Draft:Making Grace (2004)



Making Grace is a documentary film that follows lesbian couple, Ann Krsul and Leslie Sullivan, as they navigate the experience of having a baby together, through choosing a donor, fertility, lamaze classes, and navigating sharing their news with family and the beginning months of Grace's life. The New York City couple are followed through their candid experiences and feelings every step of they way. Making Grace is among the first films that share stories of Lesbians who have created families during a time known as the lesbian Baby Boom.[1] It serves as the first feature length documentary film that follows the story of one lesbian couple through their journey of creating a family through donor conception while they were going through it rather than retrospectively as other documentaries have done. Director Catherine Gund documents the complexities of their journey bringing Grace into a world and an America that widely does not validate their love and their family.

In 2018 Grace Krsul-Sullivan, made a short film titled "My New Family Tree"[2] about her experience growing up in her family, finding her donor siblings, and acknowledging her family's early contribution to the movement of LGBTQIA+ parents and families looking to make families through donor conception, as subjects of the documentary.

Critical Reception

The film had a positive reception overall Jeanette Catsoulis for the New York Times said, "Making Grace is a small, intimate documentary that patiently observes the highs and lows of a 30-something couple who want to become parents. The story of Ann Krsul and Leslie Sullivan is quiet proof that families are indeed created, not mandated."[1] and "doesn't rant against a legal system that forces Leslie to protect her parental rights by formally adopting Grace or berate the waiters in family restaurants who routinely ask the couple if they would like separate checks."

Emphasizing sameness over difference, this is the kind of film rarely seen by those likely to benefit most from its universal message. Watching Ann and Leslie gaze at sonograms, attend Lamaze classes and register for a baby shower, homophobes and their ilk would no doubt be comforted to learn that expectant lesbian parents can be as boring and solipsistic as the rest of us."

"Serves nicely as a primer for lesbian partners considering the same leap."[3] - Dennis Harvey for Variety

"The subject is touchy, but Gund handles it with taste and compassion. From all indications, Ann and Leslie will make excellent, if unconventional, parents. " -New York Post[4]

"I think Gund did a good job. Her film is funny, heartwarming and full of insight... although Gund focused on some of the gay-related aspects of the story, that's not all the film's about. A great deal of the time, the documentary felt like it could be an exploration of any couple's pregnancy... In the case of Making Grace, that story is a very important one indeed."[5] - Gena Hymowech for AfterEllen.com

Distribution

Making Grace was acquired by First Run Features,[6] it premiered at New Fest in June 2004 and played multiple festivals following the premiere including; Cleveland International Film Festival 2005[7], Outfest 2005, Boston Gay & Lesbian Film/Video Festival, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 2004[8], TAKES Dallas 2004, LGBT Film Festival, Minneapolis, MN 2004, Woodstock Film Festival 2004, Frameline 2004, Tokyo Gay & Lesbian Festival 2005, Green Film Festival in Seoul 2006, Rochester Gay and Lesbian Film & Video Festival (Image Out) 2004.

Making Grace was released theatrically in July 2005, premiering at Two Boots Pioneer Theater in New York, NY.

References

  1. ^ a b Catsoulis, Jeannette (2005-07-20). "Highs and Lows of Lesbian Parenting". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-04-17.
  2. ^ cycle grrlz (2018-12-21). My New Family Tree FC. Retrieved 2026-04-21 – via YouTube.
  3. ^ Harvey, Dennis (2004-07-13). "Making Grace". Variety. Retrieved 2026-04-17.
  4. ^ "New York Post Online Edition: movies". www.nypost.com. Archived from the original on 2006-02-23. Retrieved 2026-04-20.
  5. ^ "AfterEllen.com - Review of Making Grace". www.afterellen.com. Archived from the original on 2005-07-29. Retrieved 2026-04-20.
  6. ^ "Making Grace". firstrunfeatures.com. Retrieved 2026-04-17.
  7. ^ http://www.consumedesign.com. "Cleveland Film Society". 29.clevelandfilmfestival.com. Archived from the original on 2005-05-25. Retrieved 2026-04-21. {{cite web}}: External link in |last= (help)
  8. ^ "Making Grace, May 21, 2005 | 21st Boston Gay & Lesbian Film/Video Festival". www.queer.film. Retrieved 2026-04-22.

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