The Accidental Tourist     

By Marshall Fine

Lawrence Kasdan adapted Anne Tyler's novel into this mopey comedy which, oddly enough, took the New York Film Critics Circle's best picture award (a case of strategic voting getting out of hand). William Hurt plays a depressed travel writer struggling to come to terms with his son's death. He buys a dog for companionship, then hires an eccentric dog trainer (Geena Davis, who won an Oscar for her role) to teach it to behave. She, in turn, teaches him to reconnect to life. But as he is beginning to admit his feelings for her to himself, he is blindsided by the return of his estranged wife (Kathleen Turner), who attempts to rekindle their marriage. A muffled, low-key affair--so low-key that it sometimes seems positively stationary.

Academy Awards

The Accidental Tourist received an Academy Award for Best Performance By an Actress in a Supporting Role (Geena Davis). The Accidental Tourist also received Academy Awards nominations for Best Picture of the Year (Lawrence Kasdan - Producer, Charles Okun - Producer, Michael Grillo - Producer) Best Screenplay Based on Material From Another Medium (Frank Galati, Lawrence Kasdan) and for Best Achievement in Music (Original Score; John Williams) .

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