the accidental tourist blu ray review

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Review: the accidental tourist bd + screen caps.

The Accidental Tourist — Warner Archive Collection — (1988)

Genre(s): Drama, Romance Warner Archives | PG – 121 min. – $16.99 | May 9, 2017

Date Published: 05/19/2017 | Author: The Movieman

Check out some more screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers .

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The Accidental Tourist (1988) Blu-ray Review: Good Grief

Though he is probably only known to the current generation of stalwart moviegoers as one of the writers of several Indiana Jones  and  Star Wars  pictures, there was a time when the name Lawrence Kasdan was a highly praised by older moviegoers as much as maybe a few younglings craving anything bearing the LucasArts logo might do in forums today.

Those of you who may be dangerously close to nearing AARP status now might recall the first-run popularity of one of Kasdan’s earliest, important contributions to the film industry, 1983’s human drama The Big Chill . In the ’70s, as the young writer struggled to get his foot in the door, he penned a script called The Bodyguard , which would sit in developmental hell for nearly 20 years before becoming of the biggest hits of the early ’90s. Two years later, he would follow that triumph up with what I sometimes think was the last good contribution to the western genre, Silverado . But it wasn’t until 1988 that the prolific writer, producer, and director had a true Accidental  hit on his very capable hands.

Based on Anne Tyler’s 1985 Pulitzer-nominated novel of the same name, The Accidental Tourist was a film I shied away from when first released. Mind you, I was all of 12-years-old when the Oscar-winning drama debuted; my tender little mind undoubtedly still reeling in from experiencing the sheer awesomeness of seeing Die Hard for the first time. More importantly, I could tell by the high praise the film was receiving ‒ not just from major critics, but the actual public, too (seriously, I observed and took note of things like that when I was 12) ‒ that this was definitely going to be too “adult” of a feature for a kid to see. (Yet my mother took me to the theater to see Die Hard  just the same. Go figure.)

Looking back, it may have been a mistake on my part. Had I taken the time to check out The Accidental Tourist , it may have “prepared” me for some of the truly horrendous facets of life I would later encounter. Such as how to deal with the overwhelming emotions one faces after a traumatic event ‒ even when you yourself don’t have very much of an emotional capacity to begin with.

Here, the great William Hurt delivers a truly dynamic performance as Baltimore-based writer Macon Leary, whose name is known to businesspeople across the country for penning a series of “Accidental Tourist” books designed for people who don’t like the various unpleasantries traveling brings. But as our story opens, we discover Macon is dealing with an entirely different kind of unpleasantry: the grief brought on by the senseless murder of his 12-year-old son the year before. Also trapped in Macon’s inescapable dolor is his wife Sarah (the subtly stellar Kathleen Turner), who has reached the breaking-up point. And moves out. Even their son’s corgi, Edward, has been acting up since the tragedy.

Edward’s increasingly aggressive behavior ‒ coupled with Macon’s bad attempt at an invention to save him the hassle of bending over to pick up the dirty clothes (something even men who aren’t emotionally stunted have done, as I’m sure most of our counterparts will attest to) ‒ results in Macon breaking his leg. Realizing he could stand with a little assistance (ha-ha), Macon moves back into his childhood home along with his sister (Amy Wright) and brothers (Ed Begley, Jr. and David Ogden Stiers). As it turns out, Macon’s entire family epitomizes the eccentric, from the fact they organize foods alphabetically to the weird card game of their own design which they habitually play for hours each night.

Enter Geena Davis as Muriel, who works at a nearby animal hospital and as a dog trainer. A most-welcomed antithesis to Macon’s estranged wife, Muriel is instantly and immediately drawn to the increasingly reclusive Macon, though her quirky behavior and ability to talk incessantly ‒ to say nothing of her very unique fashion sense ‒ initially annoy him. (As they would do just about anyone in a similarly unhealthy place.) But buried beneath Muriel’s kooky and attractive exterior lies another damaged soul, one who has also seen her fair share of abuse over the years, along with a tween-aged son who has been in poor health since the day he was born. As fate would have it, she’s just what Macon and Edward need.

