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"Yes, that is my son," the man says, identifying the body in the intensive care unit. Grief threatens to break his face into pieces, and then something closes shut inside of him. He has always had a very controlled nature, fearful of emotion and revelation, but now a true ice age begins, and after a year his wife tells him she wants a divorce. It is because he cannot seem to feel anything.

"The Accidental Tourist" begins on that note of emotional sterility, and the whole movie is a journey toward a smile at the end.

The man's name is Macon Leary ( William Hurt ), and he writes travel books for people who detest traveling. He advises his readers on how to avoid human contact, where to find "American food" abroad and how to convince themselves they haven't left home. His own life is the same sort of journey, and maybe it began in childhood. His sister and two brothers still live together in the house where they were born, and any life outside of their routine would be unthinkable.

Macon's wife ( Kathleen Turner ) moves out, leaving him with the dog, Edward, who does like to travel and is deeply disturbed by the curious life his masters have provided for him. He barks at ghosts and snaps at strangers. It is time for Macon to make another one of his overseas research trips, so he takes the dog to be boarded at a kennel, and that's where he meets Muriel Pritchett ( Geena Davis ). Muriel has Macon's number from the moment he walks through the door. She can see he's a basket case, but she thinks she can help. She also thinks her young son needs a father.

Macon isn't so sure. He doesn't use the number she gives him. But later, when the dog trips him and he breaks his leg, he takes Edward back to the kennel, and this time he submits to a little obedience training of his own. He agrees to acknowledge that Muriel exists, and before long they are sort of living together (lust still exists in his body, but it lurks so far from the center of his feelings that sex hardly seems to cheer him up).

The peculiarity about these central passages in the film is that they are quite cheerful and sometimes even very funny, even though Macon himself is mired in a deep depression. Davis, as Muriel, brings an unforced wackiness to her role in scenes like the one where she belts out a song while she's doing the dishes. But she is not as simple as she sometimes seems, and when Macon gets carried away with a little sentimental generalizing about the future, she warns him, "Don't make promises to my son that you are not prepared to keep." There is also great good humor in the characters in Macon's family: brothers Porter ( David Ogden Stiers ) and Charles ( Ed Begley Jr.) and sister Rose ( Amy Wright ), a matriarch who feeds the family, presides over their incomprehensible card games and supervises such traditional activities as alphabetizing the groceries on the kitchen shelves. One evening Macon takes his publisher, Julien ( Bill Pullman ), home to dinner and Julien is struck with a thunderbolt of love for Rose. He eventually marries her, but a few weeks later Julien tells Macon that Rose has moved back home with the boys; she was concerned that they had abandoned regular meals and were eating only gorp.

This emergency triggers the movie's emotional turning point, which is subtle but unmistakable. Nobody knows Rose as well as Macon does, and so he gives Julien some very particular advice: "Call her up and tell her your business is going to pieces. Ask if she could just come in and get things organized. Get things under control. Put it that way.

Use those words. Get things under control, tell her." In context, this speech is hilarious. It is also the first time in the film that Macon has been able to extend himself to help anybody, and it starts him on the road to emotional growth. Clinging to the sterility and loneliness that has been his protection, he doesn't realize at first that he has turned the corner. He still doubts that he needs Muriel, and when she buys herself a ticket and follows him to Paris, he refuses to have anything to do with her. When his wife also turns up in Paris, there is a moment when he thinks they may be able to patch things together again, and then finally Macon arrives at the sort of moment he has been avoiding all of his life: He has to make a choice. But by then the choice is obvious; he has already made it, by peeking so briefly out of his shell.

The screenplay for "The Accidental Tourist," by Kasdan and Frank Galati , is able to reproduce a lot of the tone and dialogue of the Anne Tyler novel without ever simply being a movie version of a book. The textures are too specific and the humor is too quirky and well-timed to be borrowed. The filmmakers have reinvented the same story in their own terms. The movie is a reunion for Kasdan, Hurt and Turner, who all three launched their careers with " Body Heat " (1981). Kasdan used Hurt again in " The Big Chill " (1983) and understands how to employ Hurt's gift for somehow being likable at the same time he seems to be withdrawn.

