Tim - Anjos de Aço

I found it a moving story of love and innocence on the one hand and ignorance, prejudice and bigotry on the other. All the actors from Piper Laurie and Mel Gibson to the Australian actors who played the deeply loving parents and the bigot sister and husband were simply great. I have rarely seen Mel Gibson acting better after this movie. Compliments for the director. The most wonderful but also saddest thing about this movie was that Gibson grew from an almost tabula rasa mind to a person with more grasp of what the world is about. Thanks to the loving guidance of Laurie he learned to read and appreciate art and music. But it also lead him to understand more of the complexity and sometimes ugliness of people. I would love to see it again. Even though I have seen it twice . Of course looking at a young and beautiful Mel Gibson does not hurt.

Caught this film on cable, late night, a few years back. No idea what to expect, just wasn't ready to go to bed. By the time it ended, it was in my Top 10 of all time. Certainly the lowest budgeted film (accounting for inflation, anyway) on that list.

Gibson was terrific, capturing a handicapped young man perfectly. But, hey, the entire cast was great, especially Awyn Kurts as Tim's father. And, after appreciating Piper Laurie for years and years, that night I fell in love with her.

I've never seen such a "tight" little film. I doubt that there were more than 12 seconds of even semi-wasted frames. Michael Pate did an amazing job.

I actually really enjoyed this. Its a simple, sweet movie with fantastic acting from all involved. The fact that it was made in 1979 only makes it that much more fun to watch. Mel Gibson (in one of his earliest roles) is VERY nice to look at (remember "that" Mel) and he spends most of the movie smiling while running around in Stubbies and a singlet (American translation wee, wee Magnum PI shorts and a tank top) we even get a speedo at one point.

The story follows a middle aged American woman (played brilliantly by Piper Laurie) who hires a simple minded handyman, 24 year old "Tim" as her gardener. The two develop a friendship, she teaches him to read and takes him on trips to the beach.

Their relationship eventually turns romantic following the death of Tim's mother. At first Mary denies her feelings, Tim experiences jealousy and then his father asks Mary to look after Tim when he passes.

I really enjoyed the family dynamic here, both of the parents were fantastic, just great acting in this, and I fell a bit in love with Alwyn Kurts who played Tim's father. There is also a neat scene with Mary reading The Thorn Birds (Tim was based on a novel by Colleen McCullough) as well as all of the cups of tea and middies of beer at the pub, true blue. This was A bit of a gem actually. 11/4/15

MovieAddict2005 painted a very cruel picture of a very sensitive picture.. Mel Gibson's feeling for the not-too-bright, but likable character Tim was a great tribute to the all-round acting talent of a man too easily typecast as an action actor. Piper Laurie was as ever a joy to watch in the difficult part of "the older woman" and endured ageism , (possibly exhibited a little by MovieAddict2005) with dignity, as did Gibson's character against narrow-minded people who are more "retarded" than he is..

The growing love between them - which came from nowhere, as it should -was as beautiful and real as acting can get.

If the overall production was modest, that's OK. Hollywood is not necessarily the best presenter of simple yet complex human conflict and pain.Australian movies, as shown by such as "Mariel's Wedding" (yes, I know about the spelling) have moved on since the uncomfortable silences of the wooden TV series "Spy Force" and the sheer embarrassment of the "cult" "The Outback"

The Yahoo Movies (sorry!) review described "Tim" as "superb". Rightly Though I dislike numeric ratings, I was asked for one - I gave 7/10. If this sounds low, I'd give the marvellous "The Elephant Man" only 9, even though it has the most moving moment in movie history - the close-up of Anthony Hopkins' face when he realises Merrick could read. You could feel the tears in his eyes as they came to your own. "Tim"'s close-ups could not hope to match this, but they were quietly stunning

No film has ever got 10 - perfection doesn't exist. I would score even Citizen Kane, the greatest of all, 9.5. But "Tim" gets 9/10 for sincerity

This is an excellent, modest story of love between a young, simple man (Mel Gibson) and Mary, a successful, older woman (Piper Laurie).

Director Michael Pate deftly explores the way love deepens without contrivance or adherence to pre-set plot points. Tim is a member of a close-knit family who are all moving away from him -- his sister via marriage, his father via death.

As these changes occur in Tim's life (he is mildly mentally retarded), he is drawn inexplicably but naturally into an unconventional relationship that brings strength and awareness to his life.

Gibson and Laurie are both brilliant in their respective roles, as is the late, great Australian actor Alwyn Kurts, who plays Tim's father and bestows on the character great depth and dimension.

A wonderful, moving film.