The Hero

source: The Hero

If "The Hero" was released before both "The Wrestler" and "Crazy Heart" it could have been more poignant and well-received, but by now, this kind of plot became tired and cliché ridden. Like Mickey Rourke (not much like Jeff Bridges), the trajectory of the lead character mirrors the real life & career of the great (& criminally underused) character actor, Sam Elliott, one of the last truly manly actors in Hollywood, which offered brilliant turns as the supporting performer in a bunch of well-known & nowadays classic or cult movies such as "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"; "The Sacketts"; "Mask"; "Road House"; "Rush"; "Tombstone"; "Gettysburg"; "The Big Lebowski"; "We Were Soldiers" among lots of others. His distinctive rugged cowboy looks, sporting a thick mustache and a peculiar, deep & resonant voice, made him being typecast in the cowboy or biker roles, but his sturdy & masculine presence, sweating charisma, always highlighted him above the main cast (especially as Gar in "Mask" or Wade Garrett, Patrick Swayze's mentor in "Road House"). Here, Sam Elliott had finally the chance to fully embrace a lead character, playing a 'washed-out' western movie star, doing voice-overs to survive while looking for work in a Movie Industry that no longer recognizes him as a bankable actor. Elliott's understated, but powerful performance of bringing this tragic character to life, was a 'tour de force' delivering & the last 'hurrah" from a purist old cowboy trapped in a modern world he can't (and don't want to) understand. The movie itself drags on too much for its own good and could have been more meaningful, if a better screenplay was written (or revised), distancing itself a little more from "The Wrestler" stereotype. The supporting players are all there for Elliott, delivering genuine performances from Laura Prepon to Elliott's real life wife and frequent co-star, Katharine Ross ("The Graduate"; "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"; "The Stepford Wives"). A morbid fact is that the pancreatic cancer which the lead character is suffering was the same that, unfortunately, killed Elliott's younger friend and early co-star, Patrick Swayze. Verdict: Even if it wasn't all that original, it's a movie that deserves to be seen and in a perfect world, Sam Elliott should be nominated for the Best Actor in a Leading Role award, it's one of the best (& committed) performances i've seen this year.

Some Actors are so talented, that they just suck you into their world. Be it pain, happiness, sorrow or any emotion that one can emote, they just make you feel whats happening to them. Its eerily real. And Sam Elliott is among those blessed talents. Have any doubts? Watch 'The Hero'. Simple. In this predicable story of an aged man looking back at his mistakes & achievements before giving his final goodbye, Elliott transforms as Lee Hayden, a yesteryear movie star, now ailing, who must come in terms with morality & the passage of time. All his mistakes, his relationships, his career highlights to his life as a whole, Elliott's Lee Hayden gives it a final look back & tries to mend of the things, he ruined for his own reasons. Lee tries to back at what he lost, beginning with his ex-wife (Katharine Ross, in great form) & daughter (Krysten Ritter, so good it hurts), as well as realizing that his career as a movie star is now coming to an end. What he gains, however in this journey, is a friend who smokes up weed (Nick Offerman, flawless) & a younger women who indulges with Lee with passion & maturity (Laura Prepon, sexy & natural). But with illness not refusing to leave, Lee must make the most of the time he has left. Marc Basch & Brett Haley's Screenplay is predictable & one might get glimpses of The Wrestler or Crazy Heart, and yet its engaging & moving. Though a tighter second-hour would've done wonders, the Writing luckily never goes off track. It remains a story on life & mortality & offers moments of genuine heartache. Brett Haley's Direction is subtle, but effective. Cinematography & Editing are well-done. And at the center of 'The Hero' is Sam Elliott. The Legendary Actor delivers a knockout performance that is sure to leave you in awe. He sinks his teeth into the part & brings it out with flying colors. Oscar Attention would truly be the best justification of his portrayal. On the whole, 'The Hero' reminds us what a volcano of talent Sam Elliott still is. Watch it for him. You'll be rewarded.

Keeping it going for the veteran actors, I like Sam Elliot's place in movies at this time, like his role as  Blythe Danner's sexy love interest in I'll See You in My Dreams,  but now he's doing a leading role for himself as an old western icon in a painful time in his life and trying to deal with it. Lucky for him he has Laura Prepon to help with those hard times. I got to look up Elliot's old movies. I'm familiar with the silver haired Elliot and I'm wondering if there was something before this, (And does any of his work matter before Road House?) Touching and slow. Also like how different the role of the Hero is than his role on the Netflix show, the Ranch, where he plays the father of Prepon's old That 70s Show cast mates Aston Kucther and Danny Masterson, Yet the role is still very very Sam Elliot. Nice slow mellow pace, but still cool, making it great for Sam Elliot.

sam Elliott, like "the hero" lee hayden, made one "big" film forty years ago and has spent the rest of the time as a journeyman actor and voice over artist. I don't know the relationship between the writer/director brett haley and mr. Elliott, but this film is definitely based on sam Elliott. that said, the film is a slice of life about an older man trying to get by. he is estranged from his daughter, but seems to have a decent relationship with his ex wife, played by mr. Elliott's real life wife, Katherine ross. the hero meets and begins a relationship with laura prepon, almost,(almost) unrecognizable from her "that 70's show" days. he has a neighbor, nick offerman, who he shares joints with. that's about it. nothing profound, just a good movie. enjoy. by the way, a journeyman actor is a good thing. this movie is full of them.

