In a world of big, loud, spectacular movies, it's rare for a quiet little film to grab people's attention. Tender Mercies is such a film, and its success is almost entirely due to a rich, understated performance by Robert Duvall.
Mac Sledge (Duvall) is a washed-up former country music star. Alcohol and hard times have driven him from two wives, a daughter and the music business. He finds himself hung over, alone and without money at a motel beside a quiet Texas highway. A young widow, Rosa Lee (Tess Harper), runs the motel. She hires Mac for room, board and two dollars an hour. Since Mac is ready to bounce back after hitting rock bottom, he quietly sets to work cleaning up his act. Before we know it, he's settled in and married to Rosa Lee. Mac works hard to get his life back on an even keel, but he still has music on his mind. Slowly and hesitantly, he steps back into his music, this time without the accompanying lifestyle that previously brought him down. Even when his ex-wife and long-lost daughter reappear in his life, Mac maintains his new-found balance. Through ups and downs, Mac knows he has found something worth keeping.
Duvall's performance is wonderful. He makes Mac likeable, sad and ever-so-slightly optimistic all at the same time. His face shows a world of hurt and his words consistently understate what he's thinking. Every word and every glance are filled with meaning. Even when his emotions spill out, he caps them just the way we know Mac would.
Tender Mercies also brought a group of fresh faces to the screen. Harper is disappointingly stilted in the role of Rosa Lee. She's positively inscrutable and fails to connect with the audience. Allan Hubbard plays her little boy, Sonny. This is the only film role to Hubbard's credit, and while he obviously is an inexperienced little actor, he comes across as a real Texas kid. Ellen Barkin, in one of her earlier roles, makes a relatively short appearance as Mac's daughter.
The greatest strength of Tender Mercies is also its biggest weakness. The understated approach that works so well in the hands of the talented Duvall is far less successful with other cast members, particularly Harper. After a while, we're left wondering what Mac sees in her.
Despite the uneven performances, we care about Mac Sledge and his new family.
