The Accidental Tourist (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
'The Accidental Tourist' (directed & adapted from a novel by Lawrence Kasdan, Body Heat, The Big Chill) is a strange motion picture. Strange; because it's difficult to classify it as either heavy drama or light comedy due to it containing strong elements of both. But no matter the classification, I found myself very moved by it. Macon Leary & his wife Sarah (William Hurt, Kathleen Turner) live in upper-middle class Baltimore, where he writes guidebooks for reluctant business travelers who want to experience the 'familiar' while far from home. Since the tragic death of their 12 yr. old son, who was killed in a robbery at a fast-food restaurant the year prior, the Learys have withdrawn from each other. And on one rainy night, Sarah decides to move out & start over again all on her own.
When Macon breaks his leg (thanks to his tempestuous Corgi dog, Edward), he moves in with his reclusive, eccentric siblings: Rose (Amy Wright), Porter (David Ogden Stiers), & Charles (Ed Begley Jr.) who live in their grandparents' large house. They stick together & ignore the world around them. Macon seems comfortable there amid his stuffy siblings until he meets a brash dog trainer named Muriel Pritchett (Geena Davis) at the kennel; where he leaves Edward during a business trip. Muriel imposes herself on Macon; because she sees the pain inside him, & seems to want to help. She eventually pulls him out of his cocoon & into her own messy life. A single parent living in less-than-stellar conditions, she has a zest for life that Macon needs. Macon is drawn to her enthusiasm & quirky energy. And he eventually moves in with Muriel & her son. Then ... Sarah reappears in Macon's life, wanting to suddenly save their marriage.
'The Accidental Tourist' is a slow, melancholy film to sit through. BUT, if you stick with the warm (and off-beat) characters, this film may linger in your mind for days; as it has mine. As mentioned, the characters are quirky. i.e., Macon's siblings alphabetize the groceries in their kitchen cabinets, they ignore the ringing telephone, they play an invented card game called 'Vaccination', Muriel wears mismatched exotic clothing, etc.. In fact, thanks to the quirks, we're able to understand the unpredictabilities & messiness involved in everyone's relationships in the story.
Very few films deal with the type of deep-seeded emotional pain that's on display in 'The Accidental Tourist'. Each character is flawed. We see that plainly. Kathleen Turner's simple, heartfelt admittance of wanting to leave Macon in an early scene is evidence of her pain. It's a quiet, beautifully acted scene. William Hurt is excellent as the emotionally-stunted Macon. What's so impressive about his work here is how subtle it is. He creates a recognizable person; someone we all know in life who is closed-off, damaged & can't wear his emotions (for better or worse) on his sleeve.
He's handicapped by his feelings, but you wouldn't know it. Hurt's best scene is when he goes over to Muriel's home to finally explain why he's been evading her incessant invitations to dinner. He finally tells her about his son's death. And we see all the effort it has taken or Macon to say it aloud to anyone. He can't even look at her when he tells her -- heartbreaking stuff. And it is also in this scene where we see the Muriel character settle down, a bit. Geena Davis comes on strong as "Muriel. Muriel Pritchett. Remember!?". She's like a gnat that won't let-up. But she doesn't let-up because she, right away, sees right through Macon & into his pain. Hers is a 'love it or hate it' type of character/performance, but Davis did exhibit a lot of heart amid all her eccentric dog-walking, strange talking ways.
Segments of this film run a little on the slow side. I imagine that anyone who isn't willing to go with this simple, warm story about grief & healing will find the film a bit too bland or stiff for them. And to prevent an overwhelming morose feeling, I am glad for the humorous moments spread throughout. In the end, what I came away with from 'The Accidental Tourist' is that most unhappy people, believe it or not, are fearful to change their situation. They'd rather wallow & create excuses. But according to this film - and to Macon Leary - sometimes all it takes to improve your outlook is a Muriel Pritchett to walk into your life.
When Macon breaks his leg (thanks to his tempestuous Corgi dog, Edward), he moves in with his reclusive, eccentric siblings: Rose (Amy Wright), Porter (David Ogden Stiers), & Charles (Ed Begley Jr.) who live in their grandparents' large house. They stick together & ignore the world around them. Macon seems comfortable there amid his stuffy siblings until he meets a brash dog trainer named Muriel Pritchett (Geena Davis) at the kennel; where he leaves Edward during a business trip. Muriel imposes herself on Macon; because she sees the pain inside him, & seems to want to help. She eventually pulls him out of his cocoon & into her own messy life. A single parent living in less-than-stellar conditions, she has a zest for life that Macon needs. Macon is drawn to her enthusiasm & quirky energy. And he eventually moves in with Muriel & her son. Then ... Sarah reappears in Macon's life, wanting to suddenly save their marriage.
'The Accidental Tourist' is a slow, melancholy film to sit through. BUT, if you stick with the warm (and off-beat) characters, this film may linger in your mind for days; as it has mine. As mentioned, the characters are quirky. i.e., Macon's siblings alphabetize the groceries in their kitchen cabinets, they ignore the ringing telephone, they play an invented card game called 'Vaccination', Muriel wears mismatched exotic clothing, etc.. In fact, thanks to the quirks, we're able to understand the unpredictabilities & messiness involved in everyone's relationships in the story.
Very few films deal with the type of deep-seeded emotional pain that's on display in 'The Accidental Tourist'. Each character is flawed. We see that plainly. Kathleen Turner's simple, heartfelt admittance of wanting to leave Macon in an early scene is evidence of her pain. It's a quiet, beautifully acted scene. William Hurt is excellent as the emotionally-stunted Macon. What's so impressive about his work here is how subtle it is. He creates a recognizable person; someone we all know in life who is closed-off, damaged & can't wear his emotions (for better or worse) on his sleeve.
He's handicapped by his feelings, but you wouldn't know it. Hurt's best scene is when he goes over to Muriel's home to finally explain why he's been evading her incessant invitations to dinner. He finally tells her about his son's death. And we see all the effort it has taken or Macon to say it aloud to anyone. He can't even look at her when he tells her -- heartbreaking stuff. And it is also in this scene where we see the Muriel character settle down, a bit. Geena Davis comes on strong as "Muriel. Muriel Pritchett. Remember!?". She's like a gnat that won't let-up. But she doesn't let-up because she, right away, sees right through Macon & into his pain. Hers is a 'love it or hate it' type of character/performance, but Davis did exhibit a lot of heart amid all her eccentric dog-walking, strange talking ways.
Segments of this film run a little on the slow side. I imagine that anyone who isn't willing to go with this simple, warm story about grief & healing will find the film a bit too bland or stiff for them. And to prevent an overwhelming morose feeling, I am glad for the humorous moments spread throughout. In the end, what I came away with from 'The Accidental Tourist' is that most unhappy people, believe it or not, are fearful to change their situation. They'd rather wallow & create excuses. But according to this film - and to Macon Leary - sometimes all it takes to improve your outlook is a Muriel Pritchett to walk into your life.