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Special Section
"Gracie": From the Director of "An Inconvenient Truth"

Inspired by real events in the lives of Elisabeth and Andrew Shue, "Gracie" tells the story of a teenage girl's struggle to play soccer at a time when there were no female soccer leagues. When her soccer-star older brother is killed in a car accident, Gracie decides to honor him by taking his place on the team. She pursues her dream despite all odds, including her own father's lack of support, and blazes the trail for girl soccer players everywhere. "Gracie" was directed by Academy Award® winner Davis Guggenheim. Go behind the scenes in this special section, meet the cast and watch exclusive video shot just for HowStuffWorks by the "Gracie" team. Read More about "Gracie"

 
The Beautiful Game

Soccer (or football, if you're not American) is by far the most popular sport in the world. Tens of thousands of fans regularly show up for games played in stadiums on almost every continent. From its rough and tumble origins to the current crop of multimillionaire celebrity players, "the beautiful game" has thrilled and captivated sports fans for more than 100 years. Learn the basics of soccer and find out why it's so popular.  Read More about How Soccer Works


Meet the Cast and Crew of GRACIE

Carly Schroeder, "Gracie Bowen"
"Gracie" stars 17-year-old Carly Schroeder, perhaps best known for playing "Melina Bianco" in the hit Disney Channel show "Lizzie Macguire" as well as "Serena Baldwin" on the soap operas "General Hospital" and "Port Charles."  Read More about Carly Schroeder
Andrew Shue, "Coach Clark" and Producer
Although Andrew Shue is most often associated with his role as "Billy Campbell" on "Melrose Place," he has found success in many other diverse roles, including school teacher, professional athlete, producer, community activist and business entrepreneur.  Read More about Andrew Shue
Elisabeth Shue, "Lindsay Bowen"
Elisabeth Shue was honored with an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of "Sera" opposite Nicholas Cage in "Leaving Las Vegas." Her impressive film career began with her role as the girlfriend of Ralph Macchio's character in "The Karate Kid."  Read More about Elisabeth Shue
Dermot Mulroney, "Bryan Bowen"
Dermot Mulroney recently starred in the thriller "Zodiac" with Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey Jr. and "Georgia Rule" with Jane Fonda and Felicity Huffman, but he also has several television credits to his name. Learn more about Dermot Mulroney.  Read More about Dermot Mulroney
Davis Guggenheim, Director
Davis Guggenheim directed and executive produced the Academy Award-winning feature film documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" with former Vice President, Al Gore. He is also married to Elisabeth Shue.  Read More about Davis Guggenheim
Lemore Syvan, Producer
Since 1990, Lemore Syvan has produced 20 independent films. Her film "Sherrybaby," starring Maggie Gyllenhaal, was named one of the top independent films of the year by the National Board of Review.  Read More about Lemore Syvan
Dan Metcalfe, Soccer Choreographer
Dan Metcalfe, known as "Soccer Dan," was brought over from England to coach American soccer stars of the future and has had a major impact in both the soccer world and the entertainment industry.  Read More about Dan Metcalfe

 

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