Screening as part of The Films of Robert Duvall.
Tender Mercies:
***Nominated for 5 Academy Awards®
***Winner of the Academy Award for Best Actor for Robert Duvall
Robert Duvall stars as Mac Sledge, a washed-up country singer struggling with alcoholism, who seeks redemption and a fresh start in rural Texas. Through quiet connections with a widowed waitress and her young son, Mac slowly rebuilds his life, finding forgiveness, love, and the chance to heal both himself and those around him.
Tender Mercies not only solidified Duvall as one of America’s most gifted actors but also showcased his unparalleled ability to bring authenticity and heart to the screen. Decades later, the film endures as a masterclass in acting and storytelling, featuring an Oscar®-winning screenplay by Horton Foote, who also recommended Duvall for his very first role in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).
1983, 92 minutes, USA, Directed by Bruce Beresford, Rated PG
"It ain’t dying I’m talking about, it’s living. I enjoyed it as much as anyone ever did." – Robert Duvall (Augustus "Gus" McCrae, Lonesome Dove)
Few actors embody American cinema with the quiet authority of Robert Duvall. Born in 1931, he emerged from the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City, where he studied under Sanford Meisner alongside classmates Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, and James Caan.
Duvall made his film debut as the iconic Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird and rose to prominence with indelible performances in The Godfather and Apocalypse Now. Garnering six Academy Award nominations across four decades (finally winning the Oscar® for Tender Mercies), four Emmy® nominations, and winning four Golden Globe awards, Duvall balanced intimate character studies with epic dramas.
From M*A*S*H and Network to Days of Thunder and Lonesome Dove, Duvall has commanded the screen in Westerns, crime sagas, and fiercely independent films such as THX-1138, Sling Blade, and The Apostle. Enzian honors the legacy of one Hollywood’s most celebrated performers, a man whose career reflects a rare blend of restraint, gravitas, and enduring versatility.
“Tender Mercies won Robert Duvall his only Academy Award in six nominations. It contains one of his most understated performances.”
– Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
“Another stunning portrayal by the brilliant Duvall - who even does his own singing! - and a splendid supporting cast, and you have a movie to treasure for a very long time to come.”
– David Sterritt, Christian Science Monitor
“For all its simplicity, this is bold, heartfelt filmmaking. A masterpiece.”
– Time Out
