Award-winning actress Holly Hunter stars as Grace Hanadarko on TNT’s summer replacement television series Saving Grace. Grace is a police detective who works violent crimes and struggles with inner demons. Ten years ago, she lost her sister in the Oklahoma City bombing. She feels guilt over her sister’s death because she was supposed to care for her nephew the day before but ended up sick. Grace believes she is the reason that her sister is dead.
The series is near and dear to my heart for a couple of reasons. Number one is that it shows the struggle that sometimes has to be fought to achieve faith. Many movies and books simply show that once a person accepts God his or her life is immediately and forever changed, like hitting the religious lottery or something. But for a lot of people faith is an ongoing struggle between wanting to believe and wanting to understand.
The core of Saving Grace is that monumental struggle within a person. Yet it is intelligently portrayed against the backstop of police investigations, friendships, temptation and betrayal, and miracles. Grace isn’t a good person. She drinks too much, swears too much, doesn’t honor her mother and father, and is having an affair with a married man. And that’s just to name a few of her faults. She’s violent, quick to anger, and shortsighted regarding personal agendas. However, she is a good police detective.
The second reason I like the show so much is because it’s supposed to take place in Oklahoma City. I live in a suburb of Oklahoma City, and I’m very familiar with the April 19, 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. As I understand it, the show is actually shot in Vancouver, British Columbia. However, there is footage shot in the Oklahoma City area. The memorial downtown is featured in the first episode. Holly Hunter evidently never made it into Oklahoma City because the scene is shot from a distance and delivered with voiceovers. The scene is the memorial, but I feel confident that the actors aren’t Holly Hunter and the boy who’s playing her nephew. Still, some of the feel is right. But for those of us who are used to the vegetation and trees in the area, the outdoors shots aren’t anything we’ve seen here.
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Article comments
1 - LVogt
I really wanted to like it and Holly Hunter is a terrific actress but the religious aspects of the show are heavy handed and obvious to the point of cliche. First, she was merely and cruelly tricked to believe she killed someone. The whole crude angel thing is so corny. Wouldn't it have been more interesting if she had the dream and only found the spot of blood. She finds the prisoner it belongs to and they slowly unwind the mysterious link between them and learn something in the process. Instead some magical character shows up and simply tells her the whole story. Boring. The police procedural part seems perfunctory. I'm not watching any more.
2 - L.Lee
This is just what the world needs.....one more TV show that borders on blasphemy of God and the Christian world. There really is a God, and this is NOT how he goes about trying to show you He loves you. There's no way to determine how many people will be adversely affected by this un-Godly show that portrays him so flippantly. (quote: If there really is a God out there, tell him to bring it on!) It's a good thing I'm not God. So, let me say to Holly Hunter and anyone else who has a part in this demoralizing series.... something my mom used to say ..... "It will all come clean wash day". When is wash day you ask? They will find out when they draw their final breath. Trust me!
3 - KBD
Stupid show. If I want to watch slutty trailer trash on TV, I'll tune into Jerry Springer!