Line #14 Film/StatesOfGrace


1	''States of Grace'' is a 2005 American action-drama film. It is Richard Dutcher's sequel to ''Film/GodsArmy'', though the film is more of a [[ThematicSeries thematic follow-up]] as it has different main characters serving as missionaries in the same mission, though a few characters from the previous film reprise their roles as Elder Banks, Elder Mangum, and President Beecroft.
2
3	Instead, the film follows Elder Scott Farrell (Lucas Fleischer) is a straight-laced missionary, and his companion, Elder Lozano (Ignacio Serricchio) is preparing to finish his mission in Los Angeles. While walking around, the elders get caught up in some street violence, and Lozano helps a man named Carl Griffin (Lamont Stephens) survive getting shot by a man named Manuel Cienfuegos. After recovering from his wounds, Carl wants to learn more from the missionaries. Meanwhile, the elders decide to take in and care for a homeless street preacher named Louis (Jo-sei Ikeda), with the help of their neighbor Holly (Rachel Emmers).
4
5	----
6	!!''States of Grace'' contains examples of:
7
8	* ActionizedSequel: This movie has a lot more action scenes
9	* AdviceBackfire: Discussed when Elder Farrell advises Elder Lozano to sing a hymn when he gets a dirty thought. He replies that this just gives him dirty thoughts when he sings hymns in church.
10	* AdoptedToTheHouse: Elders Farrell and Lozano think the homeless street preacher (named Louis) is sick and bring him in their apartment, breaking mission rules. They become friends, and Louis gets his own congregation.
11	* AllMenArePerverts:
12	** Farrell takes glances at a bikini girl and Holly, [[spoiler:who he later commits adultery with]].
13	** Louis comments on how good-looking Holly is, and he later says he was "weak with the ladies".
14	* ArtisticLicenseReligion: Elder Lozano tells Carl there's no rule that they can't speed up the process of getting baptized. While this is technically true, they'd need special permission to make sure he knows what he's getting into and committed to attending church. It would also normally take a lot longer for the missionaries to know that Carl has fully repented of past sins, especially since in Carl's case they seem pretty serious.
15	* BigNo: Carl screams "no" a couple times at the sky [[spoiler:after one of his friends shoots Manuel]].
16	* BringMyRedJacket: [[spoiler:Todd wears a red hoodie, and then he gets stabbed.]]
17	* CarFu: Carl uses this to breaking [[BigBad Manuel]]'s leg.
18	* CycleOfRevenge: A major theme in the movie. Manuel shoots Carl and kills his friend Abe. Instead of seeking revenge, Carl turns to God through the missionaries. [[spoiler:Todd still wants to get revenge on behalf of his older brother and gets killed. Carl turns away from God to get revenge on his younger brother.]]
19	* DeathOfAChild: [[spoiler:A gangster stabs Todd to death, so Carl goes to avenge his brother's death.]]
20	* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:After breaking the Law of Chastity, and at the thought of returning home without honor, Elder Farrell slits his wrists in the bathroom, though the other missionaries get him to the hospital before he dies.]]
21	* EarlyBirdCameo: The characters who play Joseph and Mary can first be seen when the elders take Carl to the emergency room. The woman is pregnant, presumably with the child who will play the Baby Jesus.
22	* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Elder Farrell is reading ''Jesus the Christ'' by James E. Talmage in his missionary outfit while the rest of the missionaries are playing basketball.
23	* FirstNameBasis: Holly starts calling Elder Farrell by his first name "Scott" [[spoiler:after she sleeps with him.]]
24	* ForbiddenLove: [[spoiler:Elder Farrell and Holly's relationship is strictly forbidden under mission and Church rules, so he gets sent home.]]
25	* {{Foreshadowing}}: Elder Farrell lectures Lozano on avoiding dirty thoughts, but he looks back when a bikini girl passes them. [[spoiler:When he gets home, he glances down at the form of his neighbor Holly, foreshadowing their relationship.]]
26	* FromDressToDressing: Elder Lozano rips up his white shirt to help Carl, a gang member who was shot in front of him.
27	* GanglandDriveBy: Manuel drives up to a bunch of gangsters and opens fire, though Elders Farrell and Lozano almost get caught in the line of fire.
28	* GenericEthnicCrimeGang:
29	** Carl and Manuel are members of rivaling black gangs.
30	** Lozano explains in his backstory that he almost joined a gang which is implied to be Columbian.
31	* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: [[spoiler:Carl buries his weapons to show he's given up the gangster life, but then he digs them up to avenge the death of his brother, which he later regrets doing.]]
32	* HeelFaithTurn:
33	** Elder Lozano's backstory is that he was almost recruited into a gang (presumably a Colombian one), but the missionaries put him on Gospel path.
34	** Carl, who originally taunted the missionaries, suddenly becomes interested in learning from them after he gets shot and Lozano sticks with him.
35	* IHaveAFamily: [[spoiler:Carl captures Manuel and puts a gun to his head. Manuel begs him not to kill him, saying he has an eight-year-old sister. Carl decides to let him go, but one of his friends shoots him instead.]]
36	* KnockingOnHeathensDoor: Elder Farrell and Elder Lozano go knocking on some doors, but nobody there seems interested.
37	* MagicalNegro: Inverted with Louis. The missionaries inspire him to get off the streets and back to leading his own congregation.
38	* MeaningfulEcho: Holly tells Elder Farrell her backstory and how her family disowned her after learning she entered the adult film industry. Farrell assures her that God loves her "just as much as He did when you were a baby." Holly repeats this line back to him after [[spoiler:he tries to kill himself after breaking the Law of Chastity.]]
39	* TheMissionary: Elders Farrell and Lozano.
40	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Elder Farrell breaks down in tears after [[spoiler:having sex with Holly. He even tries to [[DrivenToSuicide kill himself]].]]
41	* NapInducingSpeak: Elders Farrell and Lozano try teaching an old woman, but she falls asleep. The elders joke that the cat is interested, but then even the cat goes to sleep.
42	* ReliablyUnreliableGuns: Todd tries to load a gun, but it gets jammed.
43	* SaveTheVillain: Subverted. [[spoiler:Carl decides against shooting Manuel, but one of his friends does it instead. Carl seems to regard it as MurderByInaction.]]
44	* ShipTease: [[spoiler:While Farrell is preparing to leave the mission for sexual transgression, Holly says she'll keep in touch with him, which Farrell appreciates.]]
45	* ShoutOut: While Carl gets a confirmation blessing, Todd is murdered by Manuel's gang. The way the scene plays out is akin to ''Film/TheGodfather''.
46	* TheStinger: In a mid-credits scene, Louis has a lively sermon with his new congregation. He delivers the same message that he gives at the start of the film.
47	* TattooAsCharacterType: Elder Lozano has tattoos to show he almost joined a gang.
48	* ThematicSeries: The only connection that this movie has to the original ''Film/GodsArmy'' is it takes place in the same mission in Los Angeles and has some of the secondary characters (Elder Mangum, Elder Banks, President Beecroft).
49	* ThereWillBeToiletPaper: Louis cuts himself shaving when Holly knocks on the door. Holly notices the cut and offers to treat it, and she also gives him a haircut.
50	* WouldHurtAChild: Manuel stabs Carl's younger brother Todd twice and leaves him to die.
51	* YouKilledMyFather: Louis wants to avenge the death of his younger brother Todd.

Context Film / StatesOfGrace