Saving Grace

By RICHARD SCHICKEL

Left hopelessly in debt by the death of a feckless spouse, Grace Trevethen (the expert Brenda Blethyn) puts her gardening skills to good criminal use. With the help of her handyman, Matthew (Craig Ferguson, who is also the film's co-writer and producer), she starts growing pot by the kilo in her greenhouse. The results are predictable--especially if you're a fan of that most basic of English comic genres, in which simple, provincial folk foil the bumbling law in order to preserve a traditional way of life. Grace is not as tightly wound as the best of its breed, but it is a genial way to pass the time.

--R.S.