Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | August 14, 2005 | | Summary | Remarkable flavor and tremendous emotional impact. | Content
 | There were those who felt Carson McCullers' searching and sensitive novel of a deaf mute's influence on an Alabama town and a young girl awakening to womanhood would receive receive a soap opera screen treatment. It is to the credit of actor Alan Arkin and director Robert Ellis Miller that "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" was translated on film with complete truth of character and the kind of meaningful presence that Miss McCullers originally intended.
The film unlocks the door of loneliness and takes us into John Singer's world, a world of love. Arkin, as Singer, is stunning and received his second Academy Award nomination for what was only his third major movie role. He is a man who communicates by touch, by making others acknowledge their own fears, hates and loves.
The film also introduced two splendid new performers: An Oscar-nominated Sondra Locke as Mick Kelly, a 14-year-old girl who resents Singer for his interference in her family's lives but later seeks him out for answers to her own confusion. And Stacy Keach as Blount, the town drunk, a disillusioned young drifter who befriends Singer. Also standing out in the fine cast are Cicely Tyson, Percy Rodriguez and Biff McGuire. The music score by Dave Grusin ("The Graduate") beautifully compliments the story and the cinematography by the legendary James Wong Howe is extraordinary. A moving and engrossing film. [filmfactsman] |
| Rating | | | Date | April 07, 2005 | | Summary | When will we see this in DVD? | Content
| I have wondered why this touching and very compelling film adaptation of Carson McCullers' The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter has not yet appeared in DVD. I believe that issuing it in DVD would give new life to this moving story of friendship and family relationships. Even though it was made in the late 60s, it has a universality that reaches into the present and has a strong message for us. |
| Rating | | | Date | December 29, 2004 | | Summary | Where's the DVD? | Content
| I'm sorry to say I did not read the book. I am familiar with the work of Carson McCullers, and her narratives are thoroughly character-driven. However, she does center her material on one character (as in "The Member of the Wedding"). In this case, it's an incredible man named John Singer, masterfully portrayed by the great Alan Arkin. Certainly, most books need to be "abbreviated" in their transfer to the screen. ("Tom Jones" comes to mind, a huge sprawling Henry Fielding novel, concisely brought to the screen). I have read ALL the previous reviews, and pitiably lament that I hadn't read Ms. McCuller's novel. Still, I feel that John Singer's integrity, loneliness and pain, not to mention his frustration, was so brilliantly conveyed by Arkin. Sondra Locke was nominated for an Oscar for this, critics comparing her to Julie Harris in "Member of the Wedding". It's an auspicious debut, but it is Cecily Tyson who deserved that nomination. Outstanding performances from Chuck McCann, Percy Rodriguez and Stacy Keach were wonderful and complete; having not read the book, I knew everything I needed to know about these characters, as a viewer. This simple film from 1968 could certainly benefit from a "re-telling" as a mini-series or HBO film. Perhaps, the lovers of the book would be sated (and maybe not). Until then, I'm happy to know that this story is captured on film, as well as Arkin's great performance. (Arkin lost the Oscar to Cliff Robertson in "Charly", another disabled character).I'm thinking Warner Brothers would do themselves proud to issue a DVD, since Arkin's still around, as well as Locke, Tyson and a few others. I'm also sorry to say that I'm not familiar with the work of director Robert Ellis Miller, but he's made a film that touched me profoundly, with every imaginable portrayal of prejudice and mistrust, all portrayed by "good, righteous" people. I admire this film very much. Please, Warner Brothers...where's the DVD? |
| Rating | | | Date | July 12, 2003 | | Summary | the heart is a lonely hunter | Content
| this is the most beautiful movie of all times! alan arkin is masterful, chuck mcCANN stacy keach and sandra locke all TERRIFIC. I love this movie.... |
| Rating | | | Date | September 28, 2002 | | Summary | An oversimplification of the complex novel | Content
| This 1968 film is based on the book by Carson McCullers. The basic story is still there, which is that of a deaf mute who helps people but somehow cannot help himself. But a lot is missing. Alan Arkin, then 34 years old, plays the deaf mute and does a masterful job. Sondra Locke plays a teenage girl whose family rents a room to Arkin, Stacy Keach plays a drunk. And Cecily Tyson plays the angry grown daughter of the Afro-American physician played by Percy Rodriguez. All are excellent in their roles. The film is about loneliness in all its forms and is sometimes too sentimental and slow. I understand that the story lines had to be changed in order to fit it all into a screenplay, but the result is an over-simplification of the complex novel. Without the richness of language and depth of characterization of the book, the film is a mere shadow of what I would have liked it to be. But the acting is so good and the theme of prejudice of various kinds against each of the flawed characters is done so well, even winning couple of Academy Award nominations, that it certainly has some things going for it. I might have liked it more if I had not just read the book, which seems as fresh today as when it was written. The screenwriter made a noble attempt, but he's just not Carson McCullers. |
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