Tender Mercies (1983)

Director:

Bruce Beresford

Writer:

Horton Foote (written by)

Release Date:

10 June 1983 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama | Music

Tagline:

Robert Duvall is Mac Sledge, down and out country singer. His struggle for fame was over. His fight for respect was just beginning

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Singer | Widow | Behind The Scenes | Alcoholism | Reunion

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Robert Duvall	...	Mac Sledge
Tess Harper	...	Rosa Lee
Betty Buckley	...	Dixie
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 Member
Stephen Funchess	...	Bertie - Slater Mill Boys Member
Glen Fleming	...	Steve - Slater Mill Boys Member
James Aaron	...	Henry - Slater Mill Boys Member
Jerry Biggs	...	Man in Bar
Sheila Bird	...	Concessionaire
Robert E. Blackburn III	...	Boy at Dance
Eli Cummins	...	Doorman
Tony Frank	...	Man at Motel
Berkley Garrett	...	Man at Dixie's House (as Berkley H. Garrett)
Helena Humann	...	Woman with Groceries
Suzanne Jacobs	...	Nurse
Barbara Jones	...	Country Woman
Jerry Jones	...	Country Man
Harlan Jordan	...	Waiter
Robert P. Kelley	...	Choirmaster
Ray LePere	...	Man in Bar / Restaurant
Pat Minter	...	Man at Dixie's Douse
Terry Schoolcraft	...	Ada - Dixie's Driver
Oliver Seale	...	Man at Dixie's House
Denise Simek	...	Concessionaire
Robert Stewart	...	Concessionaire
Susan Aston	...	Woman at Dance
Vicki Neff	...	Woman at Dance
Pamela Putnam	...	Woman at Dance
Jerry Abbot	...	Piano - Country Blues Band Member
Bobby Hibbitts	...	Drums - Country Blues Band Member
Buddie Hrabal	...	Steel Guitar - Country Blues Band Member
Jerry Matheny	...	Guitar - Country Blues Band Member
Wayne Milligan	...	Bass - Country Blues Band Member
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Don 'Tex' Clark	...	Bar Patron (uncredited)

Directed by
Bruce Beresford

Writing credits
Horton Foote		(written by)

Produced by
Robert Duvall	....	co-producer
Horton Foote	....	co-producer
Mary-Ann Hobel	....	associate producer
Philip Hobel	....	producer (as Philip S. Hobel)

Original Music by
George Dreyfus

Cinematography by
Russell Boyd		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
William M. Anderson		(as William Anderson)

Art Direction by
Jeannine Claudia Oppewall		(as Jeannine Oppewall)

Set Decoration by
Daniel Loren May		(as Daniel L. May)

Makeup Department
Lynn Decker	....	hairstylist
Paul Huntley	....	wigs: Betty Buckley
Michael J. Randall	....	assistant hairstylist
Carla Rulien	....	assistant makeup artist
Jimi White	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Tom Joyner	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Richard Luke Rothschild	....	first assistant director
Kelly Wimberly	....	second assistant director

Art Department
E.W. Bradford	....	construction coordinator (as Bill Bradford)
James R. Cox	....	swing man
Glenn Dunn	....	lead man
Johnny Gutierrez	....	construction assistant (as Johnny L. Guiterrez)
Mike Parsons	....	property master
Roy W. Wahlstrom	....	painter
William Vance White	....	assistant props

Sound Department
Stan Bochner	....	sound editor
Angelo Corrao	....	assistant sound editor
Jay Dranch	....	sound editor
Bruce Kitzmeyer	....	assistant sound editor
Stuart Lieberman	....	assistant sound editor
Dan Lieberstein	....	sound editor
Dennis Maitland II	....	boom man (as Dennis L. Maitland II)
Christopher Newman	....	sound mixer (as Chris Newman)
Maurice Schell	....	supervising sound editor
Magdaline Volaitis	....	assistant sound editor
Dick Vorisek	....	rerecording supervisor
Maurice Schell	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Randy Fife	....	stunt double
Ben Loggins	....	utility stunts (as Ben E. Loggins)
Russell Towery	....	utility stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Thomas Alcala	....	electrician
Mike Apsey	....	playback operator
Curtis Bingham	....	grip (as Curt Bingham)
Don Broughton	....	playback operator
Jerry G. Callaway	....	camera operator
Murray K. Campbell	....	gaffer
Michael P. Henning	....	electrician (as Michael Henning)
John Knight	....	best boy grip
Leo MacWilliam	....	electrician
J. Michael McClary	....	first assistant camera
Fred L. McLane	....	second assistant camera (as Frederick L. McLane)
Ron Phillips	....	still photographer
Tony Poston	....	dolly grip
Kerry Rike	....	key grip
Dave Roberts	....	electrician
Johnny Smith	....	grip
Darrel D. Tawney	....	best boy (as Darrel Tawney)
Philip C. Pfeiffer	....	second camera operator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Robin Boehme	....	extras casting
Shari Rhodes	....	casting: Texas

