Tender Mercies

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Cast & Crew

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

Paul Gleason
Reporter

Michael Crabtree
Lewis Menefee

Norman Bennett
Reverend Hotchkiss

Rick Murray
Jake

Stephen Funchess
Bertie

Glen Fleming
Steve

Bruce Beresford
Director

Philip Hobel
Producer

Mary Ann Hobel
Producer

Horton Foote
Producer

Robert Duvall
Producer

Horton Foote
Screenwriter

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Audience Reviews for Tender Mercies

• May 04, 2022

  A subtle character piece that never wastes a second of its runtime and I love that Duvall won his Oscar for such a quiet and understated performance.
  

  Alec B Super Reviewer
• Apr 28, 2014

  This Duvall piece influenced a lot of similar films in the future. A lot has been mined out of the "cowboy has difficulty in the modern world" storyline but they all reasonate universally.
  

  John B Super Reviewer
• Jun 03, 2012

  "Tender Mercies" is a very minimalist effort from director Bruce Beresford, who moves the film along at a calm and unhurried pace. As well, Robert Duvall gives an endearing and honest performance that resonates with every word that he says. Overall, the impact that "Tender Mercies" has on the viewer is not lasting, but watching it is a pleasant experience.
  Super Reviewer
• Jan 30, 2010

  Robert Duvall delivers a great, oscar-winning performance in a film that is actually worthy of it (as opposed to "The Great Santini"). Hell, even the kid (Allen Hubbard) does a good job. Duvall plays an alcholic country singer who, after waking up in a desolate country farmhouse/gas station/motel, decides to stay on and help out the owner (who is a single mother) when he can't afford to pay off his bill. Obviously, the two fall in love and get married (their relationship is formed so quickly they're already married before the movie is ten minutes in), and she helps him sober up and straighten out his life. It's interesting to see how subdued or distant the wife (Tess Harper) is. One of the closing scenes, where Duvall's character has a breakdown, any other movie wife would run to him and hug and comfort him, but this woman (who appears in the corner of the screen), merely turns and walks away. For such a loving wife, it's rather strange behavior (in fact, it leads one to question whether she really loves him, or married him just because he provided a role model for her son). His ex-wife stands in stark contrast, she's driven purely by her music career and doesn't seem to care about anything else. She's a woman who seemingly has it all, but really has nothing, whereas he is someone who appears to have nothing but really has everything he could ever want. He doesn't covet his ex wife's success. Their daughter (Ellen Barkin) is kept from him until at 18, she decides to look him up for herself. It's such a slow-moving, simple tale and yet it feels realistic, like it could've been made-for-television by Robert Altman. Duvall is convincing as a country music singer, and does a good job performing the songs in the movie. Tender Mercies would make a nice contrasting companion piece for Altman's "Nashville", if someone were in the mood for country & western, slice-of-life.
  Super Reviewer