Harry & Tonto Re-visited (1974)



Turner Movie classics re-broadcasted the movie "Harry & Tonto" last night, and after viewing the first few minutes I was hopelessly captivated again by the story.  The movie is a favorite of mine, and as I am growing older it seems to speak to me even more.  I've reviewed the film already so I won't re-hash why its a classic or why the movie works.

Instead I''ll just speak to it's authenticity and it's refreshing view of older people.  Paul Mazursky's direction is so well done that you feel that you may be actually looking at a documentary instead of a feature film.  Art Carney's performance is flawless, and ever so real.  The film speaks about today even though it was made back in 1974.  The characters that inhabit the film are all funny and seem to be cut from a bit of reality that even speaks to us today.

When one character talks about a coming "depression" you only have to think about the Wall Street banking crises of late.  As Carney's character travels through the United States he comes across some interesting people which make the picture what it is.  Art Carney carries the whole picture, and he does so with some incredible authenticity.  Carney's performance is outstanding and it's great to have seen that the Academy awarded him best actor for that year.

The thing about "Harry & Tonto" is that the message is still intacted.  It is still speaking to a generation, and it rings true. The film is a road movie of sorts, and through the characters we see a part of Americana.  Not many films do that, and not many films stay releavant, but Harry & Tonto stays very relevant, and seems to be a timeless classic.

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