What Hurt achieves here seems almost impossible: He is depressed, low-key and intensely private through most of the movie, and yet somehow he wins our sympathy. What Kasdan achieves is just as tricky; I've never seen a movie so sad in which there was so much genuine laughter. "The Accidental Tourist" is one of the best films of the year.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

The Accidental Tourist (1989)

121 minutes

Kathleen Turner as Sarah

William Hurt as MacOn

Ed Begley Jr. as Charles

David Ogden Stiers as Porter

Geena Davis as Muriel

Amy Wright as Rose

Bill Pullman as Julian

Robert Gorman as Alexander

Bradley Mott as Mr. Loomis

Screenplay by

• Frank Galati
• John Williams

Photographed by

• John Bailey

Produced by

• Charles Okun
• Michael Grillo
• Carol Littleton

Based On The Novel by

Directed by.

• Lawrence Kasdan

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After the death of his son, travel writer Macon Leary seems to be sleep walking through life. Macon's wife is having similar problems. They separate, and Macon meets a strange, outgoing woman who brings him 'back down to earth', but his wife soon thinks their marriage is still worth another try.

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The Accidental Tourist

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Brief Synopsis

Cast & crew, lawrence kasdan, william hurt, william brown, bradley mott, david ogden stiers, technical specs.

A writer of travel books sees his world turned upside down when his son dies, his wife leaves him, and he meets an unusual dog trainer.

Amanda Houck

Jonathan kasdan, paul williamson, todd adelman, cheryl carasik.

Kathleen Turner

Walter sparrow, ed begley jr., jake kasdan, david q combs, neana n collins.

Geena Davis

Gregory gouyer, roland riallot, robert hy gorman, donald neal, caroline houck, thomas paolucci, seth granger, peggy converse, audrey rapoport, london nelson, maureen kerrigan.

Bill Pullman

Donald abblett, frankie adams, george h anderson, andy andrews, dominique-anne arquillier, jean-yves asselin, christine baer, john bailey, louis barlia, eric bartonio, steph benseman, beth bergeron, neil binney, veronique bourboulon, steve bowerman, billy brashier, norman burza, vincent callahan, greg callas, phyllis carlyle, lisa zeno churgin, brenda dabbs, jean-jacques damiani, isabelle dassonville, raúl dávalos, jimmy davis, e carey dietrich, richard dobson, r scott doran, tom duffield, stephen p dunn, leonard engelman, john flemming, andrew m. flinn, james e foote, frank galati, sara gardner, julie glanfield, nigel gostelow, granville greene, robert grieve, michael grillo, francoise guernier, lynda gurasich, sally hayman, wilt henderson, christian hereau, simon hinkly, john hoeren, tim hutchinson, gerard james, jack johnson, wilbur jones, kevin kertscher, gary kieldrup, neil kingsbury, michael m krevitt, larry lennert, carol littleton, andre loisif, david macmillan, fenella maguire, john malkovich, gavin marrable, denis martin, gail martin-sheridan, cindy marty, linda matthews, carol mccullough, ron mcleish, david j mcmillan, chuck mcsorley, joe mercurio, donald o mitchell, michael moyer, john murray, nick navarro, edward r. nedin, stephanie ng, wallis nicita, terry nightingall, kevin o'connell, david o'ferrall, charles okun, grant olson, daniel l ondrejko, jean orjollet, robert perez, wendolyn peterson, bill petrotta, felix placenti, germinal rangel, robert raring, michael redding, danis regal-o'connell, cricket rowland, jean-pierre ruh, peter rutherford, george r schrader, mary selway, laurie shane, frank smathers, paul sonski, herbert spencer, stacy starr, arnold stone, kimberly street, jim sweeney, daniel szuster, jeffrey s thorin, marlene tommasi, albert vasseur, gerard viard, jurgen vollmer, keith vowles, ken wannberg, john warnke, constance west, george whitear, linda whittlesey, foard wilgis, john williams, joanne zaluski, best supporting actress, award nominations, best adapted screenplay, best picture.

