Reseñas de la crítica

This breathtaking 1983 melodrama is one of the wellsprings of US indie cinema... A film of quiet, relentless power which demands – and rewards – a level of belief, even faith in its characters which few other films even dare to suggest. For all its simplicity, this is bold, heartfelt filmmaking.

Tender Mercies is an episodic gem that offers little in the way of action or melodrama but gets by on fine performances (particularly from Barkin and from Duvall, who does his own singing), atmospheric cinematography, and spare, unglamorous writing.

When interesting people have little to say, we watch the body language, listen to the notes in their voices. Rarely does a movie elaborate less and explain more than "Tender Mercies."

The film is said to be honest and about real people, and it affects some viewers very powerfully.

''Tender Mercies'' has a bleak handsomeness bordering on the arty, but it also has real delicacy and emotional power, both largely attributable to a fine performance by Robert Duvall. [His] versatility seems to know no limit; in his role here as an over-the-hill country singer, he creates yet another quietly unforgettable character.

In the course of the film [Duvall] has to convince us that he regains the magic, and he does. The frog becomes a prince... The astonishing purity of Duvall's performance, itself a kind of marvel, allows us to believe that [his] Sledge has found a home.

Tender Mercies is, in the best sense, an old-fashioned film. There’s no sex, no violence. Duvall is dignified and moving as Sledge; Harper is most affecting as the widow he loves and marries; Hubbard almost steals the film as her inquiring son.