The Accidental Tourist

Based on Anne Tyler's best-selling novel of the same name, director Lawrence Kasdan's (The Big Chill) adaptation picked up Best Picture honors from the New York Film Critic's Circle, as well as an Oscar® for the supporting performance of Geena Davis. William Hurt stars as Macon Leary, writer of travel guides for the reluctant traveler. As the film opens, his marriage to his wife Sarah (Kathleen Turner) is falling apart--due to the tremendous gulf caused by the senseless murder of their teenage son. Retreating into a cocoon with his faithful dog Edward, Macon is drawn out by the full-of-life Muriel (Davis), a single woman who trains dogs, embraces new experiences, tries to raise her sickly son in Baltimore's urban ghetto, and generally represents that strong life force that Macon has meticulously tried to shield himself from. Although comic relief is provided by the eccentric Leary family (who take type "A" behavior to new heights), The Accidental Tourist scores as a powerfully crafted drama of people trying to cope with grief in an increasingly violent society. Highly recommended.(R. Pitman) [DVD Review--Mar. 9, 2004--Warner, 121 min., PG, $19.98--Making its debut on DVD, Lawrence Kasdan's 1988 The Accidental Tourist boasts an excellent widescreen transfer, and a solid Dolby Digital surround soundtrack. DVD extras include a three-minute introduction by Kasdan, the 13-minute featurette 'It's Like Life' (with a mix of old and new interviews), 38 minutes of deleted scenes, and scene-specific commentary by Geena Davis (39 minutes worth, mostly on her character). Bottom line: a nice extras package for a winning film.]