Miscellaneous Notes

Voted Best Picture of the Year (1988) by the New York Film Critics Circle.

William Hurt won a 1989 Golden Horse Award in Taiwan.

Winner of the second annual Scripter Award, given by the Friends of the University of Southern California (USC) Libraries, for the best film adaptation of a book.

Released in United States July 9, 1989

Released in United States on Video June 28, 1989

Released in United States Winter December 23, 1988

Shown at Moscow International Film Festival (in competition) July 9, 1989.

Began shooting November 9, 1987.

Released in United States July 9, 1989 (Shown at Moscow International Film Festival (in competition) July 9, 1989.)

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The Accidental Tourist Reviews

This eccentric family invented by Anne Tyler leaves the page finding strange new life with screenwriter/director Lawrence Kasdan. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Jun 15, 2022

It's perfect in every way -- like Lost In Translation, The Piano and a few others, it's the sort of intimate movie that irrevocably touches certain viewers while leaving the rest shrugging their shoulders.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4 | Dec 28, 2021

As a comedy, Accidental Tourist is smart, witty and sophisticated.

Full Review | Oct 11, 2019

It has that slow rhythm, but without calm, very much to the taste of its director. [Full Review in Spanish]

Full Review | Sep 4, 2019

The strength of the film is that of the novel: an intoxicating brew of irresistable characters.

Full Review | Dec 9, 2017

The emotional complexities unearthed are distinctly adult.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Jul 16, 2015

The film tries so hard to be funny, but ends up feeling like a rejected Woody ALlen script idea.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Aug 15, 2011

A mature, well-made film for teens and adults.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jan 2, 2011

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 8, 2008

Kasdan's film lacks the spirit of Tyler's novel; he seems to be the wrong director to translate the author's affectionate and humorous treatment of the characters. Fortunately, Geena Davis as the eccentric dog-walker elevates the otherwise morose mood.

Full Review | Original Score: C+ | Jul 2, 2005

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jun 27, 2005

A genuinely beautiful and human story out of the Hollywood mills. Subtly amazing work from all concerned.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Jun 4, 2005

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | May 17, 2005

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Feb 5, 2005

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 8, 2004

This is a warm movie told in the temperature of almost-recognizable life; it's a believable love story, joked up a bit but not too much.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Apr 20, 2004

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | Jan 24, 2004

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 5, 2003

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Aug 22, 2003

Beautifully-acted comedy-drama that doesn't overdose on its quirks.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 14, 2003

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Rotten Tomatoes® Score

This eccentric family invented by Anne Tyler leaves the page finding strange new life with screenwriter/director Lawrence Kasdan. [Full review in Spanish]

It's perfect in every way -- like Lost In Translation, The Piano and a few others, it's the sort of intimate movie that irrevocably touches certain viewers while leaving the rest shrugging their shoulders.

As a comedy, Accidental Tourist is smart, witty and sophisticated.

It has that slow rhythm, but without calm, very much to the taste of its director. [Full Review in Spanish]

The strength of the film is that of the novel: an intoxicating brew of irresistable characters.

The emotional complexities unearthed are distinctly adult.

The film tries so hard to be funny, but ends up feeling like a rejected Woody ALlen script idea.

A mature, well-made film for teens and adults.

Kasdan's film lacks the spirit of Tyler's novel; he seems to be the wrong director to translate the author's affectionate and humorous treatment of the characters. Fortunately, Geena Davis as the eccentric dog-walker elevates the otherwise morose mood.

Additional Info

• Genre : Comedy, Drama
• Release Date : December 23, 1988
• Languages : English
• Captions : English
• Audio Format : Stereo

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The Accidental Tourist (1988)

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Description by Wikipedia

The Accidental Tourist is a 1988 American drama film starring William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, and Geena Davis. It was directed by Lawrence Kasdan and scored by John Williams. The film's screenplay was adapted by Kasdan and Frank Galati from the novel of the same name by Anne Tyler. One of the most acclaimed films of 1988, it was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Supporting Actress, winning Best Supporting Actress for Davis. John Williams was nominated by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for Best Original Score.

