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In the early 1960s, the Civil Rights Movement was growing in strength, and Congress was working to desegregate the country and end discrimination based on race. But Charming the Hearts of Men explores the stories of another group that was fighting for rights of their own.
Charming the Hearts of Men returns home to a politically charged South in 1963 with Grace Gordon (Anna Friel) after her father’s death. She suddenly finds herself responsible for her father’s estate and the remaining staff, though the bank accounts are empty. Twice divorced and unemployed, she has no way to pay the bills, and the bank will only give loans to men. Unable to find a job that will hire an outspoken, inexperienced, self-respecting woman in her 40s, she realizes that her only option is to go through her father’s contacts to find herself a rich new husband.
As Grace tries to find a way to keep her family home from foreclosure, she faces judgment and discrimination at every turn. Her neighbors gossip about her. The banker calls her a “useless female.” And job interviews are conducted much like beauty pageants. And the only person in town who treats her with any respect is the manager of the town’s pawn shop (Sean Astin), where she takes her family’s belongings to try to sell. But she’s not the only one. The African American community faces continuing segregation. Other women around her face discrimination and abuse, too. And African American women find themselves at the lowest level of society.
The film focuses more on Grace’s experiences, though, merely touching on the lives of the other characters. Grace’s story probably could have stood on its own—because, in attempting to tie in the stories of other exploited groups in her community, it ends up losing some of its power. The entire Civil Rights Movement seems like a side note—and, eventually, there are so many different beaten-down characters that it waters down all of their stories.
As it builds to its end, the story simply falls apart. Grace gets a great idea that isn’t especially developed, and everything races to its happily-ever-after conclusion. And while her story is a fascinating one, it suffers from uneven pacing and a lack of consistent development.
Charming the Hearts of Men is certainly an eye-opening film, exploring the challenges that women have faced and telling the story with a light touch. It’s a charming film—but its message isn’t as strong as it could have been.
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