As you may have guessed, The Accidental Tourist  isn’t the type of film you can walk away from without shedding a tear or two. It is a powerful drama dealing with the multifaceted and always mysterious world of emotions, as experienced by a broken man who has all but lost the ability to feel. It is, without a doubt, one of the most therapeutic motion pictures ever filmed for anyone who has ever experienced ‒ or is currently experiencing ‒ what it is like to live with a void in their soul. Just as it will make you cry, it will also leave those of us living with emotional scars from PTSD and grief feeling that much better for doing so. And it’s set to an equally inspiring score by the legendary John Williams to boot.

Also featuring Bill Pullman as Hurt’s publisher, Lawrence Kasdan’s The Accidental Tourist  makes a 1080p HD home video debut from the Warner Archive Collection in an MPEG-4 AVC codec. Presented in its original widescreen theatrical aspect ratio, the film is full of restrained colors and soft lighting to appropriately suit the overall mood of the tale. And nary a bit of that mood has been lost thanks to the outstanding restoration Warner has done with this must-see masterpiece. The original stereo audio track has received an equally marvelous DTS-HD MA 2.0 makeover for this release, which is accompanied by optional English (SDH) subtitles as well as a number of special features.

Said bonus materials hail from the 2004 SD-DVD, beginning with an introduction to the film by the good Mr. Kasdan himself. Next up is a scene-specific commentary with Geena Davis, which plays over what I suppose you could refer to as the “Reader’s Digest” version of the film. This selection totals just barely over 38 minutes in length, end credits included, and is the only way you can listen to the commentary. A making-of featurette partly made from older EPK materials and nearly 40 minutes of “lifted” scenes which were omitted for one reason or another (wait, Macon has a mother?) are also included. Lastly, there’s a trailer, which is the only bonus item presented here in High-Definition.

While there may not be any “new” special features included here (although, honestly, what we have here is perfectly fine), the Warner Archive Collection’s release of The Accidental Tourist  is hardly something to get upset about. Quite the opposite, in fact, as something this powerful and beautiful deserves to be seen in the best possible presentation as can be. And now, thanks to the diligence of the WAC, you, my fellow “walking wounded,” can finally find out what it feels like to feel.

Highly Recommended.

Luigi Bastardo

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Film Ruminations

Blu-ray review – the accidental tourist, accidental tourist.

Screenplay: Frank Galiti and Lawrence Kasdan

Minutes: 121

Score: 7.33

Release: Warner Archive

I was recently asked whether or not Lawrence Kasdan’s The Accidental Tourist still holds up today. Well, I hadn’t seen it previously so I cannot offer a comparison. What I can say is that the film plumbs emotional depths which had deep affect me.

From WBShop.com

This funny, tender film of Anne Tyler’s best seller reteams director Lawrence Kasdan with his Body Heat stars William Hurt and Kathleen Turner as misfiring Macon and wife Sarah, and showcases Geena Davis in her Best Supporting Actress Academy Award®- winning* role of romantically inclined dog-trainer Muriel. Chosen as the year’s best movie by the New York Film Critics Circle and a nominee for three other Oscars®, including Best Picture, The Accidental Tourist will leave you glowing

It is worth noting that I am a fan of Lawrence Kasdan, The Big Chill is a good movie which in unjustly maligned. Kasdan has also written many of the films which entertained my childhood, which is odd considering the theme of The Accidental Tourist .

Or I am not that smart. Either way I definitely think The Accidental Tourist is worth the time. There is something in the above description from WBShop that really tries to bury the lede and showcases deceptive marketing. While the film does have its share of laughs it is definitely a drama about a marriage broken by the death of a child.  The marketing makes it sound like William Hurt is a bumbling philanderer, but marketing mishaps are too common and luckily the film did not suffer come awards season.

I am grateful for the WarnerArchive.com for re-releasing this film and the print is, in my memory, pristine. There are a few special features but there are “vintage” and in DVD quality. I can confidently recommend this release to you. It can be ordered HERE from WBShop.com.

Special Features

• Introduction by Lawrence Kasdan
• [Selected Scene] Commentary by Geena Davis
• It’s Like Life
• Lifted [deleted] scenes

Director: 7 – Cinematography: 7 –  Edit: 5 – Parity: 6 – Main performance: 10 – Else performance: 7 – Score: 6 – Sound: 5 – Story: 8 – Script: 9 – Effects: 6 – Design: 8 – Costumes: 8 – Keeps interest: 8 – Lasting: 10

• Standard DVD

The Accidental Tourist

Review by: Matt Brighton

Plot: What’s it about?

