Grace

An interesting drama, Grace stars Annika Marks as the titular alcoholic, a New Yorker who awakens on a Florida beach following a binge and has no idea how she got there. A confrontation with local cops results in court-mandated daily visits to Alcoholics Anonymous, leading Grace into the lives of several people in the town who also face addiction issues. Costar Sharon Lawrence is very good as a recovering alcoholic whose disease played a role in the death of her young daughter, and Chase Mowen is solid as a local surfer who becomes romantically involved with Grace. In fact, the sincere performances are the strongest element of Grace, although the script by writer-director Heath Jones is persuasive in its depiction of the woe that often comes from a lifetime of addiction (or of enabling an addict). Recommended. (T. Keogh)