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Review/Film; Going Nowhere, Slowly

By Janet Maslin

• Dec. 23, 1988

Anne Tyler's fiction is as revealing of the tiny intimacies that bind people together as of the larger gaps that keep them apart. A key revelation of character, in one of Miss Tyler's novels, is more apt to occur while someone is driving a car or putting away groceries than during a more conventionally dramatic situation. Her writing is beautifully attuned to the minutiae of daily routines, to the seemingly trivial habits that both define and circumscribe her characters' lives. But in the film version of ''The Accidental Tourist,'' which opens today at Cinema 2, it's the broad strokes that stand out.

''The Accidental Tourist,'' which was unaccountably voted the best film of 1988 by the New York Film Critics' Circle this month, is about a man whose professional life defines his psyche: Macon Leary (Willam Hurt), who has written a series of travel guides for businessmen who wish they could stay home. He roams the world in search of soft bedspreads and American-style restaurants, considering it a victory to ''locate a meal in London not much different from a meal in Cleveland.''

Macon has trained himself to travel light and leave no footprints, and he has channeled all of his fastidiousness into perfecting this as a science. ''There are very few necessities in this world,'' he has written, ''that do not come in travel-sized packets.'' Macon is also, at the time that the story begins, mourning the loss of his only child, a 12-year-old boy who was shot in a restaurant holdup; as a consequence of this, Macon's long marriage to Sarah (Kathleen Turner) has come to an end. But there is reason to believe that this quiet, methodical, pleasure-denying loner wasn't substantially different before these tragedies occurred.

''The Accidental Tourist'' observes the long, slow reawakening that occurs in Macon after he has hit rock bottom. Though this process is presented in tiny, artful increments in Miss Tyler's novel, it's not the kind of transformation that can easily be captured on the screen. For one thing, Macon barely seems to change at all until this lengthy and meandering film is almost over. Mr. Hurt flinches his way through the story with a pained morose expression that doesn't lift until the film's final moments.

''The Accidental Tourist,'' which was directed by Lawrence Kasdan, is the kind of literary adaptation that forgets that films have a language of their own. A lot of Miss Tyler's dialogue is used in the film, but its effect here is very different from its effect on the page. ''There's something muffled about they way you experience things,'' Sarah tells him. ''It's as if you were trying to slip through life unchanged.'' Speaking of the design on the cover of Macon's travel books, she says, ''That traveling armchair isn't just your logo. It's you.''

A novel can successfully incorporate such pronouncements into its larger scheme, but a film is better off conveying the same ideas in more visual and indirect ways. But ''The Accidental Tourist'' often relies on Miss Tyler's methods without tempering them, and gives a tone of crashing obviousness to material that need not have seemed that way. In addition, the screenplay by Mr. Kasdan and Frank Galati doesn't do much to compensate for moments when Miss Tyler's dialogue lacks a conversational ring.

If ''The Accidental Tourist'' is essentially a one-theme story, it nonetheless has a diffuse and rambling plot. Abandoned by Sarah, and living at home with a very unruly dog, Macon eventually breaks his leg and moves in with the rest of his family. In the ancestral house, presided over by Macon's prematurely middle-aged sister, Rose (Amy Wright, who turns this contentedly eccentric character into the film's brightest light), the other Leary brothers have already come home to roost.

Together, the siblings alphabetize things in the pantry, play card games no one else can understand, refuse to answer their telephone and otherwise reinforce the habits that have made it impossible for them to live with anyone else. Only in these family scenes (with David Ogden Stiers and Ed Begley Jr. playing Macon's brothers) does this dark, somber film have any glimmer of vitality or humor.

Also on the scene is a dog trainer named Muriel Pritchett, a pushy, loudly dressed woman whose nonstop chatter serves as the conversational equivalent of shooting herself in the foot. Muriel doesn't hold much allure for Macon at first, but this doesn't stop her; she sets her cap for him anyhow and hounds him until she breaks down his resistance.

