Tender Mercies

It's not hard to see why Robert Duvall received the 1983 Best Actor Oscar for this superb film. Duvall doesn't simply portray Mac Sledge, a onetime country music superstar who drowned his career in the bottle, only to find love and redemption with west Texas widow Tess Harper and her son; he completely inhabits the part, to the point where the line between actor and role isn't merely blurred, but obliterated. Written by Horton Foote (who also received an Oscar) and directed by Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy), Tender Mercies is a plain film, but not a simple one; it's populated by characters (also including a young Ellen Barkin as Mac's daughter and Betty Buckley as his overwrought ex-wife) who talk and act like real people, as opposed to the shallow, affected stereotypes seen in so many contemporary films. This is the genuine article, right down to the fact that Duvall does all of his own singing, in a style reminiscent of Merle Haggard or George Jones. For this re-release, a new 30-minute documentary has been added in which Duvall, Foote, Beresford and others discuss the genesis and making of the movie. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (S. Graham)