SummaryA broken-down, middle-aged country singer gets a new wife, reaches out to his long-lost daughter, and tries to put his troubled life back together.
Directed By:Bruce Beresford
Written By:Horton Foote
Tender Mercies
Metascore
Generally Favorable
78
User score
Generally Favorable
8.0
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
78
80% Positive
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
20% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
100
A tender miracle, Tender Mercies presents itself as a parable—though one of those tricky ones where you’re not quite sure of the takeaway. The biblical allusion is apt, because the movie is faith-soaked, yet not sopped. Immersed in religion, it nevertheless resists pandering to either touchy religious audiences or scoffing irreligious ones.
100
When interesting people have little to say, we watch the body language, listen to the notes in their voices. Rarely does a movie elaborate less and explain more than Tender Mercies.
91
Tender Mercies builds a marvelous flow of suspense and surprise precisely by refusing to ''pay off'' on situations that would plunge toward sensationalism in any conventional picture. Add 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. [10 Mar 1983, p.18]
75
Tender Mercies is an episodic gem that offers little in the way of action or melodrama but gets by on fine performances (particularly from Barkin and from Duvall, who does his own singing), atmospheric cinematography, and spare, unglamorous writing.
70
The film is said to be honest and about real people, and it affects some viewers very powerfully.
60
Beresford's nice little movie seems so afraid to make a false move that it runs the danger of not moving at all. [07 Mar 1983, p.78B]
50
Tender Mercies fails because of an apparent dimness of perception that frequently overcomes dramatists: they don't always know when they've got ahold of the wrong end of the story they want to tell. [29 Apr 1983, p.B1]
User score
Generally Favorable
8.0
90% Positive
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
10% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
Feb 17, 2026
8
So fitting that Duvall won the Oscar as Best Actor for one of his understated performances. "Tender Mercies" is Bruce Beresford’s haunting, minimalist tone poem. His role as Mac Sledge, a former country-western singer whose love of drink has cost him his marriage, his career, and his relationship with his daughter (Ellen Barkin) is so reserved. He marries a young widow (Tess Harper) and tries his best to piece his life back together. Horton Foote’s Oscar-winning script is made up of small moments instead of big ones, avoiding clichés by following its characters into unexpected places. Yet what makes this film truly sing is Duvall’s mesmerizing subtle transformation into a broken man hopeful for a brighter future. Anyone who calls this movie some sort of Oscar bait are such dopes.
Production Company:
- EMI Films
- Antron Media Production
Release Date:Mar 4, 1983
Duration:1 h 32 m
Rating:PG
Tagline:Robert Duvall is Mac Sledge, down and out country singer. His struggle for fame was over. His fight for respect was just beginning
Awards
Academy Awards, USA
• 2 Wins & 5 Nominations
Golden Globes, USA
• 1 Win & 5 Nominations
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
• 1 Win & 3 Nominations
