Don't Believe the Hype

A bit overrated, but still an amazing film

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

My wife and I are retired and watch movies for relaxation and enjoyment. This one was disappointing, to say the least. We expected Sam Elliott to be portrayed as the laid back, yet wise, and lovable curmudgeon that that was a vital part of his past demeanor in Hollywood land. There were traces of that in the film but that was overshadowed by him not acting as the actor we expected as an integral part of, yet aloof from the rest; but as an aging pot head and druggy indulging in behavior a bit extreme for his age, at least in the main. It would have been put to a fitter portrayal by a younger more vigorous actor who viewers would understand as seemingly plausible. The director and writers have either attempted to place their own agenda into an unlikely scenario---and have missed the mark. As for us. It was a waste of time.

This film is kind of honours Sam Elliott for his real life achievement. Anyway, he was phenomenal. The film was realistic, so most of the parts were slow moving. This is about an aging film actor, who has not worked on any projects recently. So desperate to get one, but sad news brings a speed breaker to his life. Now confused him, does not know how to approach the rest of the life. He starts with his family to fix the past mistake. The remaining tale focused on his other things.It was Sam Elliott's major role in decades. This should be watched for him considering his real life as an actor. It will be a good film for those who have seen his old films, particularly westerns. The actor who did not just survived because of his iconic mustache and golden voice, but have given fine performances too. This was a too simple film. It do has emotions, but not appealing enough. I might slightly rated it low, but the film is good, at least for once watching.6/10

This film was a lovely tribute to veteran actor Sam Elliott. The screenplay provide a thoughtful overview of his career and even offered insights into the nature of heroism. The overall concept of Sam Elliott playing the aging actor in Westerns Lee Hayden, but really playing himself, was a smooth and polished achievement.There was a creative approach to the scripting with snappy lines of dialogue. The metaphor of "one ounce of the devil's lettuce" was a great description of marijuana. There was also an imaginative description of a fictional television series called "Cattle Drive," with Lee's sidekick, who was at one point written out of script, but is now Lee's best friend.Another nice touch was in the character of Charlotte, the young woman who becomes Lee's girlfriend. Their banter was snappy, and she provided him with great support in quoting her favorite poet, Edna St. Vincent Millay. Millay was responsible for coining the phrase, "burning a candle at both ends." And the lengthy citation from her poem "Dirge Without Music," including such phrases as "time out of mind" and "I am not resigned," were inspirational.There were several odd choices in the film, including Charlotte's insensitive stand-up routine that poked fun at Lee. This monologue seemed completely out of character for Charlotte. Also, the failed audition of Lee seemed difficult to believe, especially after Lee had performed it so effectively for his actor friend. Additionally, the character of Lee's daughter was not very credible, due to her callous nature. When she finally came shell, it was far too late in the film to be effective.For those viewers who are able to locate a DVD copy of the the film, there is commentary track with both director Brett Haley and the star Sam Elliott. At one point, Elliott volunteered that he is often approached by fans who ask him to record a voice message on their phones. There is no doubt that the voice of Sam Elliott is his most distinctive trait as a performer.The highlight of the film was Lee's "acceptance speech" for a lifetime achievement award. In the speech, he acknowledged an ordinary fan for her quiet heroism. The speech was moving and resonated with great sincerity. Thoreau wrote that people lead "lives of quiet desperation." But they also lead lives of quiet heroism that are often overlooked. The film offered a warm message about how in, the words of Lee Haden, "we're all just grains of sand," but ones that can leave an eternal imprint.

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.