Tender Mercies (1983)

The Story

"Bruce Beresford, in his first American film, directs with the fierce intensity of someone who undertstands the unique barren landscape of rural Texas." – Dennis Schwartz

Bruce Beresford’s triumphant film earned Oscars for Robert Duvall (Best Actor) and for Horton Foote (screenplay); the film received an Oscar nomination for Best Picture and Beresford was nominated for Best Director. Mac Sledge (Duvall) is a washed-up, alcoholic country and western singer who finds solace and affection with a widow (Tess Harper) and her 10-year-old son (Allen Hubbard) on a Texan prairie. In Beresford’s words it’s about “a man finding a new life, a woman finding a new husband, and the boy a new father. It is a story of growing together and of hope”.

Screens on the occasion of the film’s 40th anniversary since its original release.

“For Bruce Beresford, Mac Sledge is as much a folk hero as the rough-riding balladeer in Breaker Morant…the astonishing purity of Duvall’s performance, itself a kind of marvel, allows us to believe Sledge has found a home.” — Carol Flake, Vanity Fair

“Tender Mercies is so good that it has the effect of rediscovering a kind of film fiction that has been debased over the decades by hack moviemakers.” — Janet Maslin, New York Times

“You see, I don’t trust happiness.” — Mac Sledge

Watch Robert Duvall accept the Oscar for Best Actor, here.

The 5:15pm screening on Sunday 30 April will be introduced by Bruce Beresford, director of over 30 feature films and nominated for an Academy Award for Tender Mercies.

Rating

PG

Duration

92 min

Cast

Robert Duvall, Tess Harper, Allan Hubbard

Director

Bruce Beresford