The Accidental Tourist (1988)

An emotionally distant writer of travel guides must carry on with his life after his son is killed and his marriage crumbles.

Director:

Lawrence Kasdan

Writers:

Anne Tyler (book), Frank Galati (screenplay),

Stars:

William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Geena Davis

Won 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William Hurt	...	Macon Leary
Kathleen Turner	...	Sarah Leary
Geena Davis	...	Muriel Pritchett
Amy Wright	...	Rose Leary
David Ogden Stiers	...	Porter Leary
Ed Begley Jr.	...	Charles Leary
Bill Pullman	...	Julian
Robert Hy Gorman	...	Alexander Pritchett (as Robert Gorman)
Bradley Mott	...	Mr. Loomis
Seth Granger	...	Ethan Leary
Amanda Houck	...	Debbie
Caroline Houck	...	Dorrie
London Nelson	...	Caroline
Gregory Gouyer	...	Paris Boy
Bill Lee Brown	...	Morgue Detective #1 (as W.H. Brown)

Storyline

After the death of his son, Macon Leary, a travel writer, seems to be sleep walking through life. Macon's wife, seems to be having trouble too, and thinks it would be best if the two would just split up. After the break up, Macon meets a strange outgoing woman, who seems to bring him back down to earth. After starting a relationship with the outgoing woman, Macon's wife seems to think that their marriage is still worth a try. Macon is then forced to deal many decisions

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Plot Keywords:

travel | travel writer | travel guide | suitcase | dog | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 January 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

O Turista Acidental

Filming Locations:

324 Hawthorne Road, Roland Park, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$32,632,093 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Edward the dog is a Cardigan Welsh Corgi.

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Goofs

After returning from England, Macon reaches into his pocket for his keys twice.

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Quotes

Macon: I'm beginning to think that maybe it's not just how much you love someone. Maybe what matters is who you are when you're with them.

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Connections

Referenced in L.A. Law: The Accidental Jurist (1989)

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Soundtracks

"I'M GONNA LASSO SANTA CLAUS"
Written by Frankie Adams and 'Wilbur Jones'

User Reviews

Cinematographic pearl.

I agree to almost every word reviewer Takatomon wrote. One of this movie's greatest merits is that it deals with issues in life in a unpolished and natural way. It's easy to understand how this movie can be overlooked by the majority of viewers as this movie isn't for the majority of viewers. That is, the majority that's expecting to be entertained in the Hollywood style of film making. With that I mean those "strong" performances we all want to see from characters as Hoffman in "Rain Man" or Hanks in "Forrest Gump". Or vast visuals, filmed in the broadest scope, or action packed sequences. Not in "The Accidental Tourist". What you do get is William Hurt in what I think is one of his best roles as Macon Leary, writer of travel guides and Geena Davis in an exquisite role as the pet store owner. I've admired actors for the way they can portray mentally or socially challenged people (Rainman, Forrest Gump, Of mice and men, etc.). These parts tend to win the Oscars. But I'd rather give one to Hurt for his portrayal of Macon Leary because this character doesn't show obvious signs of any handicap. Actually Macon is very plain. What can be more difficult than acting out a role of a person who's personal qualities don't jump at you right away? "The Accidental Tourist" is a movie of high quality and should be given a fair chance.