The Hero

A fine little movie with a great cast and a superb tone of melancholy. A little love story, aging, death, loneliness, reconciliation, and the trial about one's life's achievements - The Hero is a quiet movie with all the great themes of human existence. Sam Elliot plays the lead just exquisite and convincing, and the performances of his side-kicks Laura Prepon, Krysten Ritter and Nick Offerman give him a lot to work with and the right canvas for his play. The Hero is an emotional, sad and contemplative movie with some bright spots and fine humor refined with some poetic works by Edna St. Vincent Millay. Alone the reading of the poem Dirge Without Music by Laura Prepon at the end of the movie... A movie for a mature audience.

Don't worry, I won't spoil the ending, but it was not what I wanted. The movie was packed with emotion. You really had to pay attention so you could get plugged in with the characters. I don't mind that, but the ending....ugh.

"The Hero" is by far Sam Elliot's best acting performance ever. It is heartfelt and real throughout the movie.

The other actors were good and able to keep the movie going throughout.

The plot was also interesting and had a couple of twists that I did not see coming. (Who was hanged? And the painful stand-up comedy routine.)

This is a slow movie with a story. It's not an action thriller so get some popcorn and a drink, sit back, relax and watch it.

My question is the timing of the release. This is an adult, drama and should have been released after school starts. That would put it at the end of the year and closer to Academy Awards time.

I believe Sam Elliot will and should get a nomination for Best Actor.

So far for 2017 "The Hero" is the best film that I've seen the story seems real and it's a showcase of past reflection and how one can come to terms with future fate even if it does appear to be tragic. And Sam Elliott gives maybe the best performance of his acting life as Lee Hayden a past his prime and washed up western country film actor who's best days and work is behind him, as now Lee only does voice overs like barbecue radio ads with his gravel deep baritone voice. Still he hopes for a comeback.

Of late Lee's days are full of whiskey drinking and weed smoking and he only has memories of his past glory. And his family life is strained as he's divorced from his wife and wants to reconnect with his stubborn strong headed daughter Lucy(Krsten Ritter). And life has dealt Lee another bad deck keeping him behind the 8 ball as he's just got word of terminal pancreatic cancer.

Lee's only current bright side is his meeting and one night stand with Charlotte(Laura Prepon)a crude and rude stand up comic, and Lee learns that love and relationships is like stormy waters that go up and down. Thru it all Lee is reflecting and coming to terms with the past of memories, old glory, and family and while facing the future fate of one last sunset in front of his California beach home and the rolling waves. Overall very good picture that is a showcase that one only has reflection and memories toward the end proving that coming to terms with the past like family and love is important before one is faced with a future morality. And Sam Elliott is my "Hero" clearly his greatest performance ever.

Director Brett Haley once again joins writing forces with Marc Basch (both of "I'll See You in My Dreams" - 2015) to present a LA based story that feels current, plausible and welcoming. Ruggedly handsome and gruff toned Sam Elliott ("Grace and Frankie") is Lee Hayden, an actor past his prime now doing quirky VoiceOvers and smoking pot and drinking with his former actor co-star Jeremy (the always enjoyable Nick Offerman "Parks and Recreation"). When fellow pot-head Charlotte (another TV favorite Laura Prepon "That 70's Show) appears on the scene, her unique love affair with Lee pushes him to face some important life decisions, including his relationship with estranged daughter Lucy (the beautiful Krysten Ritter - TV's "Jessica Jones") and his Ex Valerie (one of my favorites Katharine Ross - "Donnie Darko" - 2001: a film I was also in!). I love when a director welcomes familiar character actors to join a film, and here Doug Cox, Max Gail, Patrika Darbo, Cameron Esposito and Christopher May are a welcomed infusion to the story. "The Hero" is a sound film with good storytelling, presented at a time when summer animation, CGI and explosion films are seeking your movie going dollar.