The Accidental Tourist (1988)

Truly majestic! William Hurt is simple, clean and emotionally straight! True smiles; true looks; true feelings.

Great acting, great story! 10 for everyone in this masterpiece.

The dog is well fit, the emotions are synchronized during the whole movie.

Also a surprising end. All actors received "lines" from the sky.

The director is very competent and clever. He was able to put all the pieces together and each one in the right place. This movie is indicated for all those whom have a refined taste for good acting and beautiful storyboard.

Its a pity but movies like this one are not made anymore. Unfortunately.

I hope in a close future we receive more gifts alike this one. I just downloaded and went through it all, even after a full and tiring day of work and almost falling asleep; when i pressed Play i couldn't stop going through it all!

YouMustSee.

Fmovies: A fairly well done human drama about relationships, which manages to tackle the subject matter without becoming a romance, this is a superb film of its sort. The screenplay is excellently written, full of witty humour and biting satire, the film editing is admirable and the performances are excellent. Geena Davis won an Oscar for her role, but it is in fact William Hurt who stands out the most in the cast, in an unflinching but somehow amazingly poignant role. On the down side, the film is slow, a bit too meandering, and the final quarter is not really all that interesting, but overall it is an involving, very worthwhile watch.

Usually films about recovery after tragedy are very heavy-handed and sometimes slightly manipulative (Ordinary People etc.). But `The Accidental Tourist' manages to simultaneously be humane to this subject manner and take a more entertaining light approach to it. The script moves along at a slow pace, but it is consistent in its timing.

A drama without good acting is nothing, and that'' where `The Accidental Tourist' really capitalises. William Hurt was a great choice as the depressed downbeat man, recently divorced and still feeling the repercussions of his son's death. Kathleen Turner appears at the start of the movie only to hastily disappear and then make a mark halfway through. Even though she could have done with bit more screen-time, she is also brilliant as the equally depressed ex-wife.

But Geena Davis really takes advantage of each moment and lights up every scene she's in. She's perfectly cast as the kitschy, free-spirited dog trainer and was well deserving of her `Best Supporting Actress' Oscar win. There's some genuine support from the supporting players including Bill Pullman, Amy Wright and David Ogden Stiers. But they don't receive much limelight, nor do they demand it.

At the halfway mark the movie turns into more of a muchly familiar dilemma, of choosing between two women. Either moving on with your life or hanging onto memories while you still can. This has been used many times before but it is handled very well here.

With terrific performances, a compelling script and a good narrative, `The Accidental Tourist' hits a bullseye in all categories. It engages the audience in it gentle yet charming manner. 7.5/10.

The Accidental Tourist fmovies. Hurt expresses more with the slightest movement on his face than most actors do with pages of dialogue. An achingly beautiful portrait of a man trapped within himself, struggling at once to stay in and get out

I agree to almost every word reviewer Takatomon wrote. One of this movie's greatest merits is that it deals with issues in life in a unpolished and natural way. It's easy to understand how this movie can be overlooked by the majority of viewers as this movie isn't for the majority of viewers. That is, the majority that's expecting to be entertained in the Hollywood style of film making. With that I mean those "strong" performances we all want to see from characters as Hoffman in "Rain Man" or Hanks in "Forrest Gump". Or vast visuals, filmed in the broadest scope, or action packed sequences. Not in "The Accidental Tourist". What you do get is William Hurt in what I think is one of his best roles as Macon Leary, writer of travel guides and Geena Davis in an exquisite role as the pet store owner. I've admired actors for the way they can portray mentally or socially challenged people (Rainman, Forrest Gump, Of mice and men, etc.). These parts tend to win the Oscars. But I'd rather give one to Hurt for his portrayal of Macon Leary because this character doesn't show obvious signs of any handicap. Actually Macon is very plain. What can be more difficult than acting out a role of a person who's personal qualities don't jump at you right away? "The Accidental Tourist" is a movie of high quality and should be given a fair chance.

as he writes his travel column. His column is a metaphor for being the "passive observer" who travels and critiques places, but never truly appreciates them...not until Geena Davis comes along, at any rate.

Hurt plays Macon Leary, a man who has existed, but not truly experienced life. Kathleen Turner is the estranged wife, due to the accidental death of their young son, a tragedy which causes Hurt to withdraw. As another reviewer mentioned, one should watch this excellent film several times, as there is much innuendo and insight into human behavior. Bill Pullman portrays Hurt's publisher, who is amused and intrigued by his eccentric family.

What a cast! Ed Begley Jr., Amy Wright, Hurt and David Ogden Stiers are all siblings (over age 40), who still live in their grandmother's house, complete with 1930's wallpaper, a pantry that is alphabetically organized by the sister, and a phone that is never answered because they "don't need it". Pullman is priceless as he visits Hurt for dinner, and falls in love with Rose (Amy Wright) for her old-fashioned persona.

Macon's dog is comic relief, but also the liaison with Geena Davis, an offbeat dog-trainer. She is quite good, and insinuates her way into Macon's ordered world. She is a single mother struggling, and Robert Hy Gorman is excellent as her young son, Alexander. Macon finds himself growing attached to Davis, her son, and her wayward life. He helps the son with schoolwork, and realizes he can still be open to new relationships. Even after all the tragedy.

Kathleen Turner attempts reconciliation,and offers Macon a stable ordered life of commonality. Davis offers instability, excitement and unpredictability. Which will he choose? This is not just a romantic drama, it is a serious character study about control, relationships, and difficult choices. It is one of the few films in which the difficulties of marriage are sensitively addressed, and the acting is superb.