Tender Mercies (1983)

A broken-down Country musician seeks a new life in Texas

A single mother (Tess Harper) runs a motel & gas station in the lonely plains between Dallas and Austin. She hires an alcoholic man who couldn’t pay what he owed (Robert Duvall) and discovers that he’s an ex-Country star.

“Tender Mercies” (1983) is a lowkey drama set in rural Texas, reminiscent of "Resurrection" (1980) mixed with “Coal Miner’s Daughter” and the later “The Apostle.” While it’s better than “Resurrection,” it’s not quite as good as the other two. However, if you like subdued storytelling, like “Places in the Heart,” you might prefer it. The film was reimagined as “Crazy Heart” 26 years later with Jeff Bridges, which also features Duvall.

On the female front, Tess is winsome in a humble way while Betty Buckley is great as the ex-wife and country entertainer, Dixie. Whenever she performs, the movie perks up. Lastly, Ellen Barkin is notable as the beautiful 18 years-old daughter. She was 28 during shooting, but easily fit the role. By contrast, both Tess and Robert were slightly long-in-the-tooth for the ages of their characters (if you do the math), but that’s a minor cavil.

There’s a welcome spirituality to the proceedings and the movie doesn’t skimp out on addressing tough theological questions in its understated way.

The flick runs 1 hour, 32 minutes, and was shot in Palmer, Texas, which is a half hour drive south of Dallas.

GRADE: B/B-