The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1968)

Sentimental story centers around a deaf-mute, Singer, and Mick, a teenager who lives in the house where he rents a room. Mick and Singer become friends, though they are separated by ... See full summary »

Director:

Robert Ellis Miller

Writers:

Carson McCullers (novel), Thomas C. Ryan (screenplay)

Stars:

Alan Arkin, Sondra Locke, Laurinda Barrett

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alan Arkin	...	John Singer
Sondra Locke	...	Mick
Laurinda Barrett	...	Mrs. Kelly
Stacy Keach	...	Blount (as Stacy Keach Jr.)
Chuck McCann	...	Spiros Antonapoulos
Biff McGuire	...	Mr. Kelly
Percy Rodrigues	...	Doctor Copeland
Cicely Tyson	...	Portia
Jackie Marlowe	...	Bubber
Johnny Popwell	...	Willie
Wayne Smith	...	Harry
Peter Mamakos	...	Spirmonedes
John O'Leary	...	Beaudine
Hubert Harper	...	Brannon
Sherri Vise	...	Delores

Storyline

Sentimental story centers around a deaf-mute, Singer, and Mick, a teenager who lives in the house where he rents a room. Mick and Singer become friends, though they are separated by Singer's lack of communication ability and Mick's struggle with teenage traumas. The lives of the people Singer touches are varied, linked only by their friendship with Singer. His friends include a deaf-mute, a drunk, a and a doctor. Singer does his best to help those around him solve their problems, but who is there to help him solve his own?

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Plot Keywords:

deaf | southern literature | deafness | claim in title | based on novel

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Taglines:

...and from this man who could not speak or hear, the girl heard many things.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English American Sign Language

Release Date:

31 July 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

Das Herz ist ein einsamer Jäger

Filming Locations:

Selma, Alabama, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Brothers/Seven Arts

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At age 24, Sondra Locke was ten years older than the character she played in this film.

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Goofs

Carnival is supposedly taking place on a warm summer night judging from characters' lightweight costumes but actors' frosty breath can be seen in a number of shots.

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Connections

Referenced in Cheers: The Heart Is a Lonely Snipehunter (1985)

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Soundtracks

"I Can't Afford to Let You Go"
Written by Dave Grusin and Hermine Hilton
Performed by Mac Davis (as Scott Davis)

User Reviews

Sensitive, emotional, beautifully acted

This is a sensitively-made picture by all involved, with especially moving performances by Arkin and Locke, both of whom were Oscar-nominated. I saw it recently at a screening which was attended by Locke, McCann, Keach, and director Robert Ellis Miller. (The widow of cinematographer James Wong Howe was there, too, as the screening was part of a tribute to the great cameraman.)

After the screening, Keach told Miller that the movie had aged "like a fine wine." I think that's true. While the music and some aspects of the shooting style have dated (e.g., there are several zooms), the emotions of the story have not. This is a quite absorbing and affecting movie, and Arkin is simply astonishing in the way he is able to emote so much without uttering a word.

However, this movie overall feels good more in the way that a novel feels good, rather than the way that an originally-written movie does. I believe it has to do with the structure of the story, which is episodic and delves into several characters' points of view without a truly unifying visual thread. In other words, it feels literary. (This is analagous to movie adaptations of plays suffering from "staginess," which they almost always do. The problem is not as common with novel adaptations, but it still happens. Even "To Kill a Mockingbird" suffers somewhat from this problem.)

Still, the film is beautifully shot by the great James Wong Howe, and again, the performances overcome the inherent script problems to make this a satisfying experience.