The Accidental Tourist (film)

The Accidental Tourist
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Lawrence Kasdan
Screenplay by	Frank Galati Lawrence Kasdan
Based on	The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler
Starring	William Hurt Kathleen Turner Geena Davis Amy Wright Bill Pullman David Ogden Stiers Ed Begley, Jr.
Music by	John Williams
Cinematography	John Bailey
Editing by	Carol Littleton
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	December 23, 1988 (1988-12-23)
Running time	121 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$32,632,093 (United States)

The Accidental Tourist is a 1988 American drama film starring William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, and Geena Davis. It was directed by Lawrence Kasdan and scored by John Williams. The film's screenplay was adapted by Kasdan and Frank Galati from the novel of the same name by Anne Tyler. One of the most acclaimed films of 1988, it was nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Geena Davis won Best Supporting Actress for her performance.

Plot

Macon Leary is a Baltimore, Maryland writer of travel guides for reluctant business travelers. Macon's cautionary advice to travelers serves as a metaphor, as Macon himself is a reluctant traveler through life, unable to connect with other people. His travel writings detail how reluctant business travelers can best avoid unpleasantness and difficulty, just as Macon avoids the reality of his life and the people in it.

After Macon's twelve-year-old son Ethan is murdered during a robbery at a fast-food restaurant, he and his wife Sarah find their marriage disintegrating. Sarah eventually leaves Macon, moving out of their house and into an apartment. When Macon falls down the basement stairs, breaking his leg in a freakish accident involving a washing machine, a skateboard and his spooked dog (a Cardigan Welsh Corgi named Edward), he returns to the family home to stay with his eccentric siblings — sister Rose and brothers Porter and Charles — whose odd habits include alphabetically organizing groceries in the kitchen cabinets, ignoring the telephone when it rings, and playing an invented card game called "Vaccination." When Macon's publisher Julian makes an unexpected visit (and is treed by an angry Edward), Julian meets Rose and is immediately smitten with her.

Macon is pursued by Muriel Pritchett, a quirky young kennel manager with a sickly multiply-allergic son named Alexander. Macon eventually hires Muriel to put Edward though much-needed obedience training, as he cannot bear to give Edward away because he once belonged to Ethan. Although Muriel at first seems brash and unsophisticated, Macon finds himself slowly opening up to her, trusting her, but it is a relationship to which he is simply unable to commit. Macon spends most of his nights in Muriel's shabby row-house, and even takes Alexander shopping for clothes. When Sarah becomes aware of the situation, she decides they should reconcile, even suggesting they move back together into their old home. Macon leaves Muriel, and he and Sarah set up house once more.

While visiting Paris for research, Muriel surprises Macon by showing up on the same flight. She is also staying in the same hotel in Paris — the same hotel she found recommended by Macon in one of his travel guides. She suggests that they enjoy themselves as if they are vacationing together. Macon insists he is there strictly for business, and he keeps Muriel (not always politely) at arm's length.

After Macon is bedridden in his room by his back problem, Sarah comes to Paris to care for him and make day-trips to help complete his travel research. Upon her surprise arrival, Sarah gives Macon a strong sleeping pill prescribed for rest by his doctor in Baltimore. After some time, Sarah engages Macon about his relationship with Muriel. Macon insists on "putting a lid on it", and refuses to discuss the situation to any depth. He has returned to being a reluctant traveler through life, avoiding real intimacy with himself or others. With nothing left to discuss and under a cloud, Sarah hands Macon another sleeping pill. He palms the pill, still hiding his true feelings from himself and Sarah.

Later, with Sarah asleep beside him, Macon drops the pill on the bed. Refusing the pill symbolizes Macon's decision to no longer hide from himself and others. He has decided instead to directly engage the realities of his life. Macon dresses while Sarah still sleeps, then wakes her to tell her goodbye, and tell her that he is going back to Muriel. Still in pain, Macon leaves the hotel, struggling with his single carry-on bag - which, like his former view on life, he abandons. He takes only one item with him from the bag: a photograph of Ethan. A young boy holds a taxi for Macon, a boy who looks very much like Ethan, had Ethan not died.

The taxi must pass the hotel on the way to the airport. Macon spots Muriel hailing for a cab with her numerous suitcases and shopping bags, and he tells the cab driver to stop. Thinking the driver stopped for her, Muriel bends to gather her luggage — and catches sight of a familiar figure in the cab. She smiles, ecstatic when she realizes it is Macon. Macon returns the smile with an unreserved intimate gaze. Macon has opened up to Muriel, no longer a reluctant traveler through life, no longer an accidental tourist.

Cast

• William Hurt as Macon Leary
• Kathleen Turner as Sarah Leary
• Geena Davis as Muriel Pritchett
• Bill Pullman as Julian
• Amy Wright as Rose Leary
• David Ogden Stiers as Porter Leary
• Ed Begley, Jr. as Charles Leary

Awards

Won:

• Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress - Geena Davis
• USC Scripter Award 1988
• Golden Horse Award for Best Foreign Actor - William Hurt

Nominated:

• Academy Award for Best Picture
• Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay
• Academy Award for Original Music Score
• BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
• Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Drama
• Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score

External links

• The Accidental Tourist at the Internet Movie Database
• Review by Roger Ebert