Pretty Good

Perfect cast and a good story

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Admirable film.

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter is a good movie based on a great novel. As has been pointed out by literary purists, the movie is a smidge more sentimental than its source, though this is not what keeps it from masterpiece status. Its biggest problem is the disjointed nature of the screenplay: I honestly think Jake Blount's story should have been cut altogether (they barely do anything with him; Stacey Keach is just wasted) and that Mick's relationship with Harry should have been fleshed out more, making its ultimate dissolution more poignant. As it is, the movie jerks from episode to episode without much in the way of smooth transition.However, this film is not a failure by any stretch: James Wong Howe's lovely cinematography and great performances from everyone involved save it from the heap of forgettable cinematic adaptations of great literature. The acting especially so: Sondra Locke is the most convincing teenager played by a 20-something actor; she perfectly captures the angst, uncertainty, and awkwardness of being sixteen. Cicely Tyson has little screen-time, but she's harrowing as a woman estranged from a demanding father. Percy Rodrigues is an ideal Dr. Copeland, a tense ball of dignity and indignation. And then there's Alan Arkin as the lonely yet kind-hearted John Singer-- in a film filled with great performances, his is the best of the lot. Not just because he's a convincing deaf-mute, but because of how keenly he portrays this character's alienation. It's one of the great "lonely man" performances in all of movies.No, it isn't the book. No, it isn't a perfect movie on its own terms. But The Heart is a Lonely Hunter is certainly worth two hours.

A deaf-mute touches the lives of many in a Southern town. This is a poor adaptation of the acclaimed novel, a sentimental slop-fest featuring a contrived script and simplistic and stereotypical characters. Pedestrian direction by TV veteran Ellis is marked by melodrama and inattention to detail. Why does the record of Mozart's Jupiter Symphony last only a fraction of the first movement? The acting is uneven. Arkin turns in a fine performance, but his character is unbelievably saintly. Locke is OK in her film debut but it is hard to buy her character's sudden bonding with Arkin. Tyson and Keach overact in cartoon-like roles.

A deaf mute comes to a Southern town, touching the lives of those he meets.Singer is something of a mystery man. We know little about him, where he comes from, who's in his past, or what his attachments are, (except for the simple-minded Spiros and the fact that he's an engraver). In that sense, he's more like an idea than a man, maybe one of those mythical western heroes of the past. But instead of a six-gun to right wrongs, he communicates goodness in odd mute fashion, something like a silent universal conscience. That is, of course, until the end when we're reminded that he was more than an idea, after all. But the movie's real dramatic center is young Mick (Locke) trying to find herself amidst stifling surroundings. That scene of her sitting alone on the concert hall stairs, transfixed by the strains of Mozart is a sublime moment lifted by both the great music and Singer's mutely understanding gaze. In a sense, I think, he's been hearing those same sublime chords for some time, despite the physical deafness. Later, when the two communicate wordlessly with the recording, Mick enters a liberating world she will only come to appreciate graveside. And it's not surprising that a triggering event would come from her thoughtlessly brushing him and his music aside following a romantic interlude with her first boyfriend.But Singer's impact is not limited to the personal. His wordless ability also crosses racial lines as portrayed in getting an embittered Dr. Copeland to get beyond his prejudices. Again Singer opens up a better world, this time for the doctor, by using a different language, i.e. signing, in order to communicate with one of the doctor's deaf and dumb patients. As a result, the proud black man bends toward the goodness that Singer communicates. And, by doing so, he establishes the means for reconciling with his estranged daughter and son-in-law. The scenes of their reconciliation are among the most touching of the film.Frankly, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the rotund Spiros (McCann) gobbling down the goodies like there's no tomorrow. That he's also simple-minded, of course, lends these scenes their peculiar pathos. He's Singer's one conversational partner, and watching them rapid fire their signing puts the audience on the outside, for a change. Whether intentional or not, it's a shrewd move to make us experience something of what Singer routinely experiences in being closed out of normal conversations.These are the three main vignettes making up the movie. In each case, the other person experiences a sense of isolation and loneliness that can only be bridged by opening up through communication; and, as the movie shows, there are many such languages for bridging the gap. And though Stacy Keach's down-and-out drifter is given less screen time, when he looks longingly through the windowpane at others enjoying themselves in the diner, his isolation speaks volumes.Of course, the central irony occurs at the end, when Singer too finds himself alone now that the others no longer need him. He who has built so many bridges to others is thrust back to his own island. Bridges, we find out, are no good unless they go somewhere, and now, for the silent Singer, they don't.The cast is uniformly excellent, especially the big-eyed Locke, whose skinny, almost-pretty teen-ager looks totally unlike the Sandra Dee's, Annette Funicello's, of the time. It's that, plus the fact she seems totally unselfconscious in a really difficult role. Arkin's also effective, as the mute Singer. Still, I hope they weren't paying him by the word. And even though he had no dialog to learn, he did have segments of sign language to master, no easy task, I'm sure. Add to them the leonine Percy Rodrigues, an impressively strong and dignified presence, and it's an apt cast both visually and artistically.The movie is a superb adaptation from a Carson McCullers novel. I'd be surprised if its downbeat subject matter made any money. Still, the movie deals powerfully with a common experience in such a way that makes us contemplate what some folks call the human condition. And that's a noble achievement for any movie.

Reading the book is giving me an incredible introduction to the substance of the story. I am seeing some profound insights to individuals that gives understanding to people I know. Especially religious people are portrayed so I understand the religious mind so much better. One element of the movie that is missing in the reviews I've read so far is the musical score. Composed by Dave Grusin the theme sends a chill into my psyche when I hear it years after viewing the movie. Mick seems to be a surprisingly deep person; considering her environment. Her love of classical music exposes a mind that rises well above her simple life. This is the nature of genius and is probably part of Carson McCuller's own persona. I would believe she writes from memories of her own childhood.