Harry and Tonto (1974)
Directed by Paul Mazursky
Genres - Drama, Action, Adventure |
Sub-Genres - Road Movie, Americana |
Release Date - Aug 12, 1974 (USA - Unknown), Aug 12, 1974 (USA) |
Run Time - 115 min. |
Countries - United States |
MPAA Rating - R
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson
In Paul Mazursky's rueful character drama, 57-year-old Art Carney plays Harry, a 70-plus Manhattan widower who loses his tiny apartment to the wrecking ball. Accompanied by his pet, an aged cat named Tonto, Harry sets out on an odyssey to Los Angeles. During his journey, he finds a kindred spirit in a youthful hitchhiker (Melanie Mayron), who eventually finds happiness with Harry's grandson (Joshua Mostel). Harry makes stops at the homes of his grown children (Philip Bruns, Ellen Burstyn, and Larry Hagman), but each visit is more disappointing than the last; he also touches base with an old flame (Geraldine Fitzgerald), who has slipped into senility. By the time he arrives in L.A., Harry has become dispirited by his desultory visits with friends and family, but he eventually realizes that each new day can be a beginning rather than an end.
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Keywords
cat, cross-country, elderly, friendship, hitchhiker, on-the-road, professor, self-discovery, tourist