Tender Mercies

From 1983. Screenwriter Horton Foote, director Bruce Beresford, a murderer's row of great character actresses and actors (Betty Buckley, Ellen Barkin, Wilford Brimley among others), a brilliant breakout turn by Tess Harper and above all Robert Duvall, who picked up a best actor Oscar while Foote scored one himself. A prime example of type of film that gets cited as the kind of 'film for adults Hollywood doesn't make anymore,' though via Crazy Heart it can get cloned (right down to the Oscar).

I know there are devotees of it on here; for me I'll always think of my dad, who fell in love with this film upon release and ranks it highly to this day. Almost thirty years on something about it still feels just right, an inherently 'conservative' film that kicks against the label because it simply feels human, battered around the edges and resistant to being either a look at 'flyover country,' whether for humor or melodrama, or a paean to same said location. It's about people who live where they do or who end up there, with all they experience and bring with them, and I suspect it's cast a longer shadow that has been realized.

I'd be interested to know if the film has had any sort of impact outside of America/English-language countries; it feels like the kind of film that could inspire similar, specifically-set films elsewhere.

Not knocking you for liking it--it's been ages since I saw it, and probably should see it again--but it inspired one of my favourite Kael passages ever:

"...they haven't actually exchanged much more than a few yups and nopes when, about half an hour into the picture, he says, 'I guess it's no secret how I feel about you. A blind man could see that.' Which is

(Oops)

Not knocking you for liking it--it's been ages since I saw it, and probably should see it again--but it inspired one of my favourite Kael passages ever:

"...they haven't actually exchanged much more than a few yups and nopes when, about half an hour into the picture, he says, 'I guess it's no secret how I feel about you. A blind man could see that.' Which is quite a surprise, because nobody could see that."

I saw this last year for the first time was unimpressed, alas. The wrong kind of slow: a director not finding a rhythm, and actors who failed to compensate.

*and was unimpressed

The wrong kind of slow: a director not finding a rhythm, and actors who failed to compensate.

I can see that, in my memory -- been ages since I saw it myself, like clemenza -- but I'd say 'different' rather than 'wrong,' necessarily. It seems to suit a certain pace and certain viewer above all else.