I love this movie so much

To me, this movie is perfection.

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

My wife and I are retired and watch movies for relaxation and enjoyment. This one was disappointing, to say the least. We expected Sam Elliott to be portrayed as the laid back, yet wise, and lovable curmudgeon that that was a vital part of his past demeanor in Hollywood land. There were traces of that in the film but that was overshadowed by him not acting as the actor we expected as an integral part of, yet aloof from the rest; but as an aging pot head and druggy indulging in behavior a bit extreme for his age, at least in the main. It would have been put to a fitter portrayal by a younger more vigorous actor who viewers would understand as seemingly plausible. The director and writers have either attempted to place their own agenda into an unlikely scenario---and have missed the mark. As for us. It was a waste of time.

This film was a lovely tribute to veteran actor Sam Elliott. The screenplay provide a thoughtful overview of his career and even offered insights into the nature of heroism. The overall concept of Sam Elliott playing the aging actor in Westerns Lee Hayden, but really playing himself, was a smooth and polished achievement.There was a creative approach to the scripting with snappy lines of dialogue. The metaphor of "one ounce of the devil's lettuce" was a great description of marijuana. There was also an imaginative description of a fictional television series called "Cattle Drive," with Lee's sidekick, who was at one point written out of script, but is now Lee's best friend.Another nice touch was in the character of Charlotte, the young woman who becomes Lee's girlfriend. Their banter was snappy, and she provided him with great support in quoting her favorite poet, Edna St. Vincent Millay. Millay was responsible for coining the phrase, "burning a candle at both ends." And the lengthy citation from her poem "Dirge Without Music," including such phrases as "time out of mind" and "I am not resigned," were inspirational.There were several odd choices in the film, including Charlotte's insensitive stand-up routine that poked fun at Lee. This monologue seemed completely out of character for Charlotte. Also, the failed audition of Lee seemed difficult to believe, especially after Lee had performed it so effectively for his actor friend. Additionally, the character of Lee's daughter was not very credible, due to her callous nature. When she finally came shell, it was far too late in the film to be effective.For those viewers who are able to locate a DVD copy of the the film, there is commentary track with both director Brett Haley and the star Sam Elliott. At one point, Elliott volunteered that he is often approached by fans who ask him to record a voice message on their phones. There is no doubt that the voice of Sam Elliott is his most distinctive trait as a performer.The highlight of the film was Lee's "acceptance speech" for a lifetime achievement award. In the speech, he acknowledged an ordinary fan for her quiet heroism. The speech was moving and resonated with great sincerity. Thoreau wrote that people lead "lives of quiet desperation." But they also lead lives of quiet heroism that are often overlooked. The film offered a warm message about how in, the words of Lee Haden, "we're all just grains of sand," but ones that can leave an eternal imprint.

The Hero does not live up to where movies of the same genre do (the Wrestler, Crazy Heart) in that we're made well aware of the protagonist's past in order to advance the plot. Unfortunately, the Hero fails short in that it leaves Sam Elliot left to pick up a script devoid of virtually any background. Instead of using the past to build his future, this movie leaves his past and attempts to build a new character. Not at all what I hoped for.

As the title of my review says I believe this to be the most honest movie in years. Now I know that sounds like a contradiction because movies are usually for entertainment and don't need much honesty. But this movie is different.Of course it is entertaining and contains humor. But more than humor it contains an insight to getting older, dealing with loss and still being able to find joy. This movie doesn't polish away the less beautiful sides of life and it doesn't ignore controversial topics. The writer did an excellent job providing a great story and this movie should be rewarded for that. But even more it should be rewarded for the actors who are so much in character that you don't know if it's acting or truth. Warning spoiler ahead: One scene in particular was amazing. It is the scene where the Sam Elliott does a script reading with Nick Offerman. In this scene both are moved to tears. Now the fact that it's a script reading within a movie (script within a script) and that they still made it look so real is unbelievable. I can understand how this movie is not for everyone. A lot of people will simply live too much in the now to feel comfortable with watching these topics that aren't easy. But if you do, please go watch this. You will not regret it and possibly it will even give you inspiration and comfort for hard times to come.