Review of Tender Mercies (1983) by Nate A — 31 Jul 2009

Great understated performance by Robert Duvall in a somewhat unfulfilling movie. Duvall does not jump out at you like most iconic characters do, but his ability to take the good and the bad with the same quiet dignity and let his body language express what he is going through holds your attention in an otherwise quiet film.

Since the tone of Tender Mercies is so low key, it does not have the same emotional impact that great films have, but does lend it an air of authenticity that dramas often sacrifice for a more compelling story.