We’re not in Dixie anymore, Sweetheart!
Bless Her Heart is the charming story of a southern belle who moves to New York City and quickly begins to realize that the southern hospitality she was raised in isn’t universal, and if she has any chance of “making it” she’s going to have to figure out a way to survive.
To answer your question, yes, Bless Her Heart, was derived from the familiar “bless your heart,” Southern colloquialism whose essence- be it rooted in legitimate sincerity, or conversely, grounded in what can only be referred to as facetious yet polite Southern tact- will be debated until the end of time. But regardless of the level of it’s intended goodwill, we all know that the phrase “bless your/her/his/their heart” is only spoken when someone is having a tough go-around. And that’s where this film comes in.
There’s a universal understanding that moving from a small town to a big city is inevitably littered with a comedy of errors as one tries to navigate the unfamiliar cultural waters. Whether you’re from the South moving North, East moving West or vice versa, there’s bound to be a bevy of comical mishaps that plague the early days of immersion into your new life. Bless Her Heart explores these undeniable and unavoidable gaffes in a way that will make you laugh and want to say, “Oh my, bless her heart.” Whether we openly admit it or not, we’ve all been in a situation where trying to maintain our roots yet adapt to our surroundings becomes a true and amusing test of survival of the fittest.
In the award-winning short film, Bless Her Heart, small town southern-belle, Bonnie Belle Buchanan, moves to the “Big City” from Georgia with a “the world is my oyster” attitude and a sunny, chipper disposition to match. When she gets a job as a receptionist, she is quickly immersed in the world of New York minded cynics who think she’s far too nice and bubbly to ever make it in the Concrete Jungle, and predict she’ll be back on a midnight train to Georgia in no time. Over the course of six months Bonnie’s optimism, southern charm and enthusiasm are tested time and time again throughout a series of hilarious, classic New York City mishaps. From subway disasters, rodents and weather, to bad roommates and the overall standoffish disposition that defines the NYC way of life, Bonnie fights the urge to become a cliche hardened soul. As each day passes, her coworkers notice a little less euphoria and a little more edge in Bonnie’s demeanor as she comically tries to navigate the rough waters of adulting in NYC. But will six months be enough to turn her into a bitter New Yorker, break her and send her packing for southern hospitality, or will she find a way to adapt?
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