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jane Greenwood	....	costumes: Betty Buckley
Elizabeth McBride	....	costumer
Joan Thomas	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Norman Buckley	....	second assistant editor
Emily Paine	....	first assistant editor
Charles Simmons	....	location assistant editor (as Charles A. Simmons)
Mary Sweeney	....	apprentice editor

Music Department
Charles Feldman	....	country music advisor
Tommy Oliver	....	arranger: country music

Other crew
Billy Barnes	....	craft service (as Billy E. Barnes)
Linda Barnes	....	craft service
Diane Batson-Smith	....	assistant to the producer (as Diane Smith)
Dominique Bruballa	....	assistant accountant
Betty A. Buckley	....	production coordinator
Kathleen Caton	....	assistant to the producer
Stan Cohen	....	caterer (as Stanley J. Cohen)
Dawn Easterling	....	production assistant
Nick Felix	....	dance instructor
Max Ferris	....	security
Danette Goss Alberts	....	location manager (as Danette Goss)
Karen A. Hall	....	production secretary
Sandra K. Jantzen	....	production assistant (as Sandy Jantzen)
Charles N. Johnson	....	caterer
John Kane	....	unit publicist
Janet Lucas Lawler	....	first aid (as Janet L. Lawler)
Kathleen McGill	....	production accountant (as Kathy McGill)
Don Miller	....	production accountant
Anne Rapp	....	script supervisor
Erica Rogalla	....	production assistant
Earlane Simpson	....	tutor

Production Companies

• Antron Media Production
• EMI Films (copyright holder)

Distributors

• EMI Films (1983) (USA) (theatrical) (as EMI) (a member of the Thorn EMI Group)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Lionsgate Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Kinosto (1984) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• Associated Film Distribution (AFD)
• Front Row Filmed Entertainment (2008) (United Arab Emirates) (all media) (Middle East)
• Gativideo (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• IDA films (2009) (Spain) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Lumiere Home Video
• Thorn EMI Video Australia
• Universal Pictures
• VTI Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video
• Warner Home Video (198?) (Netherlands) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Trans / Audio  post production services (as Trans Audio, Inc.)
• Magno Sound  post production services (as Magno Sound, Inc.)
• A&R Recording Inc.  post production services
• Optical House, The  titles and optical effects by (as The Optical House, N.Y.)
• Movielab  camera by
• Panavision  lenses and Panaflex® Camera by
• Technicolor  prints by

Also Known As:

Runtime:

100 min | 92 min (TCM print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:PG (PCA #26678) | UK:PG | Singapore:PG | Iceland:L | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade)

Filming Locations:

Palmer, Texas, USA

Company:

Antron Media Production

Trivia:

When Mac was talking with the band about possibly joining them to record some songs, they stopped in front of a shop named "T.M. Harper Hardware". Tess Harper played Rosa Lee, Mac's new wife.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the final scenes, Sonny is shown with empty farmland behind him, then after a cut to a wider shot, suddenly the gas station and motel are behind him.

Quotes:

Mac Sledge:I don't trust happiness. I never did, I never will.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Feature Film Lighting: Russell Boyd A.C.S. Interviewed by Peter Thompson (1985) (V)

Soundtrack:

It Hurts to Face Reality

In the spirit of John Ford

As spare and clean and unflinching as a John Ford movie. At times reminds me of The Searchers in its perfect marriage of style and pained stoicism, and the way the sky and fate dwarf the all-too-human interiors. Superb editing and interior design, and probably Duvall's finest performance.