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Tender Mercies (1983)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
10 June 1983 (Australia) moreTagline:
Robert Duvall is Mac Sledge, down and out country singer. His struggle for fame was over. His fight for respect was just beginning morePlot:
A broken-down, middle-aged country singer gets a new wife, reaches out to his long-lost daughter, and tries to put his troubled life back together. full summary | add synopsisAwards:
Won 2 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 10 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(4 articles)
Eric Roberts leads new 'Crash' cast (From Hitfix. 11 June 2009, 2:56 PM, PDT)
Tony Award Nominations / Movie Connections
(From FilmExperience. 5 May 2009, 11:42 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
A Drama With Realism, Heart & Dignity moreCast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Robert Duvall | ... | Mac Sledge | |
| Tess Harper | ... | Rosa Lee | |
| Betty Buckley | ... | Dixie Scott | |
| Wilford Brimley | ... | Harry | |
| Ellen Barkin | ... | Sue Anne | |
| Allan Hubbard | ... | Sonny | |
| Lenny von Dohlen | ... | Robert (as Lenny Von Dohlen) | |
| Paul Gleason | ... | Reporter | |
| Michael Crabtree | ... | Lewis Menefee | |
| Norman Bennett | ... | Reverend Hotchkiss | |
| Andrew Scott Hollon | ... | Larue | |
| Rick Murray | ... | Jake (Slater Mill Boys) | |
| Stephen Funchess | ... | Bertie (Slater Mill Boys) | |
| Glen Fleming | ... | Steve (Slater Mill Boys) | |
| James Aaron | ... | Henry (Slater Mill Boys) |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
100 min | 92 min (TCM print)Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 moreSound Mix:
StereoCertification:
Singapore:PG | Iceland:L | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:PG | UK:PGFun Stuff
Trivia:
'Robert Duvall (I)' is really singing in the nightclub scene. moreSoundtrack:
You Are What Love Means To Me moreFAQ
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This is a movie with a lot of "dignity." It has such realistic people, it kept me fascinated because it seemed so different from most films I've watched.
There aren't a lot of dramatic things that happen in the story yet, as a whole, it's a wonderful tale that stays with you. It's a lot more than just seeing an Oscar-winning performance by Robert Duvall as Texan and former C&W singer and writer, "Mac Sledge." It's simply good storytelling
I can't say I am a fan of Duvall's country singing, but that is the only thing I didn't like. Well, maybe "Dixie" (Betty Buckley), who played a bitter ex-wife of Duvall's in here. She was not pleasant, but others were really nice, likable people. Yet, this is not some sappy movie just because most of the people are good folks.
As in film noirs in which the viewer has a sense of dread, knowing something bad is around the corner, I felt the same thing in this film, even though it didn't necessarily happen. I mean with the main characters: Mac, Rosa Lee and Sonny. There was underlying tension, probably because of Sledge's alcoholic and violent past, that made me fear that any minute he was going to ruin the nice setup he had with a good woman and nice stepson.
Duvall, as usual, makes his role a fascinating and unpredictable one. With many of the people he has played over the years, you never am sure what his characters are going to do next. Tess Harper, as Mac's new wife, and Alan Hubbard, as her son, are two of the most realistic characters I've ever seen on film. It helped they were from the area so their accents were real.
This is a just straight drama, with a solid screenplay by Horton Foote and direction by Bruce Beresford ("Driving Miss Daisy"). In addition, actors Buckley (who can sing, too), Wilford Brimley and Ellen Barkin all give memorable supporting performances.
It was an interesting tale of something I have rarely seen on film in the past 50 years: a good Christian woman lifting up a man to her level. She never had to do it verbally, never nagged or preached to the man, just set example of how to act and be a loving, supportive spouse. There is a lesson for people here with how well "Rosa Lee" handled situations. Nice.....very nice.