Movie Review: Grace Unplugged

A couple of weeks ago I was having a bad night so decided to watch a movie and happened upon once called Grace Unplugged, which sounded interesting and upbeat so decided to watch it.

This movie is about an 18 year old girl who rejects her father’s desire for her to be a church singer and decided to go to Hollywood seeking stardom.

Grace’s dad, Johnnie Trey, Is a former rockstar who dabbled in drinks and drugs, the whole rock and roll lifestyle.  But then he became a Christian and gave it up to become worship leader in his church.  

He sings and plays guitar in the worship band alongside Grace every Sunday and he enjoys these times but Grace doesn't. And Johnnie gets frustrated with Grace when she uses the worship times to act like a rockstar instead of a worship leader.

Johnnie and Grace fight about this and her wanting more than leading worship.  He tells her ‘it’s all about God, not you. He’s what’s important’.

Johnnie’s former manager comes down to visit in order to try and persuade Johnnie to do a comeback tour on the back of his ‘one hit wonder’ song ‘Misunderstood’ being made popular by Australian American Idol!!

Johnnie declines the offer, saying he is happy with the life he has at the moment, and doesn't want to go back to that lifestyle. This makes his former manager Mossy unhappy and angers Grace as well because she wants that lifestyle.

Grace then decides to record the song herself and sends it to Mossy who contacts her offering her a deal to go Sapphire Studios where he works, to record and release the song, and starting off her pop career!

Grace jumps at the chance and leave home not saying anything to her parents, just leaving them a note and causes heartache in her departure.

Grave records the song, is given a flat to herself and a new care alongside her new found fame.  She even gets a date with an up and coming filmstar who she naively thinks really likes her and isn't just taking her out for the sex or the publicity.  One night she overhears the filmstar talking on the phone admitting ‘he was told to do it by his management and tonight was the night he would seal the deal’!!! At this, Grace runs away upset.  

In the middle of all this Grace is doing photo shoots and being put into clothes and make-up to make her ‘look sexy’ and she has also started drinking.  These are a few of the things her parents would be upset with her getting involved in.  Grace is increasingly getting unhappy herself which is made worse by the fact she lied and said she was able to write songs when really she had never written a song in her life.  This lie comes out in front of her bosses, her stylist and the board of Sapphire Studios when she tries to sing a self-written song and makes an idiot of herself. 

After this session Grace overhears her stylist saying she is useless and just trying to get famous on the back of her dad’s coattails!  Again Grace is upset at this news and feels lost because she has made enemies within her ‘troop’ and her manager tells her to stop being a spoiled brat like her Dad was in his singing days!

Grace runs out of the building in a huff and on her way out she runs into Quentin, an intern at the company who is also a Christian and has told her he has been praying for her, but she rejects this.  Previously Quentin has asked Grace to come to dinner with him and his parents, after initially refusing, Grace decides to go to dinner with them and enjoys her time in their family.

Through being with Quentin’s family and hearing how her dad helped Quentin become a Christian during one of his church concerts, Grace realises there is more to life than being a rockstar, especially when its making her unhappy.

Grace decides to go home and turns up at her church, apologies to everyone.  After singing a song to them about how much her family and church family mean to her she has a happy but teary reunion with her parents and everyone else.  All is ok now between Dad and daughter.  And Grace now realises that God is more important than her dreams, and she needs to live a life that pleases him.

The movie ends with Grace about to go on stage, so she has realised her dream, she is opening up for Chris Tomlin and has been signed to Sapphire Studios again.  She is not singing on her own though, she has a band, ‘The Grace Trey band’ which her dad is also a part of. 

Grace is now also engaged to Quentin who is also the band’s manager on behalf of his employers, Sapphire Studios.  A happy ending.

It was an uplifting movie.  The music and the movie spoke to me and brought home what I should know already but always need to be reminded of, “We can’t do things on our own, and we need God in our lives to help us”. So true.