Rent The Accidental Tourist on Amazon Video (paid link) // Buy the book (paid link)
Written by: Anne Tyler (book), Frank Galati and Lawrence Kasdan (screenplay)
Directed by: Lawrence Kasdan
Starring: William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Geena Davis, Ed Begley Jr., Bill Pullman
Rated: PG
Watch the trailer
Plot
An emotionally distant writer of travel guides must carry on with his life after his son is killed and his marriage crumbles.
Verdict
It's a slower paced movie that examines the nuance of a relationship in the form of a failing marriage and what follows. It's a film buff movie, more about the discussion after the movie. This is a rumination of relationships, their complications, something
new versus history, marriage and rebounds, as well as love, loss,
infatuation, and trying to find peace. While Macon is a travel writer, there's no guide that can summarize life as succinctly. His detachment to travel mirrors his detachment with his relationships.
It depends.
Review
We get a big exposition dump to start the movie, though it's integrated well. Macon (William Hurt) is a travel writer that happens to run into a business man that's familiar with his book that details how to make travel more efficient. Upon returning from his recent trip, Macon's wife Sarah (Kathleen Turner) tells him that she can't continue their marriage, a result of losing their son.
Macon is left with the house and the dog. When he drops his dog off for boarding he meets Muriel (Geena Davis). Muriel clearly likes him though he seems completely oblivious. It's likely he's still stuck on his crumbling marriage and preoccupied by his life which has just been upturned. Muriel finds ways to meet Macon, under the guise of training his dog.
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| Geena Davis, William Hurt play Muriel, Macon |
We're shown how Macon became a travel guide writer. His publisher picked him for the task as Macon doesn't like to travel and plenty of businessman that hate to travel need a guide. It's analogous to Macon's marriage. He's forced into a situation he wishes he wasn't in. A guide would be useful, but he uses what he's learned as a travel writer to try and control the situation, which ironically doesn't work.
This movie is slow paced, painstakingly analyzing Macon and his life. We get a picture of his world through his wife, siblings, boss, Muriel, and even his dog. With the separation from his wife, Macon finds in Muriel a girlfriend as well as a stand in for his son. It's a life completely different from his old one, Muriel is more of a free spirit which is a stark contrast to Macon.
We don't see all of Macon and Muriel's interactions, but their relationship begins to falter. She states he likes her, but he doesn't. He doesn't want to be seen with her because he sees himself as better. He's trying to balance old and new. He likes that she's different; it's a form of therapy for him, but as she states he's selfish. He's using her. She's a way to make amends, a contrast to his relationship that failed.
There's a connection between Macon's travel writing and his life. He seeks an ordered life with everything in its place, but Macon's life has become messy. It's difficult to determine that efficient route and control the variables when emotions and history cloud judgement. Muriel is the counter to Macon, and he seems happy with her but is she just someone to fill the void? Macon remains noncommittal. When his wife admits she wants to try again, you wonder which way that will push Macon.
There's a lot to this movie. It's a look at the intricacies of life and how things can go astray. There's also Macon's brothers and sister and whatever that relationship is. From the start Macon is sorting through his grief. How do you move on when losing a child? Despite being a travel writer, there is no guide for this situation.
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