The novel treats Muriel as a charmingly offbeat character, but she's abrasively cute even on the page. On film, in the person of Geena Davis (who tries hard but is sandbagged by her role), she is quite insufferable, as is the notion that she represents Macon's emotional salvation.

Kathleen Turner is a welcome presence in the film, but her scenes with Mr. Hurt never suggest the weariness and familiarity of a 20-year union; without this, the wife's function in the story is less clear than it could be. Bill Pullman is nicely enterprising as Macon's publisher, who visits the Leary household as a curiosity seeker and winds up with a lot more than he bargained for.

''The Accidental Tourist'' is rated PG (''Parental Guidance Suggested''). It includes discreet bedroom scenes and mildly off-color language. Leaving No Footprints THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST, directed by Lawrence Kasdan; screenplay by Frank Galati and Mr. Kasdan, based on the book by Anne Tyler; director of photography, John Bailey; edited by Carol Littleton; music by John Williams; production designer, Bo Welch; produced by Mr. Kasdan, Charles Okun and Michael Grillo; released by Warner Brothers. At Cinema 2, Third Avenue at 60th Street. Running time: 122 minutes. This film is rated PG. Macon ... William Hurt Sarah ... Kathleen Turner Muriel ... Geena Davis Rose ... Amy Wright Porter ... David Ogden Stiers Charles ... Ed Begley Jr. Julian ... Bill Pullman Alexander ... Robert Gorman

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The accidental tourist, common sense media reviewers.

A mature, well-made film for teens and adults.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

An unwed couple live together, but the sex is only

Parents need to know that this is a serious film that deals with adult themes of loss, sex, and depression. As such, it's not recommended for all but the most mature preteens and teens. Kids may have a hard time relating to the adult problems and may be disturbed by the weakness of adults portrayed here. They may also…

Sex, Romance & Nudity

An unwed couple live together, but the sex is only suggested. A married couple start to undress each other, but nothing is shown.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this is a serious film that deals with adult themes of loss, sex, and depression. As such, it's not recommended for all but the most mature preteens and teens. Kids may have a hard time relating to the adult problems and may be disturbed by the weakness of adults portrayed here. They may also be unsympathetic to the carefully drawn characters that resonate with adults. But for families dealing with divorce and other turmoil, the film might be a good way to open the subject of coping with loss and changing family structures. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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What's the Story?

In THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST, Macon (William Hurt) writes travel guides for globetrotters who want adventure-free trips. A year after his young son's death, Macon is further damaged when his wife Sarah (Kathleen Turner) announces she's leaving him. Depressed and alone, Macon's only remaining companions are his bizarre siblings and his dog. The dog's strange behavior leads Macon to Muriel (Geena Davis), a wacky dog trainer who lives alone with her young son. Macon finds Muriel forward and rejects her romantic overtures, but Muriel persists and Macon eventually moves in with her. When his wife Sarah calls, Macon attempts to return to his old life, but realizes that Muriel's extraordinary openness -- her "oddness" as he calls it -- brings him out of his shell and makes him a better person.

Is It Any Good?

This emotionally harrowing story will be tough going for most children. The depiction of a man who has shut down emotionally -- who no longer experiences life on any level -- is quite foreign to most children. They might be confused by seeing such weakness in an adult, as many kids believe that grownups are always strong and in control. And kids might not be ready to appreciate some of the movie's subtle strengths, like the wonderful eccentricities of Macon's family.

Still, there is good deal to admire in this Oscar-nominated picture. The poignant screenplay was adapted from Anne Tyler's best-selling novel, and the cinematography evokes a sense of timelessness. The acting is strong throughout, especially Geena Davis in her Oscar-winning turn as an eccentric animal behaviorist. Hurt is perfectly cast as the guy who writes travel guides for business travelers who don't really want to go anywhere. But there's complexity and a wry wit beneath his chilly exterior. Audiences will smile when he says "I really don't care for movies. They make everything seem so . . . close up."