“The Accidental Tourist” is one of those movies from the 80’s that seems like it was somehow overlooked when it first arrived on screen; yet it wasn’t. When the film came out, I was in High School, a fan of movies, but not like I am now. I was familiar with William Hurt and Kathleen Turner only for their great performances in “Body Heat”, a loose remake of “Double Indemnity” with some more steamy sex scenes. Screenwriter and Director Lawrence Kasdan has done a superb job adapting the novel to the screen and it shows in nearly every frame. Kasdan, known for countless efforts in writing (“Raiders of the Lost Ark”, “The Empire Strikes Back” and “The Big Chill”) for the screen has come up with a modern day movie that many can relate to. The movie features a great cast with William Hurt, Geena Davis, Kathleen Turner, Ed Begley Jr. and a young Bill Pullman rounding out the well-known actors. But the real treat of watching the movie is seeing it again…

Hurt plays a travel writer by the name of Macon Leary. He’s rather unhappily married to his wife, Sarah (Kathleen Turner), but it’s a relationship that seems to work because of their son. All of the sudden, the son is killed and Sarah announces to Macon that she can’t handle the married life anymore and the two split. Macon accepts this and takes the family dog and lives by himself. Macon is a man of rhythm and routine. His books are written so that when Americans travel, they can feel more at home. He travels all of the time, yet doesn’t really like to. It’s only because of his upbringing that has been so conditioned into him, that he’s able to make it on his own. When he can’t take the troubles with the dog anymore (most likely because it’s a break in his routine), he goes to a kennel. There he meets it’s owner, Muriel (Geena Davis). Muriel is essentially the opposite of everything that Macon is. She’s a free-spirit, doesn’t follow structure and lives life to the fullest. Macon has moved back in with his brothers (Davig Ogden Stiers and Ed Begley Jr.), who still live at home, and reluctantly agrees to accompany Muriel on a date.

The movie is all about change, human change at that. Macon has become so conditioned to do things a certain way, that he has missed out on most of the fun of what life is supposed to be. Muriel manages to try and change all of that, but when she accompanies him to Paris, Sarah shows up to try and rekindle their marriage. What I found so intriguing about the film is how naturalistic everyone was. From Macon’s publisher (Bill Pullman), to just about everyone that he meets. You don’t believe that these are characters in a movie, but moreover friends who you might have in everyday life. The direction is superb and Kasdan brings that same spark that he brought to “The Big Chill” and “Grand Canyon”, oddly enough, both films seem to have the same echo of humanity that this does. Aside from this being the movie that Geena Davis won an Oscar for, this is a portrait of a family that isn’t necessarily limited to the bounds of marriage. Highly recommended.

Video: How does it look?

The video transfer for “The Accidental Tourist” is shown in an anamorphic 2.35:1 ratio. The movie uses a lot of different light to express the varying moods of the film. For instance, when Macon identifies his son in the hospital, a very green almost “Matrix-like” tint is used as we see the expression in his eyes. The majority of the movie relies on a very muted palette that correctly identifies the look and feel of the movie. Artifacting is not a problem and though there are a few areas in which the transfer could have been improved (very minor, though), I found the transfer to be on par with most films of the day. All in all, not the best transfer out there, but certainly not the worst.

Audio: How does it sound?

Audio-wise, the movie boasts a Dolby Surround track, while not on par with today’s 5.1 tracks, this has a few moments when it’ll make your head turn. Certainly “The Accidental Tourist” isn’t a movie for truly dynamic audio, but the mostly dialogue-driven track takes full advantage of what it can. At certain points during the movie, surrounds (matrixed at that), take effect and for a movie made in the late 80’s, I would have to say that this is right on par with movies of it’s genre and age. Viewers shouldn’t be disappointed with the audio, either.

Supplements: What are the extras?

