State of Grace

Name: State of Grace
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller, Romance, Crime
Released: September 14, 1990
Duration: 134 min
Rating: 60
Cast: Burgess Meredith, Deirdre O'Connell, Ed Harris, Gary Oldman, Joe Viterelli

1990

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 63 Ratings

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7.7

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7.7	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 63 Ratings

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State Of Grace

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Movie Details & Credits

Columbia TriStar Film | Release Date: September 14, 1990 | TV-MA

Starring: Burgess Meredith, Deirdre O'Connell, Ed Harris, Gary Oldman, Joe Viterelli, John C. Reilly, John Turturro, R.D. Call, Robin Wright, Sean Penn

Summary: A New York cop is recruited to return to his hometown and infiltrate the mob ran by his best friend's brother.

Director: Michael Lee Baron and Phil Joanou

Genre(s): Action, Drama, Thriller, Romance, Crime

Rating: TV-MA

Runtime: 134 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

David Ansen

Joanou has an intricate, beautifully built script to work from (David Rabe did a lot of uncredited rewriting) and he unfolds his charged story of violence, fratricide, and betrayal with masterly assurance. [17 Sep 1990, p.54]

Mike Clark

The ambitious State of Grace is full of imposing moments, several of them among the screen's most violent since the heyday of Sam Peckinpah. [14 Sep 1990, p.4D]

Owen Gleiberman

The movie has been shot with a pleasingly overripe visual flair, and on its own terms it’s fairly entertaining. Yet it isn’t about anything so much as its own explosiveness. Read full review

Harper Barnes

On the whole, director Phil Joanou and writer Dennis McIntyre have done a first-rate job of giving us believable characters acting believably in a believable (if horrific) situation. [05 Oct 1990, p.3F]

Staff (Not Credited)

State of Grace is a handsomely produced, mostly riveting, but ultimately overlong and overindulgent gangster picture. Read full review

Rick Groen

Things you will not find in State Of Grace: a script that makes a modicum of psychological sense; a performance that isn't either desperately overwrought or numbly underplayed; and anything resembling grace. [18 Sep 1990]

Rita Kempley

The blarney and bohunkery builds to a shaky apex of nothingness, then ends with a slaughter in slo-motion, a romantic ode of blood, bullets and body parts. Read full review

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User Reviews

Steven1981

Apr 23, 2020

State of Grace is a film made in 1990 and is an action, crime, drama sort of thriller with an allstar cast including Sean Penn, Gary Oldman, Ed Harris and Burgess Meredith.. My brother actually let me watch this and even though it's old I'd never heard of it so gave it a viewing. When theState of Grace is a film made in 1990 and is an action, crime, drama sort of thriller with an allstar cast including Sean Penn, Gary Oldman, Ed Harris and Burgess Meredith.. My brother actually let me watch this and even though it's old I'd never heard of it so gave it a viewing. When the film finished I was shocked because of how good the acting was and Gary Oldman was in a class of his own because he was just dynamite and was superb and basically flawless and faultless. Sean Penn was also great and Ed Harris was a bit creepy and unpredictable in a good way and was also excellent in his role. All the characters are likeable in one way or another even if unpredictable and each character moulds the story into a basic hit and excellent movie. There were no unnecessary characters as far as I'm aware or concerned and even if there was that didn't destroy the film for it's glory status. Even at times your bored the story is so suspenseful and great the boredom dies because it's like a drug this film because you want more and more and to see where it leads. The action scenes are very violent especially the shootout at the bar near the end with Sean Penn killing all Ed Harris's men and Ed himself. State of Grace contains bad language, violence and I don't remember if there's sex and nudity but there may be. Not seen this in ages but it's certainly for adults only and a great film in all aspects and you couldn't ask for a film this perfect basically. The basic story roughly is a New York cop infiltrates the mob but you'll have to see State of Grace to see what a gem it really is and it's one of Sean Penn's greatest performances and films. A must see!… Expand

35 of 38 users found this helpful353

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