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service to others "through the mercies of God". [57] Many of the elements of
Mac's redemption, conversion to Christianity and budding relationship with
Rosa Lee occur off-camera, including their wedding. Jewett writes, "This is
perfectly congruent with the theme of faith in the hidden mercies of God, the
secret plot of the life of faith in Romans. ... It is a matter of faith,
elusive and intangible." [53] Jewett compares Mac's story to that of Abraham ,
because "just like Sledge's story, [it] centers on the provision of a future
through the tender mercies of God". [57] As told in Romans 4, Abraham and his
wife Sarah are too old to produce a son, but Abraham develops the faith that
God will provide them an heir, which is exactly what occurs, though — as Paul
describes — Abraham did nothing practical to guarantee or deserve such a
miracle. Jewett describes Mac as similarly undeserving of redemption, based on
his selfish and abusive past, typified by his condition in his first encounter
with Rosa Lee: in a drunken stupor following a motel room fight. She takes him
in and eventually falls in love with him, despite his having done nothing to
deserve her care or his redemption: "It is an undeserved grace, a gift of
providence from a simple woman who continues to pray for him and to be
grateful for him." [58] However, in the face of the loss of his daughter, Mac
learns, in Briley's words, that "his life as a Christian is no more sheltered
from this world's tragedies than it was before." [49] Before finding
redemption, Sledge questions why God has allowed his life to take the path it
has and, in particular, why his daughter was killed instead of him.
Commentators have described this as a prime example of theodicy , the question
of why evil exists that is commonly faced by Christians. [59] [60] Scholar
Richard Leonard writes, "For all believers, the meaning of suffering is the
universal question. ... No answer is completely satisfying, least of all the
idea that God sends bad events to teach us something." [59] Following the
death of his daughter, Mac moves forward with uncertainty as the film ends.
Jewett writes of this conclusion, "The message of this film is that we have no
final assurances, any more than Abraham did. But we can respond in faith to
the tender mercies we have received." [61] Death and resurrection [ edit ]
When his newly recovered relationship with Sue Anne is cut short by an
automobile accident that takes her life, Mac quickly realizes that his life as
a Christian is no more sheltered from this world's tragedies than it was
before. Foote intimates that all relationships cannot be mended, some by
choice and some by chance, and the poignancy of missed opportunities between
fathers and their children on this earth is underlined in this scene. Rebecca
Luttrell Briley, You Can Go Home Again: The Focus on Family in the Works of
Horton Foote [49] Mac experiences his spiritual resurrection even as he
wrestles with death, in both the past — Sonny's father in the Vietnam War —
and present — his own daughter in a car accident. [59] The latter threatens to
derail Mac's new life, captured in the moment when he learns of it and turns
off the radio that is playing his new song. [56] Leonard writes of this
resurrection, "Depression hangs like a pall over Tender Mercies , [but] what
makes this film inspiring is that it is also about the joy of being found. ...
Mac finds the way, the truth, and the life he wants." [59] In a climactic
scene, Mac tells Rosa Lee that he was once nearly killed in a car crash
himself, which forces him to address the question of why he was allowed to
live while others have died. Jewett writes of this scene, "Mac Sledge can't
trust happiness because it remains inexplicable. But he does trust the tender
mercies that mysteriously led him from death to life." [62] Mac is portrayed
as near death at the beginning of the film, having woken up in a drunken
stupor in a boundless, empty flatland with nothing in his possession, a shot
that scholar Roy M. Anker said "pointedly reflects the condition of his own
soul". [63] The dialogue in other scenes suggests the threat of mortality,
including a moment when Mac has trouble singing due to his bad voice and says,
"Don't feel sorry for me, Rosa Lee, I'm not dead yet." [62] In several lasting
shots, the vast sky dwarfs Mac, Rosa Lee and Sonny, starkly symbolizing their
isolation, as well as the fragility of human existence. [17] The fact that Mac
sustains his newfound life with Rosa Lee and Sonny after his daughter's death,
rather than reverting to his old pattern of alcoholism and abuse, is
consistent with a recurring theme in Foote's works of characters overcoming
tragedy and finding in it an opportunity for growth and maturation. [64]
Release [ edit ] Distribution [ edit ] Philip and Mary Ann Hobel spent a long
time seeking a distributor for Tender Mercies without any success. Duvall, who
began to doubt the film would be widely released, was unable to help the
Hobels because he was busy trying to find a distributor for Angelo My Love , a
film he had written, directed and produced. Eventually, Universal Pictures
agreed to distribute Tender Mercies . [65] Test screenings for the film were
held, which Beresford described as the most unusual he had ever experienced.
The director said that the preview audiences appeared to be very engaged with
the picture, to the point the theaters were so silent, "if you flicked a piece
of paper on the floor, you could hear it fall." However, the post-screening
feedback was, in Beresford's words, "absolutely disastrous." [13] As a result,
Universal executives lost faith in the film and made little effort to promote
it. [7] [66] Foote said of the studio, "I don't know that they disliked the
film, I just think they thought it was inconsequential and of no consequence
at all. I guess they thought it would just get lost in the shuffle." [7]
Others in the film industry were equally dismissive; one Paramount Pictures
representative described the picture as "like watching paint dry". [66]
Festivals and theatrical run [ edit ] Tender Mercies was released on March 4,
1983, [67] in only three theaters: one in New York City, one in Los Angeles,
and one in Chicago. New York Times critic Vincent Canby observed that it was
released during "the time of year when distributors usually get rid of all of
those movies they don't think are worth releasing in the prime moviegoing
times of Christmas and the midsummer months". [65] The simultaneous release of
Angelo My Love led to some more publicity for Duvall himself, but was of no
help to Tender Mercies . [65] Duvall also believed that Universal's lack of
familiarity and comfort with southern culture and the country music genre
further reduced their faith in the film. When country star Willie Nelson
offered to help publicize it, a studio executive told Duvall she did not
understand how the singer could contribute to the promotion, which Duvall said
was indicative of the studio's failure to understand both the film and the
country music genre. [10] [68] Tender Mercies was shown in competition at the
1983 Cannes Film Festival , [69] where it was described as a relatively
optimistic alternative to darker, more violent entries like One Deadly Summer
, Moon in the Gutter and Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence . [70] It was also
shown at the 1983 International Film Festival of India in New Delhi . [71] A
jury headed by director Lindsay Anderson determined that none of the films in
contention, including Tender Mercies , were good enough to win the Golden