196. The Accidental Tourist

Song - Roll Over Lay Down (Status Quo)

Movie: The Accidental Tourist (Lawrence Kasdan, 1988)

If you ever stumble upon this film halfway through, remember that Macon (William Hurt) has lost his son. Otherwise it may be a little confusing how a man who is pursued by Geena Davis and Kathleen Turner, and gets paid to travel to Paris, London and New York, can be so impervious. That imperviousness is the source of both the film's strengths and weaknesses. Macon is restrained and uninterested in great outward expressions of sorrow, and remains so until the very end. That is an unusual and welcome representation of grief, especially in an American film. Many similar stories would include a scene of triumph and catharsis of Macon unreservedly crying, signaling his 'uplifting' transformation into a more emotionally expresive, better and happier person.  And yet, it's a thin line between being reserved and being arrogantly self-centered. Kasdan doesn't always know how to toe that line, occasionally turning the film into a somewhat cloying wish fulfillment fantasy in which Macon gets to remain passively indifferent to his surroundings, while being showered with love and empathy.

Macon is a writer of business travel books outlining to their readers how they can have a comfortable, non-foreign experience in the places they go to. The books explain how to avoid encounters with strangers and where in London to find the best American food. They are good reflections of Macon's general disposition, something the ridiculous voiceover keeps underlying long after we've gotten the point. Nonetheless, Hurt plays Macon wonderfully as a man who seems to fully think through every move he makes. He makes even the act of taking a coat from a rack seem purposefully considered, similarly to the way he made opening the glove compartment of his car seem like a consciously thought out decision during the opening credits of The Big Chill (also directed by Kasdan). Hurt plays his characters in both films as people with an inability to make effortless decisions, who are always deeply aware of all the steps that are being taken in the act of doing something. It's not a surprise that his wife Sarah (Kathleen Turner), falling apart after the death of their son, can't stand living with him anymore. 

The family dog seems more shaken by these changes, forcing Macon to bring it to dog trainer Muriel (Geena Davis). The height difference between the dog and Muriel allows the film a lot of shots of Geena Davis' legs, but Muriel is more than just a pretty woman who serves to revitalise a broken man. She has wants and desires of her own, and the film makes it clear that she needs Macon as much as vice versa. Their relationship is mirrored by the one between Macon's publisher Julian (Bill Pullman) and Rose (Amy Wright), Macon's sister. Macon's siblings are a collection of oddballs who aren't fully adjusted to modern life. They get lost on streets they've known their entire lives, refuse to answer the phone, and undercook their food. Rose and Julain should be an incompatible couple, but the film lets them (and all its other characters) behave in ways that are not easily understood or neccesarily rational. I complained about The Big Chill that it never lets its characters escape the molds Kasdan has created for them. That is not a problem of this film, which can't be said of the somewhat bland direction.