The Accidental Tourist (1988)

Lack of good storyline.

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Highly Overrated But Still Good

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

This movie has a lot going for it. The acting is the best part: the three main characters - perhaps I should say the two main characters, the roles played by William Hurt and Kathleen Turner - are very three-dimensional. Those actors given their characters many dimensions, and it makes them interesting and sometimes surprising. Gena Davis also does a fine job with her role, but her character does tend to be a caricature at times.That is the problems with most of the rest of the characters: they are written as two-dimensional, and they too often come off as oddball caricatures. I'm sure those actors could have done better with a better script concerning them, but they didn't have the chance.Some of the moments are really remarkable, especially the scenes between Turner and Hurt. And then, some of the scenes are just wrong. The worst, for me, was the last 60 seconds of the movie, where Hurt's character meets Davis' character and the music swells: it screams "make the women in the audience happy" and seems like it was pasted on.Equally problematic is what leads to that: the second-last scene, between Turner and Hurt, where Hurt finally explains what he sees in Davis' character. It's very interesting and intelligent dialogue - her quirky character has allowed him to try to be someone different, to get out of his old, boring rut - but the movie never really showed us that. That, for me, was a real problem.A lot of this movie is very well done, and I recommend it. But a fair amount of it is facile caricature, and that may boor some viewers.

This film begins with an aloof travel writer named Macon Leary being left by his schoolteacher wife played by Kathleen Turner. The Learys recently lost a member of their nuclear family and are mourning in different ways. As the film proceeds William Hurt's character becomes involved with a kooky dog trainer portrayed by Geena Davis who inadvertently transforms his life. What makes this picture special is that it follows an ordinary couple not a yuppie Hollywood one trying to save their marriage and at the same time trying to make sense of an unexpected tragedy. I recommend this movie because of its poignancy and light humour but mostly because its contemplative and mature enough for serious adult viewers. All the actors stepped into their roles in a realistic way and played their respective roles intensely.

A writer of travel books must cope with the death of his young son and the ensuing divorce. This adaptation of the Tyler book is an excellent comedy-drama that incisively examines relationships and dealing with life's challenges. Hurt is quite good in expressing the pain of loss and separation, and he conveys so much through small gestures. As a quirky dog trainer, Davis is simply marvelous in an Oscar-winning performance. Turner has a relatively small and unsympathetic role but she makes the most of it. Wright, Stiers, Begley, and Pullman round out the excellent ensemble. The dog is a scene stealer. Kasdan's low-key, leisurely direction is perfectly suited to the material.

William Hurt and Kathleen Turner are so devastated by the death of their son that the marriage falls apart due to anguishing grief. Turner needs time to recover while Hurt is somber, numb, and grief-stricken to the point that he walks around in a daze, his face and demeanor barely able to contain the agony and loss he feels. That is when he meets, by chance or fate, a quirky dog trainer(played by Geena Davis who is a delight)who awakens in him a reason to live again. Turner, however, after time apart, wants to reenter his life and start over. THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST follows Hurt's dilemma, having to choose between the woman he will always love and the new person who resuscitated him with her charm and unrelenting pursuit for his affections. I think what makes Lawrence Kasdan's THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST work so well is that it's wholly believable and speaks from the heart, the performances of the three leads completing winning you over because they come from a realistic place. Hurt and Turner, as many married couples do, grieve to the point that they can no longer be around each other due to the painful recollection of the son they lost. Hurt is a travelogue writer who doesn't really enjoy the places as much as clinically define the experiences in a literal instead of pleasurable sense. Davis wears loud, colorful dresses, flashes a bright, wattage smile that is hard to resist(with a personality to match)and is actually the one who instigates the relationship. Hurt actually benefits from being around her because Davis is the type of person whose attitude and personality rub off on you. Turner, though, represents what he once had which is why he returns to her with little difficulty, although I think we can see all too well that this is window dressing. Davis, the other woman, is persistent in being a part of Hurt's life despite his heavy resistance. Meanwhile, there's a subplot regarding Hurt's wallflower sister(Amy Wright)and his publisher(Bill Pullman)who become an item, although she is dedicated to her family(Ed Begley, Jr. and David Ogden Stiers)which might test their courtship. Ultimately, I felt, the film is about healing and moving on past a horrific incident which stifles those truly affected. Turner and Hurt do eventually realize that the love between them will forever last, even if they can no longer be together as husband and wife. It's amusing how an unruly dog(owned by Hurt)is the reason for his meeting Davis in the first place(it bit a neighbor). Established in the film is Hurt's bouts with intense back pain, often a source of misery for him. The end of the 80s was good for Davis who seemed to perform at a high level entering into the next decade. Hurt successfully carries the film as a broken father and listless husband who so desperately needed someone like Geena to give him hope and some semblance of potential happiness. Turner, for the exception of maybe BODY HEAT, has never been more beautiful.