Voyageur malgré lui

Hurt expresses more with the slightest movement on his face than most actors do with pages of dialogue. An achingly beautiful portrait of a man trapped within himself, struggling at once to stay in and get out

the Accidental Tourist is among the best movies ever made in the world.Maybe it is not absolutely the best, but as to me it is the most well understood one. that probably is the reason why i love it so much. When i watched it, i can even felt what Macon Leary was feeling inside---i could feel the complicated mood when he called Sarah in his hotel in Paris, i can understand that his heart has already belonged to Muriel when he said it's OK to Sarah, who asked for his opinion on the newly bought sofa. he was a captious guy!and i can also read his heart when he close the door to Muriel, not willing to take her on his trip the next morning. Also i can read the deep love for Muriel on his smiling face when he met Muriel at the gate of the hotel at the end of the movie. I can't agree with some people who think this movie lacks energy. it might appear to lack, but u could have felt the passion in their hearts if u can understand them. this remind me of another movie--Once Upon A Time In America, which is also said to lack energy, but i can feel the great passion in Noodles and Deborah's heart when they "quietly" meet in the bar after Noodle was released from the jail. only a few words from Deborah can make me feel that! Just as sometimes the clothes do not make the man, sometimes the movie is not what it appears! there is seldom any good movies from which we can not feel the passion!

This is a faithful adaption of a brilliant novel. I have seen this movie a dozen times and it gets better with each viewing. It is subtle, yes, and that probably means it is not for everyone. Subtle, however, is not synonymous with boring, as unfortunately many people accustomed to a non-stop barrage of sense-dulling special effects and violence have come to believe. This film is as far from boring as it gets.

What I walked away from this story with is a reaffirmation of a force bigger than ourselves that takes our lives in a new direction -- one that we often consciously choose to reject. Macon Leary, as superbly played by William Hurt, has been sleepwalking through life for years. His profession says it all: he writes books for business travelers who have to visit exotic places but want to feel as if they never left home. Thus, the title, "The Accidental Tourist".

He is separated from his beloved wife, Sarah, played very well by Kathleen Turner. She could no longer live in with the waking death their life had become since the senseless murder of their young son years before. But he still wants nothing more than for her to return and resume that life. Even after a quirky dog-trainer played by Geena Davis (in her well-deserved Oscar-winning performance) enters his life and his heart he believes his future can only be with Sarah.

I don't want to give away the entire story, but I will say that the entire supporting cast, Macon's family (Ed Begley, Jr., Amy Wright, David Ogden Stiers) his editor (Bill Pullman), and a scene-stealing Welsh Corgi contribute richly and completely to the overall power of this story.

Some of the best dialogue I've ever heard on relationships, why they work, and why what we want so dearly to work just doesn't work anymore, is in this film. "Don't be lulled by a false sense of security". This powerful line, is what this film is all about, and it is placed perfectly, as all the memorable lines are. Give it a chance and an open mind because this film is the real deal. In my estimation, "The Accidental Tourist" is American cinema at it's best.

At last,the dvd has arrived and it is a pure joy from start to finish.I was 21 when I first saw this film at the theatre and I knew it was good then,but now,a little older and wiser,I consider it a masterpiece.William Hurt's performance is mesmerising and Geena Davis is at her best.The dvd has 14 deleted scenes and I do feel sorry for Kathleen Turner,as some of her best work is on the cutting room floor.If you enjoy a real actor's movie,then this will not disappoint.The last 5 minutes,with marvellous John Williams underscoring,is sheer perfection.How this did not win best picture I shall never know.

I agree to almost every word reviewer Takatomon wrote. One of this movie's greatest merits is that it deals with issues in life in a unpolished and natural way. It's easy to understand how this movie can be overlooked by the majority of viewers as this movie isn't for the majority of viewers. That is, the majority that's expecting to be entertained in the Hollywood style of film making. With that I mean those "strong" performances we all want to see from characters as Hoffman in "Rain Man" or Hanks in "Forrest Gump". Or vast visuals, filmed in the broadest scope, or action packed sequences. Not in "The Accidental Tourist". What you do get is William Hurt in what I think is one of his best roles as Macon Leary, writer of travel guides and Geena Davis in an exquisite role as the pet store owner. I've admired actors for the way they can portray mentally or socially challenged people (Rainman, Forrest Gump, Of mice and men, etc.). These parts tend to win the Oscars. But I'd rather give one to Hurt for his portrayal of Macon Leary because this character doesn't show obvious signs of any handicap. Actually Macon is very plain. What can be more difficult than acting out a role of a person who's personal qualities don't jump at you right away? "The Accidental Tourist" is a movie of high quality and should be given a fair chance.