UNITED KINGDOM: DIRECTOR ALLISON ANDERS SPEAKS ABOUT HER LATEST FILM 'GRACE OF MY HEART'

Record ID: 386774

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: DIRECTOR ALLISON ANDERS SPEAKS ABOUT HER LATEST FILM 'GRACE OF MY HEART'
  • Date: 12th November 1996
  • Summary: LONDON, UK (NOVEMBER 12, 1996) RTV ACCESS ALL (SOUNDBITE ENGLISH) ANDERS SAYING I MADE THAT CHARACTER (CHERYL STEED THE SONGWRITER) ENGLISH AND THEN PATSY CAME IN, I KNEW PATSY - BUT SHE READ FOR THE PART AND WOULDN'T SEE ME SOCIALLY UNTIL SHE HAD NAILED THIS - SHE REALLY WANTED TO EARN THE PART AND SHE REALLY DID, SHE CAME IN AND READ AGAINST SOME VERY TOUGH GIRLS
  • Embargoed: 27th November 1996 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LONDON, UK / VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Reuters ID: LVA8H65FDXZZ3VQHORKUXIZP5JJ2
  • Story Text: Director Allison Anders was in London this week for the film festival screening of her latest movie 'Grace of my Heart' - one woman's musical journey through 15 years of American pop history.

    Philadelphia steel heiress Edna Buxton, played by Ileana Douglas, arrives in New York in 1958, with aspirations to be a singer-songwriter. Instead of letting her record her own songs, Edna is put to work by producer Joel Milner, played by John Tuturro, penning hits for other acts.

    Milner re-invents her as Denise Waverly, a working-class genius, more in tune with the radical tastes of 1960s New York. He installs Denise in the Brill Building, a pop music hothouse where writers and musicians produced strings of hits for the girl and guy groups of the early sixties. Denise has a string of number-one hits and failed love affairs over almost a decade.

    Then music fashions change, she falls in love with tortured surf-pop genius Jay Phillips, played by Matt Dillon, and follows him out to California. After Jay drowns himself in the Malibu surf, Denise reaches rock bottom and is rescued by Milner. The producer persuades her to record an album of her own songs and Denise/Edna finally finds creative fulfillment and success.

    Anders says she loves the irony of the Brill Building hits, simple romantic songs telling tales of the heartache and pain of true love. She says the ironic quality of Douglas' performance, where "she is always doing two things at once", is a perfect complement to the music.

    The songs on the film soundtrack were specially written in the style of the period. Anders said the idea to pair writers from the period like Burt Bacharach with contemporarysinger-songwriters like Elvis Costello came from musical director Karyn Rachtman.

    Costello was ideal says Anders because "he understands music, just like Marty Scorcese understands film, he's like an encyclopedia of pop music".

    Scorcese executive-produced 'Grace of My Heart' and "took the role of mentor very seriously", according to Anders, phoning her with tips from the set of his own movie 'Casino'.

    British actress and media darling Patsy Kensit plays another Brill songwriter who also ends up in California. Anders said Kensit fought for the role, doing three auditions, in competition with "some very tough girls".

    Anders finished cult film 'Border Radio', a black and white tumble through the L.A. punk scene of the 1980s, while she was still at UCLA film school. She then directed 'Gas, Food, Lodging' in 1989 and 'Mi Vida Loca', a love story set in the barrios of Los Angeles, in 1993.
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