Tender Mercies
- Saturday, Mar 7, 2026, 11:00am
Screening location: SIFF Film Center – 167 Republican St, Seattle (located within the Seattle Center, just north of Climate Pledge Arena / east of KEXP and The Vera Project)
In remembrance of Robert Duvall, his Academy Award-winning performance.
Down-on-his-luck country singer Mac Sledge (Robert Duvall) has nowhere to turn when he wakes up in a motel, short on cash. So he takes a job from Rosa Lee (Tess Harper), the kindly widow who runs the place. Mac begins to fall for Rosa, who helps him confront his drinking, and also finds an unexpected bond with Rosa's young son. When the opportunity for a career comeback surfaces, Mac must choose between his new life and the life he let slip through his hands.
“Mr. Duvall’s versatility seems to know no limit; in his role here as an over-the-hill country singer, he creates yet another quietly unforgettable character.” Janet Maslin, The New York Times
“Alongside works by Terrence Malick, John Cassavetes and John Huston, this breathtaking 1983 melodrama is one of the wellsprings of US indie cinema… Duvall was never better, and that’s saying something… It’s 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. A masterpiece.” Tom Huddleston, Time Out