TENDER MERCIES (DVD/WS) DVD

Tender Mercies
Mac Sledge (Robert Duvall), a once-famous country western singer, wakes up broke, alone and hung over in a tiny Texas motel run by widowed Rosa Lee (Tess Harper). Having nowhere else to go, Sledge takes a job at the motel, and through the kindness and faith of Rosa he changes his self-destructive ways. He marries Rosa (after he's baptized at her urging) and becomes a father/pal to her son (Allan Hubbard). Given an opportunity to make a comeback, Sledge considers leaving his new family behind, but after a reunion with his own unhappy daughter (Ellen Barkin), he vows never again to ruin anyone else's life. A simple story simply told, Tender Mercies is a warm, persuasive tale of redemption, with Robert Duvall giving one of his finest performances. Also appearing is Betty Buckley as Duvall's ex-wife, a Dolly Parton-type country star, and Wilford Brimley as Duvall's former manager. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cast Robert Duvall as Mac Sledge Tess Harper as Rosa Lee Allan Hubbard as Sonny Betty Buckley as Dixie Ellen Barkin as Sue Anne Wilford Brimley as Harry Michael Crabtree as Lewis Menefee Lenny Von Dohlen as Robert Dennis James Aaron as Henry Ricky Murray as Jake

Crew Mary-Ann Hobel - Associate Producer Robert Duvall - Co-producer Horton Foote - Co-producer Elizabeth McBride - Costume Designer Richard Luke Rothschild - First Assistant Director Bruce Beresford - Director William M. Anderson - Editor George Dreyfus - Composer (Music Score) Bobby Hart - Composer (Music Score) Austin Roberts - Songwriter Jeannine Oppewall - Production Designer Russell Boyd - Cinematographer Philip Hobel - Producer Daniel May - Set Designer Horton Foote - Screenwriter

Tender Mercies
The unconventional, reserved actor Robert Duvall chooses similarly challenging material to produce and direct himself, whether it be 1997's The Apostle or his 1980s pet projects, Angelo, My Love and Tender Mercies. The latter film gave him one of his most delicate, nuanced roles, as well as his first Academy Award. Far from a vanity project, Mercies doesn't revel in Duvall's gruff, stoic persona so much as critique it. His washed-up country singer is a recovering alcoholic, hesitant and guarded with those who try to get close to him, whether fans (Lenny von Dohlen) or potential lovers (Tess Harper). As scripted by Horton Foote, the film has the lazy, unforced rhythms of real life. It's very much a piece with Foote's The Trip to Bountiful (1985): both stories are swan songs for long-neglected people who find redemption by revisiting the places and moments that have haunted them all their lives. In his first American feature, Australian director Bruce Beresford shows a real affinity for the barren Texas locales, never condescending to his characters or their simple, humble desires. Duvall wrote and performed a number of the songs. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
 

Austin Roberts: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Song (nominated) Austin Roberts: Golden Globe, Best Original Song (nominated) Bobby Hart: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Song (nominated) Bobby Hart: Golden Globe, Best Original Song (nominated) Bruce Beresford: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Director (nominated) Bruce Beresford: Directors Guild of America, Best Director (nominated) Bruce Beresford: Golden Globe, Best Director (nominated) Horton Foote: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Original Screenplay (winner) Robert Duvall: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Actor (winner) Robert Duvall: Golden Globe, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama (winner) Robert Duvall: Los Angeles Film Critics Association, Best Actor (winner) Robert Duvall: New York Film Critics Circle, Best Actor (winner) Tess Harper: Golden Globe, Best Supporting Actress (nominated)

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Picture (nominated) Golden Globe, Best Picture - Drama (nominated) National Board of Review, Best Picture (nominated)

General Specifications: Language Options: English, French Subtitle Options: English Sound Processing: DD1: Dolby Digital Mono Additional Features: cc Widescreen presentation (1.77:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs Miracles and Mercies - featuring all-new interviews with stars Robert Duvall, Tess Harper, Allen Hubbard, director Bruce Beresford, and writer/co-producer Horton Foote Theatrical trailer Talent bios Languages: English, French DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1: Alternate Wide-Screen MPAA Rating: PG DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 92 min   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- 1. Program Start/Down and Out [1:11] 2. Main Titles [3:11] 3. Working Off a Debt [4:41] 4. Jesus Saves [4:08] 5. Sonny [2:16] 6. A Rich Man [4:58] 7. "Sing It the Way Ya Feel It" [3:52] 8. Dixie [6:00] 9. Tender Mercies [6:17] 10. Out of Control [3:12] 11. Questions [3:39] 12. Songs From the Heart [5:24] 13. "Were You Really Mac Sledge?" [3:38] 14. Sue Anne [5:30] 15. Wings of a Dove [4:09] 16. Baptism [4:17] 17. Taking the Stage [5:03] 18. A Visit From Sue Anne [3:52] 19. Family Tragedy [4:40] 20. No Answers [4:10] 21. Father and Son [4:41] 22. End Credits [2:53]