Grace of My Heart (1996)

Edna wins a recording contract singing her own song at a competition in 1958. After trying to make it as a singer/songwriter for 11 months in NYC, she has success writing songs for others at the Brill Building.

Director:

Allison Anders

Writer:

Allison Anders

Stars:

Illeana Douglas, John Turturro, Sissy Boyd

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Illeana Douglas	...	Denise Waverly / Edna Buxton
Sissy Boyd	...	Dress Saleswoman
Christina Pickles	...	Mrs. Buxton
Jill Sobule	...	Singing Contestant
Jennifer Leigh Warren	...	Doris Shelley
Tegan West	...	M.C. at Talent Show
Richard Schiff	...	Audition Record Producer
Natalie Venetia Belcon	...	Betty
Kathy Barbour	...	Sha Sha
John Turturro	...	Joel Millner
Diane Robin	...	Waitress in Diner
Eric Jerome Kirkland	...	Stylette
Irving Washington III	...	Stylette (as Irving Eugene Washington III)
Kurt Jackson	...	Stylette
Michael Angelo Saulsberry	...	Stylette (as Michael Saulsberry)

Storyline

An aspiring singer, Denise Waverly/Edna Buxton, sacrifices her own singing career to write hit songs that launch the careers of other singers. The film follows her life from her first break, through the pain of rejection from the recording industry and a bad marriage, to her final triumph.

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Plot Keywords:

songwriter | singer songwriter | title directed by female | topless female nudity | rock band | 

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Taglines:

For years her songs brought fame to other people. Then she found her own voice.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, and for some sexuality and drug content

Did You Know?

Trivia

In To Die For (1995), Illeana Douglas and Matt Dillon play sister and brother. In this movie one year later, they play wife and husband.

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Goofs

Jay Phillips' sunglasses during TV interview.

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Quotes

Denise Waverly: He smokes some grass. He uses some psychedelics. He uses peyote, but he is down on hard drugs.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: American Buffalo/Fly Away Home/Feeling Minnesota/The Rich Man's Wife/Grace of My Heart/The Wife (1996)

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Soundtracks

Hey There
Written by Richard Adler (as R. Adler) and Jerry Ross (as J. Ross)
Produced by Larry Klein
Performed by Kristen Vigard

User Reviews

"Grace of My Heart" is a wonderful movie

I was reminded of how really good this movie is today when I saw it on T.V. (with commercials ugh) I've seen it a few times before and every time I watch it, I bawl like a baby and I'm a guy. A really tough guy. But this movie goes straight to my heart and puts a squeeze on it through the wonderful music, the sweet nostalgia and what a cast!

Illeana Douglas is beautiful and she really plays her character with great talent. She's supported by a strong cast and how can you go wrong with Turturro playing Phil Specter? The first time I saw this there was something familiar about the music; the songs, like "God give me Strength". As much as I like Elvis Costello, that scene of Illeana performing it for Matt (Brian Wilson) Dillon was such a unique delivery of a pure and powerful vocal. I later found that the 'familiarity' is Burt Bacharach and the 'voice' is Kristin Vigard: Wow!

Back in those days there was such an explosion of music and creativity and Burt Bacharach was truly a pop force.

I loved the Brill Building scenes, especially when they were working on the songs. I thought the movie lost something when it moved west to California but was deeply moved by Douglas and Turturro 'having it out' at the empty poolside. The final song with the flashbacks and her crowning achievement of recording that "one great album" had me weeping again. I really like this movie so I ordered the DVD online.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 September 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Grace of My Heart

Filming Locations:

1365 S Oakland Avenue, Pasadena, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$173,654, 15 September 1996

Gross USA:

$660,313

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$660,313

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cappa Production, Gramercy Pictures (I), Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1