The Accidental Tourist (1988)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Lawrence Kasdan

Writers (WGA):

Anne Tyler (book)
Frank Galati (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

23 December 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

An emotionally distant writer of travel guides must carry on with his life after his son is killed and his marriage crumbles.

Plot Keywords:

Travel | Travel Writer | Baltimore Maryland | Self Discovery | Corgi

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 3 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

William Hurt	...	Macon Leary
Kathleen Turner	...	Sarah Leary
Geena Davis	...	Muriel Pritchett
Amy Wright	...	Rose Leary
David Ogden Stiers	...	Porter Leary
Ed Begley Jr.	...	Charles Leary
Bill Pullman	...	Julian
Robert Hy Gorman	...	Alexander Pritchett (as Robert Gorman)
Bradley Mott	...	Mr. Loomis
Seth Granger	...	Ethan Leary
Amanda Houck	...	Debbie
Caroline Houck	...	Dorrie
London Nelson	...	Caroline
Gregory Gouyer	...	Paris Boy
Bill Lee Brown	...	Morgue Detective #1 (as W.H. Brown)

Runtime:

121 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:PG | Brazil:12 | South Korea:15 | Sweden:Btl | USA:PG (Certificate #29469) | Iceland:L | Singapore:PG | UK:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Edward the dog is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi.

Goofs:

Continuity: The shaving cream on Macon's face changes as he talks with Sarah.

Quotes:

Julian: While armchair travelers dream of going places, traveling armchairs dream of staying put.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing (2004)

Soundtrack:

I'M GONNA LASSO SANTA CLAUS

Pleasing concoction of light drama and lively romance with terrific leading performances.

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.