Tender Mercies

film by Beresford [1983]

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July 16, 2026

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Tender Mercies is a 1983 American drama film directed by Bruce Beresford and written by Horton Foote. The film stars Robert Duvall as Mac Sossamon, a washed-up country music singer struggling with alcoholism and poverty. Mac attempts to rebuild his life by working at a gas station and motel in rural Texas, while also trying to reconnect with his estranged wife and daughter. Duvall's performance earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor, and the film itself was praised for its nuanced portrayal of redemption and family relationships.12

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Bruce Beresford
…to direct the Hollywood film Tender Mercies (1983), which was written by Horton Foote and starred Robert Duvall as a faded country music star. For the drama, Beresford received an Oscar nomination for best director. His next two films, King David (1985) and The Fringe Dwellers (1986), were misfires, but…
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…to direct the Hollywood film Tender Mercies (1983), which was written by Horton Foote and starred Robert Duvall as a faded country music star. For the drama, Beresford received an Oscar nomination for best director. His next two films, King David (1985) and The Fringe Dwellers (1986), were misfires, but…
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Robert Duvall
Tender Mercies, Lonesome Dove, and A Civil Action
…motel and filling station in Tender Mercies (1983). For that role, he won the Academy Award for best actor. He ended the 1980s with his highly praised performance in the Emmy Award-winning TV miniseries Lonesome Dove (1989).
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…motel and filling station in Tender Mercies (1983). For that role, he won the Academy Award for best actor. He ended the 1980s with his highly praised performance in the Emmy Award-winning TV miniseries Lonesome Dove (1989).
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Horton Foote
…novel by Harper Lee, and Tender Mercies (1983). His other notable scripts include Of Mice and Men (1992), an adaptation of John Steinbeck’s novel of the same name, and Old Man (1997), a made-for-television movie based on The Wild Palms by William Faulkner.
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…novel by Harper Lee, and Tender Mercies (1983). His other notable scripts include Of Mice and Men (1992), an adaptation of John Steinbeck’s novel of the same name, and Old Man (1997), a made-for-television movie based on The Wild Palms by William Faulkner.
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