I just caught 5 minutes of Grace of My Heart, basically the fictional account of the life of a Carole King-like Brill Building songwriter who comes into her own after a series of failed relationships with goofy, sensitive, creative men. I’m a sucker for this movie. I loved it when it came out, and I easily get sucked into it every time I’m flipping channels and come to a screeching halt. There’s a big fundraiser dinner party at my place tonight, so I had to rip myself away from the TV to get back to work (after this quick post). Anyhow, the whole middle-class ’60s women’s empowerment message is an easy selling point for me, and the movie is loaded with many of my favorite six-pack worthy actors, goofy, sensitive types like John Turturro, Matt Dillon, and Eric Stoltz.
As with another similarly themed movie that I get the sense I alone absolutely love, Peggy Sue Got Married, I don’t expect you to share my love for Grace of My Heart. Laugh at me, if you must. Pull this chink in my exquisite tastes out of your back pocket when you find yourself pinned to the mats by my rock logic. I share this fact with you in hopes of learning what rock-related thing you sense you alone love?
I look forward to your admissions.
Sorry to disappoint you, Mod, but I also love both movies.
This is also movie related — I kind of like That Thing You Do — I was drawn in by the producers making call for songwriters to submit a song by that title, setting parameters of what they were looking for, etc. Dwight Twilley is one of the few that I know that came forward and said he wrote a song for that movie lost out. He was evidently still pretty proud of it and released the single a couple of years later. You can hear a snip here:
http://www.amazon.com/That-Thing-You-Do/dp/B0029NCXP6
I think the dudes in Fountains of Wayne wrote the song that ended up in the movie.
I see no shame in liking either of these movies. I enjoyed them both. As for the “I alone” question, I’m a hard-core progster, remember?
Grace Of My Heart is goofy, but also harmless fun. I like Redd Kross appearing as Beach Boy-esque stoner group.
Guess I should have put a question mark in the title of this post. I’m happy to have company on these films.
Good story about Dwight Twilley admitting to having a song rejected. That’s a bit like Stephen Stills failing the audition for The Monkees.
In the background of the studio interview with Matt Dillon’s character, when Illeana Douglas’ character first sees the Brian Wilson guy on tv, you can see J. Mascis, the writer/singer of the song that band is playing, fiddling with cables.
Douglas, Bruce Davison, and Bridget Fonda are 3 more six-pack worthy members of that movie’s cast.
I like that movie, too.
I’ll admit to being (most likely) alone in my love for Abba, especially their albums through “Arrival.”
So did I, though I thought Tom Hanks’ character as the A&R man verged on being unbelievable as he was too nice and wise for a ’60s record shark.
Bridget Fonda in the movie Singles — she’s amazing. These days she is the definition of low-profile.
Like all music movies there’s a lot wrong with Grace of My Heart, but I liked it too. I don’t think when I saw the movie that I knew Dusty Springfield and Lesley Gore were closeted lesbians, but I thought that subplot with the Bridget Fonda (?) character. And God Give Me Strength is a great song.
I think of her every time I sneeze.
Grace of My Heart came perilously close to sending me screaming from the theater. Plenty of talent involved, but it is dreadfully overlong, poorly written, cluttered with cliches, and a thorough mess. God give me strength.
Quite liked Peggy Sue Got Married, though.
It’s about time someone doesn’t like that movie the way I was used to hearing people not like it.
Jeez, they way you carry on, Ken Russell might as well have directed it.
In which case I would have had to add “pointlessly garish” to the mini-review.
I’m half expecting you know to tell me you get all damp-eyed watching Almost Famous.
You may be alone in being able to listen to Abba albums. I have to draw the line after a rather terse 11-song hits comp I have. Abba deep tracks? Just can’t be going there.
“Abba The Album” is a total concept album and includes a mini musical, “The Girl with the Golden Hair.” Unfortunately, I can sing along with every track. I have just been serenading Mr. Royale with this and he has been looking at me like I’m crazy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nG2n6sRv2w&feature=related
No way, I fucking HATE that movie!
Yes, that was Bridget in that role.
I don’t know if you ever saw this old thread:
https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/index.php/will-somebody-please-call-bullshit-on-ab/
I think you may have had some proto-supporters, but the concept album may be stretching it:)
Abba made the Moody Blues sound like Parliament/Funkadelic. They appealed because they were tuneful without the slightest bit of threat or sex. The Wonder Bread of music.
I like Grace of My Heart and Peggy Sue Got Married too. Or any movie where Joey “Pants” Pantoliano plays a rick-rleated role
Am I alone in watching good chunks of “The Temptations” movie each time i pass it on VH-1?
I got the DVD of Grace of My Heart, which I do like, although there were parts that played fast ‘n loose w/the facts (like portraying the Phil Spector character as kinda like Maynard G. Krebs). I wonder if Brian Wilson ever saw the movie, considering the fate that his character had.
I also liked Peggy Sue Got Married, except for the fact that the lead actress didn’t quite seem right for the part.
FINALLY. Welcome to Team Truth, misterioso. Matt Dillon’s Brian Wilson impression might be the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen in a film. Maybe Kevin is the most talented Dillon brother.
No problems with “The Name of the Game” here. Good song.
In the 5 minutes I watched the other day Turturro’s voice for his Spector character reminded me of some early ’60s Hannah-Barbera character, maybe Yogi Bear? Maybe some character voiced by Phil Silvers?
No. I don’t know that any of them were good, but I will stop and watch pretty much any of the VH-1 movies/miniseries whenever I run across them, same with those that started out as ABC miniseries and then migrated to VH-1 Classic heavy rotation.
Temptations, Beach Boys, Jacksons: An American Dream, Hammer, the Monkees one.
And of course, Joe Pantoliano played a key part in Eddie & The Cruisers, a film (along with its sequel) I continue to argue needs RTH revisiting some day.
I was down at the shore this weekend and drove past the motel where the sax player od’s in Eddie and the Cruisers. I think about it every time I drive past that place. Just a senseless waste…
For some reason, that shot of Turturro walking into the commune, and the Little Eva character’s response, cracks me up every single time.
I was surprised to learn recently that Ileana Douglas is generally despised as an actress, with much bitchy commentary directed at her for getting cast in roles mostly because she was Marty Scorsese’s girlfriend. I always liked her, and I like her very much in this film.
Ha! I’ll close the circle by reminding all that that was the actual sax player of John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band (the only player from the soundtrack who was also in the film).
And I saw them a coupla weeks ago!