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the mature themes discussed in this film, including overcoming loss and the fallibility of parents and other adults. What loss has each family member experienced, and how have they dealt with it? How can families use loss to bring them closer together?

Movie Details

• In theaters : April 3, 1988
• On DVD or streaming : February 21, 1995
• Cast : Geena Davis , Kathleen Turner , William Hurt
• Director : Lawrence Kasdan
• Studio : Warner Bros.
• Genre : Drama
• Topics : Book Characters
• Run time : 123 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG
• MPAA explanation : mature themes and sexuality.
• Last updated : October 7, 2022

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The Accidental Tourist

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• Common Sense Media Randy White A mature, well-made film for teens and adults.
• Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Dennis Schwartz The emotional complexities unearthed are distinctly adult.
• Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert I've never seen a movie so sad in which there was so much genuine laughter.
• Cinema Sight Wesley Lovell The film tries so hard to be funny, but ends up feeling like a rejected Woody ALlen script idea.
• EmanuelLevy.Com Emanuel Levy Kasdan's film lacks the spirit of Tyler's novel; he seems to be the wrong director to translate the author's affectionate and humorous treatment of the characters. Fortunately, Geena Davis as the eccentric dog-walker elevates the otherwise morose mood.
• Nick's Flick Picks Nick Davis This is a warm movie told in the temperature of almost-recognizable life; it's a believable love story, joked up a bit but not too much.
• ÜberCiné Gregory Weinkauf A genuinely beautiful and human story out of the Hollywood mills. Subtly amazing work from all concerned.
• Film Frenzy Matt Brunson It's perfect in every way -- like Lost In Translation, The Piano and a few others, it's the sort of intimate movie that irrevocably touches certain viewers while leaving the rest shrugging their shoulders.
• Capital Times (Madison, WI) Rob Thomas Beautifully-acted comedy-drama that doesn't overdose on its quirks.
• United Press International Cathy Burke The strength of the film is that of the novel: an intoxicating brew of irresistable characters.
• Filmcritic.com Christopher Null Hurt is the virtuoso, rising above the Lawrence Kasdan histrionics and some loose acting.
• El Nuevo Herald (Miami) Rene Jordan This eccentric family invented by Anne Tyler leaves the page finding strange new life with screenwriter/director Lawrence Kasdan. [Full review in Spanish]

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The Accidental Tourist (1988)

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Bill Pullman Had 10 Days to Prep, 30 Days to Film ‘Murdaugh Murders’

Jim hemphill.

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Although Pullman has shown his dark side before in movies like “Lost Highway” and “Surveillance,” “Murdaugh Murders” represented an additional degree of difficulty in that the actor had to emulate a figure well known to millions of people — though not, ironically, to Pullman himself. When his agents sent him the script, he had no idea who Alex Murdaugh, the South Carolina attorney found guilty of murdering his wife and son, was and wasn’t particularly interested in playing him. “Then I read the script, and there was something in the dialogue,” Pullman told an audience at a recent American Cinematheque event honoring his work. “It turns out that a lot of it came from transcriptions.” Pullman credited screenwriter Michael Vickerman with skillfully incorporating real-life dialogue from Murdaugh’s case and recreating its rhythms in scenes that were fictionalized. “The scenes all kept that tenor, that crazy syntax, and I started to take a look at that and thought this would be a good journey. We had to do it fast, but it would be worthwhile.”

For Pullman, the trick was to play Alex’s contradictions without revealing more than the real Murdaugh did since, as Pullman notes, he had everyone around him fooled. “The people that were around him for all these years never saw anything that was there underneath the surface,” Pullman said. “And these were not dumb people. They just believed he was their lifelong friend and a fun guy to hang out with.” Over the course of the movie, Murdaugh’s appearance changes considerably, something Pullman had to suggest in the way he carried himself, given that the tight schedule meant he didn’t have time to gain or lose a considerable amount of weight. Working in close collaboration with the wardrobe designer as well as his hair and make-up artists, Pullman managed to give the impression that his body had completely transformed even though the effect is often just a sleight-of-hand of movement and costuming.

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