Unconditional Love Information

Unconditional Love is the title of a comedy film released in 2002. The film follows Grace Beasley who in the face of her failing marriage, and the death of her favorite pop star, learns the value and limitations of unconditional love, and the evils of sexism and homophobia. The film was directed by P.J. Hogan who also contributed to the final script.

Plot summary

Grace Beasley has been content with life as a housewife in Chicago. One morning, Grace wins tickets to a concert by her favorite singer, Victor Fox. Grace is ecstatic, but when she tells her husband, Max, he tells her that he is leaving her. Grace has lunch with her outspoken daughter-in-law, Maudey, only to learn that Grace's son, Andrew, has also walked out on her.

Grace attends Victor's concert, only to learn that Victor has been delayed and the concert will be rescheduled. Heartbroken, Grace stops at the grocery store, only to hear the PA announces that Victor has been found murdered in an underground parking garage. The crime is linked to the Cross Bow Killer. Maudy picks up Grace and, by coincidence, they visit the same bar that Victor did just before he was killed. The bartender shares Victor's last words with them, "A life lived in fear is not much fun." Inspired, Grace decides to attend Victor's funeral in England.

In Victor's home town, Grace has tea with Victor's family, who tell her that Victor's valet, Dirk Simpson, is spreading lies that he and Victor had been lovers.

Grace then meets Dirk, who reveals Victor as a gay teenager whose family disowned him. Grace and Dirk develop a bond based on their experiences. They plot to secretly change Victor's burial clothing to a pink robe which he often wore. Grace and Dirk then leave for Chicago to track down the Cross Bow Killer.

In Chicago, Maudey contributes to the plot with a handgun. In their quest, the trio encounters a group of homeless people, who have also had friends murdered. The police arrest Grace, Maudey, and Dirk in the parking garage for suspicious behavior. They are bailed out by Max and Andrew.

Dirk eventually realizes that the Cross Bow Killer targets anyone who sings. Grace, Maudey, and Dirk return to the parking garage and meet the killer. They flee and are trapped on a bridge. Dirk is wounded by the killer's arrow. Maudey throws her cell phone at the killer and he falls to his death. At the hospital, Grace tells Max that she is no longer willing to base their marriage on unconditional love. Max is not sure if he can change, but he respects her decision.

In the end, they are lauded on Sally Jesse Raphael's talk show for having tracked down the killer. Dirk announces that he is turning Victor's home into a halfway house for gay youths. Maudey reports that a cell phone company is having her sponsor their new line of phones. Max appears in the audience and asks Grace to sing for him. Celebrity Barry Manilow walks on stage and joins Grace in a song.

Critical reception

The film was shot in late 1999 and early 2000 in Chicago and England, but New Line Cinema continually postponed the American release, leaving the film on the shelf until finally premiering it on the Starz network in August 2003 and then sending it direct-to-DVD that October. The film has generally received mixed reviews from film critics.

Christopher Mull wrote, "It's a sloppy mishmash of stories...none of which stand on their own and which crash disastrously when combined. Bates comes off as dippy and distant. Everett comes of [sic] as mean and crusty. Pryce is just inexplicable with a gray pompadour and blue sequins. And Manilow rocks. Er..."

Jason Bovberg had slightly kinder things to say about the film. "As a dark comedy, Unconditional Love can be occasionally effective. There are a few moments in this film that had me laughing quite hysterically. Merely the sight of Jonathan Pryce shuffle-dancing through clouds over the opening credits loads the film with promise. And Meredith Eaton as Maudey steals every scene she's in. But in the end, you can't escape the fact that Bates has difficulty carrying this movie and in fact, doesn't seem to really understand the type of film she's in."

DVD

The film is available on DVD and includes the film's trailer, and the ability to view a deleted scene which many critics felt should have remained in the film. Fans of the film are hoping for the release of a special edition DVD that includes an audio commentary to explain the film's political commentary.