I do wish the guys who nominate films for the forthcoming Oscars don't miss out on this one. It is one of the best films from USA in a long while. Sam Elliot and Brett Haley deserve a thumbs up. Laura Prepon ought to get picked up for good roles in the future. Sad that TIFF failed to honor this work in the competition. A lovely script, a great lead performance and commendable direction. And good to see the return of Katherine Ross--only to team up with her real life husband.

Sam Elliott is a Legend. Simple as. This film is a beautiful, poignant touching gem. No spoilers whatsoever here or plot details. I will simply say - do yourself a favor and see it. It is an amazing life-affirming film that makes you look long and hard at your own mortality. It makes you ask the questions : What would I do? How would I react, if I had to face that situation? Also. We guys should all be so lucky, to look as amazing as Sam at that age. I hope I do. See 'The Hero.' it is a touching piece of work.

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend an advance showing of The Hero. If you see nothing this summer but one movie, see this one. Sam Elliott stars as an ailing actor coming to terms with his own mortality, along with his past and his strained relationships. Sam's portrayal of the main character, Lee Hayden, was riveting. He conveyed raw emotion on screen, almost a voyeuristic event, peering into an emotional train wreck as the character tries to find the answers while he self-medicates through life. It was real. It was believable. And it is quite possibly Elliott's greatest work. I left the theater wanting more.

The Hero often times feels like a Pyrrhic Victory - it showcases the luminous humanism and skill of a veteran actor willing to put in the hard work for a small, intimate film, yet the film itself rings so frightfully artificial that it nearly itself ablaze in tin-eared cliché and slow, art-house minutiae. Prediction: The Hero will be nominated for a token "fifth guy" Golden Globe - not because it deserves it, but because it's so coldly calibrated to make hay and celebrate the life of a much beloved character actor who, let's face it, deserves better than this. Sam Elliott essentially plays himself i.e. an aging formerly famous cowboy actor who keeps busy mostly through voice work and copious amounts of pot. Thus when his doctor diagnosis him with pancreatic cancer, Lee starts to consider his legacy as well as his relatively cold relationships with friends and family. Adding to the mix of moping and melancholy is Charlotte (Prepon) whose younger comedienne takes a shining to the erstwhile cowboy. "You seem sad," she says while waiting for their mutual pot dealer (Offerman). Seems that's all it takes to make a connection. The movie unfolds more-or-less how you'd expect. The cowboy trudges through his minor commitments, attempts to make amends with his ex-wife (Ross) and daughter (Ritter) while playing the "Big C" close to his chest. Much ado is made about a lifetime achievement award dolled-out by a western preservation society but its narrative importance is drowned out by surreal reoccurring dreams and a series of extreme close-ups. It all rings less of subtlety and character-driven composure and more like the film is just going through the motions. Sam Elliott simmers with understated intensity but every other character that orbits him are broadly rendered California-types that repeatedly call him "dude" and "man." The script makes little attempt to give its supporting characters inner life, nor does it give any new dimension to the clichés it collects along Elliott's journey of self-discovery. Instead it takes various plot-threads and makes them feel like padding - bland, boring padding. Other than Sam Elliott's stage presence, the best that can be said about The Hero is at least it's not the similarly themed The Last Word (2017). While matching that film in the level of poignancy or lack thereof, The Hero is as comfortably dressed down as The Last Word was obnoxiously twee. It opts for the level tone of a gracious elegy western - cordial, wistful, remarkably old-fashioned and elusive. Yet its that elusiveness that slowly drains The Hero of any of its impact. We're never brought into Lee's head space despite ten minute segments of the aged cowboy smoking pot and discussing the metaphorical implications of a desktop iceberg. What's left then is a movie much like its hero - a funhouse mirror version of emotion masquerading as the real thing.

THE HERO (2017) *** 1/2 Sam Elliott, Laura Prepon, Krysten Ritter, Nick Offerman, Katharine Ross, Max Gail. Elliott gives an Oscar-worthy turn as an on the wane actor who, between getting high with his pot dealer and attempting to bond with his estranged daughter, is diagnosed with cancer leading to some life re-affirming with a new love (Prepon) and a lifetime achievement award in the process. Director Brett Haley's screenplay with Marc Basch is tailor-made for the erstwhile Elliott whose under appreciation and sublime performance mirrors his own career to boot.