Allison Anders ' Grace of My Heart is not the Carole King Story, but it grabs so liberally of the life and times of pop icons King, Phil Spector, and Brian Wilson that you can't help but make the connection. You will also be entranced by its first hour. And, perhaps, appalled by its second. Edna wants to be a singer, so she enters a competition. Mom picks the song.
Mom picks the dress.
Edna rebels and for the first time in her life sets a path which takes her outside the confines of the world of Philadelphia's hoi polloi. He changes Edna's name to Denise Waverly and, as such, she finds success as a writer. Anders and music director Larry Klein ordered up a host of new songs to help recreate the feel of the early 60s, and the songs are expertly woven into the film. Douglas cannot lip synch to save her life, but the other things I could nitpick about are so minor tht they can be easily ignored. The first hour is that good.