Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Gurlyndrobb While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Neive Bellamy Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Nicole I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

SnoopyStyle Edna Buxton (Illeana Douglas) is a steel heiress from Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia. She wins a local singing contest in 1958 with a promised contract. However it's a struggle to get anywhere when producer Joel Milner (John Turturro) takes pity on her. She becomes successful as a songwriter renamed as Denise Waverly. She later marries songwriter Howard Caszatt (Eric Stoltz) and they have a girl together. Joel hires brit songwriter Cheryl Steed (Patsy Kensit) who would become her friend. More personal and professional challenges follow. She divorces Howard. She follows Jay Phillips (Matt Dillon) to California.There are some good moments but the movie is trying to cover too much of this character's life. For example, I like the fluffy pop singer played by Bridget Fonda who turns out to be gay struggling in her private life as she hides it in her public life. Of course, she comes in and then fairly quickly, she's gone. It becomes like a long string of random fictional events happening to a character that isn't particularly compelling. I do like Illeana Douglas but she's not really the lead actress type. She's a great character actress but she can't anchor a movie like this. She and she alone has to lead the audience through the various characters that come in and out of her life. She needs to be a bigger actress. Allison Anders has written a lot of things for Waverly to deal with but as a director, she doesn't have the style (or the money) to make this cinematic. The music isn't particularly memorable but they fit the era. Certainly this movie could use some great songs.

Maddyclassicfilms Grace of My Heart is directed by Allison Anders, it is loosely based on the life of real life singer and songwriter Carole King.It's shockingly underrated and features some brilliant songs. The film stars Illeana Douglas, John Tuturro and Matt Dillon.Beginning in the late 1950's, aspiring singer Edna Buxton(Illeana Douglas)is entering a singing competition and does not sing what her mother (Christina Pickles) tells her to.Edna wins the competition and gets a recording contract.Moving to New York she meets famous song manager Joel Millner(John Tuturro), he helps her on the road to stardom and becomes her lifelong friend and confidant.Changing her name to Denise Waverley, she writes a number of hits and becomes a famous and much sought after name in the music industry.She faces a lot of personal tragedies but she overcomes all the hardship and tries to get her life back on track.Also starring Eric Stoltz as her co-writer boyfriend and Christine Pickles as her mum. Grace of My Heart is a beautiful and touching film filled with great music. Some of my favourite songs are Born To Love That Boy and Living In Another World.If you haven't heard of this one try and find it on DVD, it's well worth watching and is filled with fantastic performances. This is a film that deserves to be much better known.

moonspinner55 Character actress Illeana Douglas is such a reassuring presence on the screen that she ALMOST makes "Grace of My Heart" worth-seeing. In a thinly-disguised biography of Carole King, Douglas plays a singer-turned-songwriter in the early-'60s who feels the pressure of being a female under the thumb of powerful males in the music-biz but makes no major decisions about it; she's a strong woman, but also a go-alonger, and eventually she gets her chance to shine. The movie has some great scenes, but they aren't strung together smoothly, and the narrative keeps getting interrupted by half-comic bits of romantic confusion. Eric Stoltz (filling in for Gerry Goffin) cuts a nice figure in his shades and suits, but he has no personality; when he treats Douglas cruelly, there seems to be nothing at stake for her beyond raising their child alone (certainly she could do better). Several key supporting roles are wonderfully filled, particularly by John Turturro as a record producer and Bruce Davison as a radio-host (both are charming). Much of the music is dead-on in its nostalgia, the production values are fine, and Douglas is simply terrific (her toothy smile and wide eyes are endearing); yet the film hits a bump just before the final act and never recovers. Interest wanes, and that's too bad because Douglas works engagingly hard at creating a character we should care more about. **1/2 from ****

skyneska As a former singer with a female group from the 70's, called "SOFTOUCH", I could really appreciate the movie, "Grace of My Heart". I thought the movie was very authentic in its presentation of the artists' struggles with becoming a "singer" in his or her own right, as well as a writer. It was not a popular position to be in in the 50's and 60's. I love Ms. Douglas. I thought she did an exceptional job with the material and the singing. John Tuturro was great as the manager and provided great comedic relief. Since his performance, I have gone out of my way to see everything he has performed in. He is an awesome actor! Most importantly, I enjoyed the music of Burt Bacharach. There is none other to compare. His songs are historic! My only concerns are these: 1) I would have appreciated the female vocalist, Kristin Vigard recording the hit "God Give Me Strength". I thought her voice was much more haunting and convincing. 2) Where can I purchase the Song Book for the sound track? I am now a teacher of middle school students in the arts program, and there are several clips from the movie that I have been able to show my students - and they love this movie! I cannot show the entire movie for the obvious sexual content however, they get a kick out of the music, storyline and the progress of the time including the wardrobe changes.