I’ve been following Touched by Grace since it first released so I was excited to finally get a chance to sit down and watch it this weekend. I’m always nervous watching a movie where I know the filmmakers or actors because I’m afraid I won’t like it and will feel bad for my friends. Fortunately, Touched by Grace lived up to my expectations. It’s a great movie.

Touched by Grace is an anti-bullying family drama about a group of popular high school students who wage a fake campaign to elect a girl with Down Syndrome as the school’s Homecoming Queen. It’s a senior prank that goes terribly wrong.

Starring Stacey Bradshaw  and Ben Davies, this has the definite feel of a Hallmark movie. It’s a fun, sweet movie that shares a Christian message without preaching. I knew that this was Stacey’s first big role, and it’s obvious from IMDb that most of the actors have limited experience, but director Donald Leow did a great job of drawing out the actors and bringing out their performances. I felt that each actor did a convincing job in their role. I was especially impressed with Amber House who plays Grace. She brought such a sweetness and joy to the role and truly lit up the screen in the scenes she was in.  I also really liked Suzanne Neff as Grace’s mom. As a mom, I identified greatly with the way she watched out for her baby girl.

Touched by Grace would be a great choice for a youth movie night at church. Most teens will be able to identify with the struggle that Cara undergoes, wanting to fit in with the crowd, but also appreciating the joy of finding friendship in unexpected places. Touched by Grace is also a good choice for family movie night and could facilitate some deep conversations about what to look for in a friend.

Get your copy today at Christian Cinema or your local Christian bookstore.