Wednesday, December 1, 2010

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 214 -The Accidental Tourist


The Accidental Tourist lives and dies on the the shoulders of William Hurt. If you like him as an actor, you'll love this movie. It is one of his best roles. But if his mannered style of speaking and moving bothers you then skip this film because he is in almost every scene.

Based on the bestselling book follows the picks up the life of Macon Leary (Hurt) approximately one year after the death of his son in a shooting incident at a fast food restaurant. Macon is closed off and isolated from everyone around him. But he was always that way even before his son died. he makes a living writing traveling books on how to maintain the comforts of home while traveling abroad. He tries to never leave the safety of his own small world. For Macon life is something that happens, not something you experience.

After coming home from a research trip his wife Sarah (Kathleen Turner) leaves him. Without their son there is nothing holding them together. left on his own he manages to break his leg due to his poorly trained  dog Eddie.

Macon moves back to his family home to live with his quirky brothers and sister while he recuperates. When Eddie continues to act out he hires dog trainer Muriel Pritchett (Geena Davis) with unintended consequences.

Written, produced and Directed by Lawrence Kasdan the film offers strong acting opportunities for all the cast members, but especially for Hurt, Davis and Turner. Hurt gives and emotional and intellectual performance and Davis won an Oscar for her star making turn. This was the third film Kasdan made with Hurt and the second that teamed both Hurt and Turner together (Body Heat).

Tourist is an odd film, it's both sad and funny at the same time. here is another depressed middle aged man, but somehow Hurt makes you care for his character so much that when he finally smiles, you smile too.

At The movie House rating *** 1/2 stars.

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