As far as extras go, there is a screen-specific audio commentary with Geena Davis. Though not really too insightful, and we hear most of the same thing in the featurettes, it’s nice to have this option. Davis naturally has a soft spot for this film as it gave her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. A new introduction with Writer/Director Lawrence Kasdan is shown as he tells us about how the film came to be and how he adapted it from the best-selling book. Coupled with some archived footage of Kathleen Turner, Geena Davis and himself (circa 1988), this featurette and “It’s Like Life” pretty much spell out the story. So be warned, if you’ve seen the film before, it’s safe to watch these, otherwise some spoilers are shown. Some deleted scenes (entitled “Lifted Scenes”) are shown as well, though it’s clear why they didn’t make the final cut. A theatrical trailer is also included.

Disc Scores

• STANDARD DVD
• Video Codec: MPEG-2
• Theatrical Trailer
• Audio Commentary
• Deleted Scene(s)
• Documentary
• Digital Copy

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Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, the accidental tourist.

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"Yes, that is my son," the man says, identifying the body in the intensive care unit. Grief threatens to break his face into pieces, and then something closes shut inside of him. He has always had a very controlled nature, fearful of emotion and revelation, but now a true ice age begins, and after a year his wife tells him she wants a divorce. It is because he cannot seem to feel anything.

"The Accidental Tourist" begins on that note of emotional sterility, and the whole movie is a journey toward a smile at the end.

The man's name is Macon Leary ( William Hurt ), and he writes travel books for people who detest traveling. He advises his readers on how to avoid human contact, where to find "American food" abroad and how to convince themselves they haven't left home. His own life is the same sort of journey, and maybe it began in childhood. His sister and two brothers still live together in the house where they were born, and any life outside of their routine would be unthinkable.

Macon's wife ( Kathleen Turner ) moves out, leaving him with the dog, Edward, who does like to travel and is deeply disturbed by the curious life his masters have provided for him. He barks at ghosts and snaps at strangers. It is time for Macon to make another one of his overseas research trips, so he takes the dog to be boarded at a kennel, and that's where he meets Muriel Pritchett ( Geena Davis ). Muriel has Macon's number from the moment he walks through the door. She can see he's a basket case, but she thinks she can help. She also thinks her young son needs a father.

Macon isn't so sure. He doesn't use the number she gives him. But later, when the dog trips him and he breaks his leg, he takes Edward back to the kennel, and this time he submits to a little obedience training of his own. He agrees to acknowledge that Muriel exists, and before long they are sort of living together (lust still exists in his body, but it lurks so far from the center of his feelings that sex hardly seems to cheer him up).

The peculiarity about these central passages in the film is that they are quite cheerful and sometimes even very funny, even though Macon himself is mired in a deep depression. Davis, as Muriel, brings an unforced wackiness to her role in scenes like the one where she belts out a song while she's doing the dishes. But she is not as simple as she sometimes seems, and when Macon gets carried away with a little sentimental generalizing about the future, she warns him, "Don't make promises to my son that you are not prepared to keep." There is also great good humor in the characters in Macon's family: brothers Porter ( David Ogden Stiers ) and Charles ( Ed Begley Jr.) and sister Rose ( Amy Wright ), a matriarch who feeds the family, presides over their incomprehensible card games and supervises such traditional activities as alphabetizing the groceries on the kitchen shelves. One evening Macon takes his publisher, Julien ( Bill Pullman ), home to dinner and Julien is struck with a thunderbolt of love for Rose. He eventually marries her, but a few weeks later Julien tells Macon that Rose has moved back home with the boys; she was concerned that they had abandoned regular meals and were eating only gorp.

This emergency triggers the movie's emotional turning point, which is subtle but unmistakable. Nobody knows Rose as well as Macon does, and so he gives Julien some very particular advice: "Call her up and tell her your business is going to pieces. Ask if she could just come in and get things organized. Get things under control. Put it that way.

Use those words. Get things under control, tell her." In context, this speech is hilarious. It is also the first time in the film that Macon has been able to extend himself to help anybody, and it starts him on the road to emotional growth. Clinging to the sterility and loneliness that has been his protection, he doesn't realize at first that he has turned the corner. He still doubts that he needs Muriel, and when she buys herself a ticket and follows him to Paris, he refuses to have anything to do with her. When his wife also turns up in Paris, there is a moment when he thinks they may be able to patch things together again, and then finally Macon arrives at the sort of moment he has been avoiding all of his life: He has to make a choice. But by then the choice is obvious; he has already made it, by peeking so briefly out of his shell.

