Robert Duvall is Mac Sledge, His fight for respect was just beginning.

Starring: Robert Duvall, Tess Harper, Betty Buckley, Wilford Brimley, Ellen Barkin, Allan Hubbard, Lenny von Dohlen, Paul Gleason

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Is there a reason that happened? And Sonny's daddy died in the war, my daughter killed in an automobile accident. Why? See, I don't trust happiness. I never did, I never will." - Mac Sledge

Why watch this? Duvall finally gets an Oscar for this bittersweet tale of redemption.

Plot Summary: Mac Sledge is a washed-up, alcoholic country singer at rock bottom, who finds himself working off a debt at a run-down Texas motel. He builds a new life with the motel's widowed owner, Rosa Lee, and her son, but his past soon comes calling, threatening to unravel his newfound stability. Mac is then forced to confront his demons and choose between the life he once had and new life he's acquired.

Dad's Preview: Robert Duvall never ceases to amaze. At first, I could not understand all the hubbub; he doesn't appear to be acting at all. But slowly I began to get it. He's so good, so natural, that it appears he's not acting. He takes on the role, and makes it his own. Here he plays a former country singer/songwriter who has lost his way to pain and alcohol. He finds a little salvation in a loving woman's arms and her son's need for a father figure. But does he really deserve a second chance in the music business? Will it bring back all the demons? Duvall learned to play guitar and sing, solely for this part.     

EMI Films, Antron Media; Universal Pictures, Associated Film Dist. Corp.