Disclaimer: I’m a blind film critic, and I typically watch films with audio description. While it is possible Tender mercies has an audio description track, at the time of robert Duvall’s passsing, it was not readily accessible.

the passing of Robert Duvall, who passed away on February 15th, 2026 at the age of 95, made me need to revisit something of his. In that futile and stupid gesture, I realized that I somehow had never experienced his Oscar winning turn in Tender Mercies. While I could have revisited a range of films including the Godfather, Apocalypse Now, A civil Action, The Judge, or The Apostle, it hit me that I needed to see the thing that pushed him finally onto that stage. his illustrious career notwithstanding, is tender Mercies his finest work?

Short answer, No, but the longer answer is how Tender Mercies, directed by Bruce Beresford (Driving miss Daisy, Double jeopardy), highlights a lot of what Duvall brought to each performance.In tender Mercies, Duvall plays Max Slade, a former country music star who was defeated by alcoholism, and finds himself in a bar unable to pay his tab, and hoping he can work off the debt. Luckily for him, the owner (Tess Harper, in an Oscar nominated turn) is short a husband, and needs a void to be filled, literally and figuratively. Duvall may start off as labor, but rather shortly, his Max Slade is married to this younger widow, who is raising a young son on her own. If this sounds like Crazy Heart in the slightest, remember this came out in 1983.

As the film progresses it leans in on a lot of re-something. There’s the redemption aspect, as Slade has failed in the past, but is given a second chance with this new family. Can he be redeemed? The film plays a bit with rebirth, even going so far as to show Slade in a church being born again. Beresford is interested in exploring resurrection, as there’s a hint that Slade might have something up his sleeve. A new song? Could this be his path back into the business? There’s even a hint of regression, in that Slade may return to the bottle, and seeing that struggle within him. There’s even a bit of redressing of past behavior, as Slade reaches out to his ex-wife, and later converses with his estranged daughter.

Tender Mercies isn’t bombastic, it is simple. It sticks you in the middle of nowhere, the idea that few people stay, and most blow through. Beresford is terrific with his use of the howling wind around this isolationist area, off the beaten path. Perhaps Duvall’s Slade is just blowing through, or waiting to blow right out. The film skips a lot of the early courtship between Duvall and Harper, skipping pretty much to the next phase very fast. that lack of grounded connection is probably intentional, as it supports the idea that he seems just shy of being rooted to the ground. Personally, the lack of that connection between Duvall and Harper is my biggest complaint, because I would have preferred seeing the spark. It almost plays like a marriage of convenience at times. Not to say Slade is void of affection, but it is not the focus of the film. The main structure is this artist, who led a deeply complicated life, full of bad choices, and is hoping there’s possibly something left in this world for him. Duvall’s light touch is what makes the film work. he feels like a complex country singer, and I can see why people voted for him.

Oddly, because I’ve seen Crazy Heart a few times, I prefer that film, though I am now far more aware of how it skirts being heavily influenced by things that came before it. However, Duvall here is tremendous, and while he might have some more iconic films on his resume, if you’ve never seen Tender Mercies, there’s never been a better time.

The film also has an eclectic group of supporting players, including Wilford Brimley, Betty Buckley, and Ellen Barkin.

Robert Duvall’s tender qualities shine, as he navigates a complex middle aged country singer seeking redemption. A perfect representation of Duvall’s capabilities.

Fresh: 8.3/10