REVIEW: The Hero

Courtesy of The Orchard

It seems like Sam Elliott is one of those actors we take for granted. He’s been so consistently great for so long (he’s been working steadily since 1968) that we just assume he’s always going to be – even if the movie he’s in doesn’t meet that same level of quality.

Considering he’s such a beloved performer, it’s also weird that Elliott never achieved leading man status during that time. His most high-profile work (Tombstone, Road House, The Big Lebowski, etc.) has been in memorable supporting roles. This oversight has allowed him to steal countless movies away from larger stars, but it’s still a big mistake nonetheless.

That’s why I’m so happy to see a movie like The Hero come along. The drama, written specifically for Elliott by director Brett Haley and Marc Basch (his collaborators on 2015’s I’ll See You in My Dreams), clearly evokes his iconic status and offers him the chance to deliver an acting master class in practically every scene. As a result, the nearly 73-year-old actor delivers what might be the best work of his career.

Elliott plays Lee Hayden, an aging star best known for his role in a ’70s-era Western. His agent stopped sending him good scripts long ago, but his incredible voice allows him to make a decent living doing easy voiceover work for television commercials (“Lone Star barbecue sauce: the perfect partner for your chicken”). That means he’s got plenty of time to smoke too much weed with his old friend/drug dealer Jeremy (Nick Offerman) and thinking about his glory days.

After he receives a scary diagnosis from his doctor, Lee’s habit of going through the motions is suddenly replaced by a desire to reassess his priorities and make amends for past mistakes. This new development also forces Lee to look at life in a new way, leading to an intriguing – but not always easy – relationship with Charlotte (Laura Prepon), a stand-up comedian half his age.

However, Lee has his sights on some larger goals. The first is searching for one final role to cement his show business legacy (will it be a bit part in a blockbuster sci-fi flick or something more personal that brings his career full-circle?). But the most important are repairing the damage he’s done to his relationship with his estranged daughter (Krysten Ritter) and getting back on good terms with his ex-wife (Katharine Ross, Elliott’s real-life spouse).

The Hero won’t win any awards for originality. We’ve seen this plot (or something similar, at least) a million times before. But that seems like nitpicking when Haley and Basch’s story prompts such an incredible performance from Elliott. The actor has clearly been waiting for the chance to bring his A-game to a starring role and he doesn’t squander it.

Everyone knows he can do the gruff, man-of-few-words thing in his sleep (which he demonstrates wonderfully here), but he also gets a rare opportunity to showcase vulnerability, fear and regret. It’s not always easy to watch, but that’s because there’s never any question that it’s coming from a personal, authentic place. He conveys more with his eyes and body language than many actors could do with pages of dialogue.

Elliott has spent decades doing strong ensemble work, so it only seems fitting that his The Hero co-stars return the favor. Ritter and Ross are both solid in their brief scenes. Offerman is warm and funny in a small-but-crucial role. Jeremy, the washed-up actor he plays, is about as far from his work as Ron Swanson on NBC’s Parks and Recreation as you can get, which only further highlights Offerman’s talent and versatility.

Prepon is also terrific in what could’ve easily been an insulting and stereotypical part. Charlotte isn’t some star-struck ingénue with daddy issues. She knows exactly what she’s looking for in a relationship and is unapologetic about seeking it out. The May-December romance angle frequently comes across as cliché, sexist or creepy in films (looking at you, Woody Allen), but Haley is smart about addressing it in a frank, matter-of-fact way almost as soon as Lee and Charlotte meet.

Another positive aspect of Haley’s writing and directing style is that he’s unafraid to let scenes play out in quiet, natural fashion. That often leads to methodically paced sequences full of uncomfortable silences, but I prefer that much more than a script with laughably inauthentic conflicts that exist solely to keep characters apart or pad the running time.

The cynical side of my brain (where the snarky film critic lives) clearly sees The Hero as a shot for Elliott to win some long-deserved awards in the twilight of his career. However, the side of my brain that appreciates watching a great actor deliver an astonishing performance (where the unabashed movie fan lives) doesn’t care about ulterior motives in the slightest.

The “he’s due” plan certainly worked for Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart, which is thematically and tonally similar to The Hero. Why shouldn’t Elliott try for a Best Actor Oscar in the same way? Far less talented performers have won statues for weaker material, and I’d enjoy witnessing him deliver an acceptance speech in those dulcet tones next March.

The Hero is rated R for drug use, language and some sexual content. Opens Friday exclusively at Landmark Midtown Art in Atlanta.

Grade: B+