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With cinematic heavyweights such as Albert Finney (Erin Brockovich) and Michael Gambon (Professor Dumbledore number two), one would assume Amazing Grace would be amazing, pun definitely intended. However, the film, which focuses on the story behind the infamous hymn and also the struggle to abolish the slave trade in Britain during the 18th century, views like a trite and cheesy movie you were forced to watch in world history in high school. And it's produced by Patricia Heaton, which basically sums up the heavy-handed Christian overtones.

Amazing Grace stars Ioan Gruffudd (Fantastic Four) as William Wilberforce, the outspoken Parliamentary leader of the British abolitionist movement, which is decidedly less known to Americans than our own history of the slave trade and its abolition. The film spans decades and pans back and forth between the past and the present with some memories flashing across Wilberforce's face that almost induce laughter. The film uses these flashbacks to explain Wilberforce's connections to "Amazing Grace" and its author, John Newton (Finney), a former slave-ship captain and reformed priest, who wrote the little ditty to atone for his sins.

The story is indeed an uplifting and inspirational account of a single man who was able to change history. Spoiler alert: the slave trade gets abolished. Yet, the film isn't well-crafted and is too over-the-top. At one point, Wilberforce turns around and recoils in horror at an image of a slave woman burning in shackles as he is going slightly mad. It's not powerful. It's not great film-making.

Granted some of the monologues are slightly moving, but it feels so cheap. This may be a movie that moms will like, such as Heaton herself, but the film is perhaps a more contrived British version of Amistad.

A shining beacon in the film is relative newcomer Romola Garai (most recently of Scoop but perhaps most recognizable to some from Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights), who plays Wilberforce's eventual wife Barbara. She is beautiful, spunky, and she pushes Wilberforce into completing his goal. It must be true that behind a good man is abeautiful, spunky woman.

This film may be historically relevant, yet it won't connect with modern audiences that easily. And, to make a completely random parallelization, like That Thing You Do! it makes you never want to hear "Amazing Grace" ever again for you hear it half a dozen times during the length of the film.

Despite having some incredibly talented actors, which also includes Rufus Sewell (The Illusionist), Toby Jones (Infamous), and Ciaran Hinds (Rome), Amazing Grace does not fully deliver.

Learn more about this author, Darcie Duttweiler.
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