The Hero

Sam Elliott stars as veteran actor Lee Hayden, whose biggest hit was a cowboy film in the 1970s. Lee's only job these days is doing commercial voiceovers in his distinctive, smoky baritone. Living alone in a small house in Malibu, Lee is turning 71 and knows that he has pancreatic cancer. Divorced, and alienated from his resentful daughter (Krysten Ritter), Lee spends time with his drug-peddling neighbor, friend, and former costar Jeremy (Nick Offerman). Lee meets flirtatious 35-year-old Charlotte (Laura Prepon), a standup comic who immediately latches onto Lee, explaining that she has a thing for older men, along with the poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay. So Lee asks Charlotte to accompany him to a banquet where he will receive an acting Lifetime Achievement Award. Mixing Ecstasy with champagne as they ride in the back of the limo en route to the dinner, they both get high, which explains why Lee gives a perplexing acceptance speech that inexplicably goes viral on the Internet, leading to an onslaught of offers and a potentially big audition. Directed by Brett Haley, The Hero is a small, melancholic film about resilience in the face of mortality, with Elliott delivering an understated Oscar-caliber performance. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include an audio commentary by writer-director Brett Haley and star Sam Elliott, and a photo gallery. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a bonus UltraViolet copy of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a fine character study.] (S. Granger)