Gracie

When her soccer-star big brother is killed in an auto accident, a teenage girl (Carly Schroeder) fights for the chance to play on her high school’s all-boy soccer team—not only to fulfill her own dream, but also to gain the respect and affection of her grief-stricken father (Dermot Mulroney). The script (by Lisa Marie Petersen and Karen Janszen, from a story by Andrew Shue and director Davis Guggenheim) performs the familiar song-and-dance of the inspirational sports movie, hitting every note and step with excruciating predictability. It’s made bearable by sincere performances all around, including from Elisabeth Shue in a glorified cameo as the family’s longsuffering wife and mother. Director Guggenheim keeps things on an even keel, though he lets suspense lag during the standard Big Game finale.