The screenplay for "The Accidental Tourist," by Kasdan and Frank Galati , is able to reproduce a lot of the tone and dialogue of the Anne Tyler novel without ever simply being a movie version of a book. The textures are too specific and the humor is too quirky and well-timed to be borrowed. The filmmakers have reinvented the same story in their own terms. The movie is a reunion for Kasdan, Hurt and Turner, who all three launched their careers with " Body Heat " (1981). Kasdan used Hurt again in " The Big Chill " (1983) and understands how to employ Hurt's gift for somehow being likable at the same time he seems to be withdrawn.

What Hurt achieves here seems almost impossible: He is depressed, low-key and intensely private through most of the movie, and yet somehow he wins our sympathy. What Kasdan achieves is just as tricky; I've never seen a movie so sad in which there was so much genuine laughter. "The Accidental Tourist" is one of the best films of the year.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

The Accidental Tourist (1989)

121 minutes

Kathleen Turner as Sarah

William Hurt as MacOn

Ed Begley Jr. as Charles

David Ogden Stiers as Porter

Geena Davis as Muriel

Amy Wright as Rose

Bill Pullman as Julian

Robert Gorman as Alexander

Bradley Mott as Mr. Loomis

Screenplay by

• Frank Galati
• John Williams

Photographed by

• John Bailey

Produced by

• Charles Okun
• Michael Grillo
• Carol Littleton

Based On The Novel by

Directed by.

• Lawrence Kasdan

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Blu-Ray Releases Details

The accidental tourist.

Where to find your favorite fast-food hamburger in Paris? How many laundry-soap packets does a trip to Atlanta require? Ask Macon Leary, whose guidebooks are revered by home-loving business travelers who loathe being in transit. About matters of the heart, don't ask Macon. He doesn't have a clue. At least, not yet. This funny, tender film of Anne Tyler's best seller reteams director Lawrence Kasdan with his Body Heat stars William Hurt and Kathleen Turner as misfiring Macon and wife Sarah, and showcases Geena Davis in her Best Supporting Actress Academy Award®- winning* role of romantically inclined dog-trainer Muriel. Chosen as the year's best movie by the New York Film Critics Circle and a nominee for three other Oscars®, including Best Picture, The Accidental Tourist will leave you glowing.

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Review by TheBriefcase94

The accidental tourist 1988 ★★★★★.

Watched Apr 01 , 2024

TheBriefcase94’s review published on Letterboxd:

To be honest, I didn't think I would like this film all that much. When I watched Lawrence Kasdan's The Big Chill in October of last year, I wasn't that big on it. And I thought that The Accidental Tourist would be like The Big Chill, which is a film of its time. And thankfully, The Accidental Tourist was nothing like The Big Chill. It's a heartbreaking film that does an incredible job of portraying grief, and loss, and overcoming it.

To begin, William Hurt's performance is dare I say, a tour-de-force? I mean, the hidden tragedy Hurt portrays is soul-crushing. Hurt's performance is on the same level as Casey Affleck's in Manchester By The Sea. That's how incredible it is. Hurt was snubbed for an Academy Award nomination.

And Geena Davis's performance as the woman who brings Hurt's character back to life is so simple, yet effective at the same time. She and Hurt have wonderful chemistry together and I loved the relationship growing between them. Same with the relationship Hurt's character develops with Davis's son. It was so heartwarming. The screenplay is phenomenal and has scenes that will have you with a smile on your face and tears in your eyes.

The book from which the film is adapted is now on my reading list. This is simply, a great film, that I can't recommend enough. The Accidental Tourist is a phenomenal, tragic picture filled with heartwarming moments and superb performances. The film kept my attention and never left me bored. Overall, The Accidental Tourist is an incredible film and one that was way better than I thought it would be.

Watched on Blu-Ray (Warner Archive).

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The Accidental Tourist

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Blu-ray BD-R Details

• ORIGINAL ASPECT RATIO - 2.35:1
• Run Time: 2 hours, 1 minutes
• Video: Color
• Encoding: Region 0 (Worldwide)
• Released: May 9, 2017
• Originally Released: 1988
• Label: Warner Archive Collection (MOD)

Performers, Cast and Crew:

Entertainment reviews:, tomatometer total count: 32, audience score user ratings: 6,199, description by oldies.com:.

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