Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

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

A wonderful performance by Illeana Douglas is the main attraction of this roman a clef of what might have happened if Carole King and Brian Wilson had become a couple. Not entirely successful but much more than a chick flick romance.Parallel to this version of the early days of rock and roll, the undervalued Laraine Newman plays another Carole King avatar in "American Hot Wax," a heartfelt tribute to Alan Freed featuring Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry playing themselves 20 years earlier as well as a goofy Jay Leno. Warner Brothers record producer Richard Perry eerily channels Lou Reed in the Phil Spector role John Turturro has here.

What fun at "Grace of My Heart" to pick out the cinema a clef references! Evoking early rock 'n' roll as nicely as one of my favorite rock movie "American Hot Wax" with wonderful cameos by Chris Isaak, Shawn Colvin, the Williams Brothers, J Mascis all playing others recognizably. The audience came out all discussing who was whom and the accuracy of depictions despite the fictive disclaimer.And this must be the first movie where the writer/director thanks her child care providers and lists them! It will be worth getting this movie on video just to slow down the credits. (originally written 11/14/1996)

Shooting at just under two hours, this is one of those films where you nearly feel winded after watching it in its entirety. Not that it is a "bad" thing to have so much happening in just a short amount of time, but with Grace of My Heart it felt like a solid blow to the gut. The lack of air, the "whoosh" of intense pain, and the increased blurred vision due to the excitement of the punch were all experiences that I had while watching this film. For those that can sit here and claim that this was a perfect film, I really beg to differ, but I will be a very brave advocate towards the "originally average". This means that there were elements that I completely loved, followed in suit by elements that made me awaken at night in a pool of my own sweat. Grace of My Heart was one of those classic cinematic tug-o-wars that ultimately ended in a stalemate, but had fans on either side waiting for the final results.Beyond the cryptic comparisons that I make above, there were moments of honesty, especially when I was thinking about the elements that worked and those that did not. You cannot talk about this film without giving Anders the credit that she deserves for the music. This film could not have survived without the talent that was behind the musical moments. The energy, emotion, and cultural independence were ravishing. Literally, it could take your breath away and you wouldn't have even realized it. It set the tone and created the atmosphere for this film. As a viewer, you could close your eyes, ignore the spoken words of this film, and get completely lost in the music. The way that Anders incorporated established, modern singers to bring this era of the 50s, 60s, and 70s to life were brilliant. She deserved the accolades that followed the musical footsteps of this film, sadly … I don't think she quite had a firm grip on the rest of the story.What I mean by this is that while the songs established the film, the story and characters hurt it. Illeana Douglas does exceptionally well with the material presented to her, but she just doesn't quite drag you into her life. You never quite feel as if you are right there with her experiencing her sorrows, excitements, and pain as she trudges through this man-infested life of hers. You watch her go through the motions, but you never feel that tear erupt or couch-excitement brew. It just doesn't happen, and why … because 1) she never ages throughout the course of 20ish years (only gets thinner and thinner) 2) her voice is semi-whiney through the entire film causing us to feel like she was a bit sour and finally, 3) her consistent need for a man in her life. This latter I blame Anders. She never defines Waverly's character throughout the film. Is she a feminist? Is she as independent as we all thought? Does she create or simply steal from other's misfortunes? These are simple questions that should have been answered throughout the film, but instead we are nearly forced to explode (as stated before) as more and more information is jammed down our vision. It is nearly sickening. While Illeana doesn't carry the weight of disaster completely on her own shoulders, there are other characters that just didn't seem to fit the mold of the film. Bruce Davison and Matt Dillon seemed to be completely miscast in their respective roles, again constantly reminding us that we were watching a film, not immersing ourselves in a vivid story.The only character that I can give credit towards is John Turturro's Joel Millner. Turturro took his "bit" part to a new level always giving enough so that we constantly waited for him to reappear on screen. He was like an animated cartoon that brought more to the screen than any of the other characters mentioned above. That is sad to see for a film of this caliber, but it is what occurred. So, you take the grandiose excitement of the music and couple it with some sub-par acting and what do you get? Grace of My Heart in its purest form.Overall, it is never good to use more than one Fonda in your film. If you find yourself going with more than one, you should really be reconsidering your options. Matt Dillon completely ruined this film for me, while my keen eye had a blast picking out today's artists in this film. I just wish more was developed with Douglas' character. Why did she continually fall into love with the wrong men? Did anyone else catch that her creative songs were developed from the suffering of others? Finally, why did we bring up her family's fortune if it was never used throughout the film? I kept waiting for her to use her family money to build upon the climax of the film, but it never happened. I felt cheated, as I did several times during this film. It wasn't a bad movie by any means, but it just wouldn't stand out in a crowd. Grace of My Heart is the wallflower of the cinematic world.Grade: ** out of *****

Just a reminder, folks, that not all movies are supposed to be, nor do they attempt to be, Oscar-contenders. Some films are merely entertaining. I enjoyed this film for exactly that reason -- ENTERTAINMENT. If a movie makes you laugh or cry, it has accomplished its mission. Great soundtrack too, by the way (which I bought). Oh, and a little note to those of you who are trying (in vain) to be the next Gene Shalit or Roger Ebert: Some of your "reviews" are exasperatingly immature, e.g., "she's ugly." Illeana Douglas is an excellent actress with a unique beauty. I'm guessing the "she's ugly" comments come from a big fan of Baywatch and Pamela Anderson? Since when do a person's physical looks have anything to do with their ability to act?