Tender Mercies (1983)

★ 6.7 1h 32m 151 votes IMDb
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Alcoholic former country singer Mac Sledge makes friends with a young widow and her son. The friendship enables him to find inspiration to resume his career.

Tender Mercies

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Cast

Robert Duvall
Robert Duvall as Mac Sledge Died 2026 · San Diego, California, USA Robert Selden Duvall (January 5, 1931 – February 15, 2026) was an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of an Academy Award, four Golden Globe Awards, a BAFTA Award, two Primetime Emmy Awa...
Tess Harper
Tess Harper as Rosa Lee Age 75 · Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, USA Tessie Jean "Tess" Harper (née Washam; born August 15, 1950) is an American actress. She was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress for her first film role in 1983's Tender M...
Betty Buckley
Betty Buckley as Dixie Age 78 · Big Spring, Texas, USA Betty Lynn Buckley (born July 3, 1947) is an American actress and singer who has worked in film, television and theatre. She possesses a singing of voice of great power and beauty and has achieved gre...
Wilford Brimley
Wilford Brimley as Harry Died 2020 · Salt Lake City, Utah, USA Anthony Wilford Brimley (September 27, 1934 – August 1, 2020) was an American actor and singer. After serving in the Marines and taking on a variety of odd jobs, he became an extra for Western films,...
Ellen Barkin
Ellen Barkin as Sue Anne Age 72 · New York City, New York, USA Ellen Rona Barkin (born April 16, 1954) is an American actress. Her breakthrough role was in the 1982 film Diner, and in the following years, she had starring roles in films such as Tender Mercies (19...
Lenny Von Dohlen
Lenny Von Dohlen as Robert Died 2022 · Augusta, Georgia, US From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Lenny Von Dohlen (December 22, 1958 – July 5, 2022) was an American film and stage actor, best known for his performance as the agoraphobic Harold Smith in Twin...

Audience Reviews

Wuchak 7/10 Jul 21, 2024
**_A broken-down Country musician seeks a new life in Texas_**

A single mother (Tess Harper) runs a motel & gas station in the lonely plains between Dallas and Austin. She hires an alcoholic man who couldn’t pay what he owed (Robert Duvall) and discovers that he’s an ex-Country star.

“Tender Mercies” (1983) is a lowkey drama set in rural Texas, reminiscent of "Resurrection" (1980) mixed with “Coal Miner’s Daughter” and the later “The Apostle.” While it’s better than “Resurrection,” it’s not quite as good as the other two. However, if you like subdued storytelling, like “Places in the Heart,” you might prefer it. The film was reimagined as “Crazy Heart” 26 years later with Jeff Bridges, which also features Duvall.

On the female front, Tess is winsome in a humble way while Betty Buckley is great as the ex-wife and country entertainer, Dixie. Whenever she performs, the movie perks up. Lastly, Ellen Barkin is notable as the beautiful 18 years-old daughter. She was 28 during shooting, but easily fit the role. By contrast, both Tess and Robert were slightly long-in-the-tooth for the ages of their characters (if you do the math), but that’s a minor cavil.

There’s a welcome spirituality to the proceedings and the movie doesn’t skimp out on addressing tough theological questions in its understated way.

The flick runs 1 hour, 32 minutes, and was shot in Palmer, Texas, which is a half hour drive south of Dallas.

GRADE: B/B-

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