The Hero

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2:23

The Hero

R

2017

1h 36m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

77%

Tomatometer

115 Reviews

59%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Lee Hayden is a Western icon with a golden voice, but his best performances are decades behind him. He spends his days reliving old glories and smoking too much weed with his former co-star-turned-dealer, Jeremy, until a surprise cancer diagnosis brings his priorities into sharp focus. He soon strikes up an exciting, contentious relationship with stand-up comic Charlotte, and he attempts to reconnect with his estranged daughter, Lucy, all while searching for one final role to cement his legacy.

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Critics Consensus

The Hero rests on Sam Elliott's understated performance, which proves more than capable of carrying the film through the less inspired moments of its somewhat clichéd story.

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Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

06/30/2017

3/4

Quiet, personal and refreshingly introspective.

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Calvin Wilson

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

06/29/2017

2.5/4

It's one of his finest and most memorable performances. Unfortunately, the script fails to rise to the level of Elliott's artistry.

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Johanna Schneller

Globe and Mail

06/23/2017

2.5/4

Two good things are not enough to goose this all-too-familiar tale of a selfish man who wakes up one day, realizes that he blew it and scrambles to fix it before it's too late.

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Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

10/17/2024

4/5

The Hero is a sublime epistle to the silver screen specter cast by Sam Elliott.

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Ian Brill

Battleship Pretension

04/13/2021

While the film is a journeyman effort, The Hero's love for Elliott shines through in every scene. If you want to see an oft-supporting player get his due, this is the film.

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Richard Crouse

Richard Crouse

03/01/2021

2.5/5

Sam Elliott is in almost every frame, bringing an easy charm that solidifies his leading man status while smoothing over the film's rough patches.

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Homer Q

@HomerMovies Apr 1

SPOILERS: This is a nothing movie. The pacing is awful, the connections between characters are vague and uninteresting. Okay, he's estranged from his family. Why? Why should we care or feel bad? His daughter appears in 3-4 scenes and when she does appear, she is shallow and provides no further context besides "Hi Dad you are estranged with me and I'm mad about it." And his girlfriend? She has sex with him and uses him as a comedy bit. Rightfully, he walks out of the show. But then forgets about it because her excuse is "i had to make that joke to process our relationship." Are you serious? And he takes that as an acceptable and valid answer. Buddy you are being used for clout. But the movie frames this as a valuable relationship that helps him cope with his mortality. My favorite part of the movie is sprinkled throughout, it reminds you he is a stoner to add cheap "depth" to his character. This movie sucks and made 90 minutes feel like 3 hours.

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Kyle M

@RT77296778 Jun 22

A dramatically routine contradictive mixture when weighing each aspectual boosts within the unbalanced shared discourse of an actor’s rejuvenated career and the need to reconcile, which briefly elaborate on reasonable levels. Not much to resonate if on the subservient relatable grounds besides appreciation drawn towards the nice cast and how well they performed, particularly Sam Elliot with his rare star vehicle in taking the helm at one of his best. (B)

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SR C

@RT38799168 05/06/2024

I absolutely adore Sam Elliott, and even though there was food for thought in the plot, the storyline was slow and mundane. Elliott was a delight, but even he couldn't save this sorry movie.

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Georgan G

@RT98616417 02/16/2024

Sam Elliott makes this movie. There are some thought provoking scenes. But it's mostly about how the end of life puts life into perspective.

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Gayle F

@RT23769297 05/29/2023

I loved Sam Elliott in this role - very touching.

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w r

@RT15500547 09/11/2022

This dog don't hunt. It started slow and stopped after 5 minutes but kept filming for years, at least it seemed like it.

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Brett Haley

Director

Sam Elliott

Lee Hayden

Laura Prepon

Charlotte Dylan

Nick Offerman

Jeremy Frost

Krysten Ritter

Lucy Hayden

Katharine Ross

Valarie Hayden

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The Hero: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Lee Hayden is a Western icon with a golden voice, but his best performances are decades behind him. He spends his days reliving old glories and smoking too much weed with his former co-star-turned-dealer, Jeremy, until a surprise cancer diagnosis brings his priorities into sharp focus. He soon strikes up an exciting, contentious relationship with stand-up comic Charlotte, and he attempts to reconnect with his estranged daughter, Lucy, all while searching for one final role to cement his legacy.

Director: Brett Haley
Producer: Houston King, Sam Bisbee, Erik Rommesmo
Screenwriter: Brett Haley, Marc Basch
Distributor: The Orchard
Production Co: Park Pictures, Northern Lights Films, Houston King
Rating: R (Language|Drug Use|Some Sexual Content)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 9, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 12, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $4.1M
Runtime: 1h 36m

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