get above it all. They depart on an adventure as dramatic and exciting as any. 

The challenge of finishing high school amidst the clamor of hormones, lack of sleep, and heightened awareness that everyone is not as they seem is enough to drive anyone to the basement. It is amazing anyone makes it out alive. But they do. Most do. There is comfort in that. This film was like talking to an old friend. I felt it all, believed it all, had many of the same experiences. Nearing Grace is an emotional and artistic experience. Awesomest!

 The film is rated R for drug use, language, and sexual content. Though the nudity makes contextual sense due to the relevant sub-sub-sub-plot, I found it unnecessary. Still and all, this is an adult movie with adult themes.