Tender Mercies

What’s the Deal: Tender Mercies (1983) tells the story of Mac Sledge, a has-been country music singer who finds redemption in new relationships he forms later in life. Mac is played by Robert Duvall, in, shockingly, the only role Mr. Duvall has ever won an Oscar for. (Lonesome Dove wasn’t a theater-released movie, or else I’m certain he would have for that. He might have won emmys..??). I mean seriously, he’s only won one Oscar?…this is the man that played Gus in Lonesome Dove, Bluebonnett in Open Range, Tom the Consigliere in the Godfather, and the Nicolas Cage’s mechanic friend in Gone in 60 Seconds. I’m joking about that last one.

The movie begins with Mac passed out drunk in a random Texas hotel, with no clear description of how he got there. He is broke and begins working for the hotel owner to pay for his room and the damage he has done. We eventually realize that he was once a respected country music singer, and so begins the story of redemption. He takes an ambitious, up-and-coming country music band under his wing, begins writing music again, steers clear of alcohol, reconnects with his ex-wife and estranged daughter, and then marries a new wife and adopts her son.

What I liked:

1. Robert Duvall. He’s got that I-know-more-than-you-think-I-do-grin, and he plays the lazy, hard-ass smart aleck better than just about anyone. Apparently he also traveled all around Texas to study the Texas accent, which he nailed.

2. The soundtrack. Robert Duvall sang Mac Sledge’s music himself, which is awesome.

3. Texas. It’s no secret that I love all things Texas. That the movie is set here is pretty cool. I also discovered that it was filmed mostly in the nearby town of Waxahachie, Texas. So that’s interesting as well.

4. The story. What’s not to like about a story of someone down on their luck that picks himself up by his bootstraps and finds happiness again? It’s just good stuff and pretty inspiring.

What I didn’t:

1. It is pretty dated. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but they just seemed to make movies a little bit slower back in the early 80’s.