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Tender Mercies
1982
A compassionate love story tracing the relationship between a burnt-out Country and Western star and the young widow he meets in a Texas motel. Read more
| Starring | Robert Duvall, Tess Harper, Wilford Brimley, Ellen Barkin |
|---|---|
| Director | Bruce Beresford |
| Genres | Drama |
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Critics' reviews (3)
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A spare, lean performance from spare, lean Robert Duvall won him his first and (so far) only Oscar. Duvall wakes up, after a drunken binge, in a Texan motel owned by religious widow Tess Harper and her young son Allan Hubbard. Having failed once in both his life and career as a country singer (Duvall sings his own songs) he hesitatingly tries again with Harper. Australian director Bruce Beresford shows a sympathetic connection to the hot dusty Texan locations for his first Hollywood film and screenwriter Horton Foote (who also won an Oscar) provides a realistic pace. As with Foote's The Trip to Bountiful, the episodic and atmospheric story is a poignant portrayal of redemption.
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Quiet, downbeat character study with scenic Texas backgrounds. Mildly impressive, but no real reason to go to the cinema.
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A real gem. As it tells of Duvall's drunken, down-on-his-luck country singer's slow road to redemption by way of an... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful members' reviews (3)
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
worth while
Horton Foote's screenplay captures the world of country music well. The lead characters back-story is divied out perfectly, you actually get to think about it and appreciate where his life is heading since his fall. But his fortunes are left to your imagination instead of a bunch of redundant scenes showing his second coming as a once famous country crooner. Robert Duvall is excellent as are all the others. I especially liked the storyline concerning his daughter who fumbles back into his life despite the threats of his hysterical ex-wife. well paced and thoughtful.
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Sensitive and memorable
Strangely undervalued in terms of cinematic release and DVD distribution (it's only just come out on the latter), Tender Mercies nevertheless won two oscars. While Duval more than deserves it for his mesemerising and acutely sensitive performance (with singing to boot), the screenplay might have faltered with a less impressive lead performer. The story kicks off in slight, episodic snatches, tiny glimpses of lives, moves into broader strokes as it developes and finally hints at rather than explains where all this has taken us. Which could be good thing. The film is rich in subtlety and gentle surprises. Perhaps the raw feel of much of it was necessary to avoid sentimentality which, given a slicker treatment might have driven it over the edge. In spite of the dry, hard landscape, this is a warm and moving story that continues to resonate long after the credits have rolled. Likewise, in spite of the simplicity of the tale, the themes are deep, the insights profound and the characters very, very real. I rarely see a film twice but in this case I am seriously tempted to put it back on the list for another viewing.
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[Highly rated reviewer]
Boring
Robert Duvall is usually worth watching but this film goes at one pace and so becomes boring. As another reviewer says, it's good to fall asleep to.
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Most recent members' reviews (2)
View all -
Tender Mercies
Excellent depiction of a 'the middle of nowhere' America, with good performances and credible storyline.
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0 out of 1 person found this review helpful
forget sleepin tablets!!!!
having trouble sleepin at night? hire this film for a quick remedy....its sooooo boooor (yawn) ing.
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
worth while
Horton Foote's screenplay captures the world of country music well. The lead characters back-story is divied out perfectly, you actually get to think about it and appreciate where his life is heading since his fall. But his fortunes are left to your imagination instead of a bunch of redundant scenes showing his second coming as a once famous country crooner. Robert Duvall is excellent as are all the others. I especially liked the storyline concerning his daughter who fumbles back into his life despite the threats of his hysterical ex-wife. well paced and thoughtful.
-
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Sensitive and memorable
Strangely undervalued in terms of cinematic release and DVD distribution (it's only just come out on the latter), Tender Mercies nevertheless won two oscars. While Duval more than deserves it for his mesemerising and acutely sensitive performance (with singing to boot), the screenplay might have faltered with a less impressive lead performer. The story kicks off in slight, episodic snatches, tiny glimpses of lives, moves into broader strokes as it developes and finally hints at rather than explains where all this has taken us. Which could be good thing. The film is rich in subtlety and gentle surprises. Perhaps the raw feel of much of it was necessary to avoid sentimentality which, given a slicker treatment might have driven it over the edge. In spite of the dry, hard landscape, this is a warm and moving story that continues to resonate long after the credits have rolled. Likewise, in spite of the simplicity of the tale, the themes are deep, the insights profound and the characters very, very real. I rarely see a film twice but in this case I am seriously tempted to put it back on the list for another viewing.
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[Highly rated reviewer]
Boring
Robert Duvall is usually worth watching but this film goes at one pace and so becomes boring. As another reviewer says, it's good to fall asleep to.
-
Tender Mercies
Excellent depiction of a 'the middle of nowhere' America, with good performances and credible storyline.
-
0 out of 1 person found this review helpful
forget sleepin tablets!!!!
having trouble sleepin at night? hire this film for a quick remedy....its sooooo boooor (yawn) ing.
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Critics' reviews (3)
-
A spare, lean performance from spare, lean Robert Duvall won him his first and (so far) only Oscar. Duvall wakes up, after a drunken binge, in a Texan motel owned by religious widow Tess Harper and her young son Allan Hubbard. Having failed once in both his life and career as a country singer (Duvall sings his own songs) he hesitatingly tries again with Harper. Australian director Bruce Beresford shows a sympathetic connection to the hot dusty Texan locations for his first Hollywood film and screenwriter Horton Foote (who also won an Oscar) provides a realistic pace. As with Foote's The Trip to Bountiful, the episodic and atmospheric story is a poignant portrayal of redemption.
-
Quiet, downbeat character study with scenic Texas backgrounds. Mildly impressive, but no real reason to go to the cinema.
-
A real gem. As it tells of Duvall's drunken, down-on-his-luck country singer's slow road to redemption by way of an... read more on Time Out
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A compassionate love story tracing the relationship between a burnt-out Country and Western star and the young widow he meets in a Texas motel.... -
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