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Good concept, poorly executed.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

I don't care if this adaptation of the book was faithful! I don't care if it was one of the most acclaimed movies of 1988! It still sucked!!Now that I've got that out of my system, let's explore the movie as a whole:The great William Hurt plays writer Macon Leary. He lives in Baltimore and writes travel guides for uneasy travellers on how to make the best of unpleasant trips. It would be great if we saw him writing and get more of his ideas for his books. His wife is played by Kathleen Turner. Both of them are mourning the loss of their son and she wants a divorce as a means to move past it all. The house gets put up for sale and Macon moves in with his siblings. Needing obedience training for his dog, he falls for Geena Davis who plays the dog teacher. One reason this sucks is how dark and murky this is. It looks like it was laundry day and placed in a load of dark's. After awhile I wanted to see some sunlight and some nice images! I understand Kasdan wanting to make the movie to reflect the state of William Hurt, but he really goes over-the- top with this, leaving it one-dimensional. I'm not saying this needs to have sunshine and castles, but add a variety or elements to the look and make the look pleasurable. Maybe that's the wrong word, but you get where I'm coming from. Next, the movie is ridiculously slow with nothing happening to the characters we just give up on. I can see a gradual flow and making a movie slow for the audience to really get invested in and really develop all areas, but that doesn't happen here. The movie tries so hard to sadden the audience and I got sick of it. Maybe if I actually felt something, I would have been more invested. But that's the writers' and director's fault for poor writing and horrendous directing! Geena Davis won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar with an average lineup. She is the only character that is actually somewhat interesting in an extremely dull picture. I guess Hurt does a good job, but that's where the good parts stops.I can think of no reason to see this (other than if you're a fan of William Hurt and Gene Davis). The one-dimensional trait makes the movie as a whole ugly to look at. It is not pleasurable in the slightest and there is no payoff to all the melancholy forced onto you. Might as well let Lawrence Kasdan come to your hose and physically drain your tears by hand.

In Baltimore, Macon (William Hurt) is a writer of travel books called, what else, The Accidental Tourist. His premise is that his advice will help people travel without being extremely homesick. Alas, Macon is hurting at this time, due to the untimely death of his only son. As his wife, Sarah (Kathleen Turner) has moved out, also, too grief stricken to continue their marriage, Macon is left with his son's upset dog as a companion. He occasionally visits the family home nearby, where his single sister, Rose, takes care of her two bachelor brothers. One morning, panic ensues. Macon is starting a journey to Europe and he is refused dog boarding at his usual place, as the canine bit someone last time. In a quandary, the writer spies a vet's office which also boards. Although he has no appointment, the unusual clerk, Muriel (Geena Davis) takes the dog. But, oh, when Macon returns, he finds that Muriel wants to "train" his dog and has set her sights on going out with Macon, too! The writer tries to discourage her in every way, but the lady prevails. Soon, Macon is constantly at her urban apartment, where she barely makes ends meet, as she is also a single mother to a son, Alexander. Muriel, however, is an eccentric woman, who makes Macon smile but who is the subject of ridicule to his brothers and ex-wife. In fact, Sarah makes another play for her former hubby. Meanwhile, Macon's editor, Julian (Bill Pullman) has been courting sister Rose. Will Macon abandon Muriel, who dearly loves him, for a return to his former wife? This lovely film is a life-affirming masterpiece. We love, we lose, we grieve, and we reconnect. Love also comes when we least expect it, at times. As the writer, Hurt is excellent, with a carefully nuanced performance. Turner, Pullman, and the others do great work, too. In her Oscar winning role, Davis gives the performance of a lifetime as the funny, offbeat Muriel. Then, too, the setting in Baltimore is most interesting, as well as a spell in beautiful Paris. Costuming is most noteworthy here as Muriel's outfits are sublimely ridiculous while everyone else is sedately, classically clad. Finally, the dazzling story, based on a book by Anne Tyler, and the wonderful direction by Kazdan combine for a unique film experience. Do NOT leave it to accident to view this great one. Make plans and soon.

This is a remarkably good film, with a strong woman's role (Muriel) for Geena Davis, an excellent actress. William Hurt plays a travel writer (Macon) who hates to travel. His son was killed in a traffic accident, and the stress has led his character to separate from his wife (Sarah, played by Kathleen Turner). He returns to his family home, where his brothers and sister live, and you meet a stunningly civil, stunningly dysfunctional family. Muriel is very off the wall and just the relief Macon needs. Their growth toward each other, and Macon's recovery from the grief of his loss is subtly and well done.The contrast between Davis's character and the one played by Helen Hunt in "As Good as It Gets" merits thoughtful consideration. In this film, Muriel won't settle for Macon as he is when they meet. Muriel is a competent adult, not a needy woman. If Macon grows and meets her halfway, fine. If not, that's fine, too -- Muriel won't accept the emotionally crippled Macon. There are very few roles where women are written as strong, competent actors instead of passive accepters. ("Silence of the Lambs" comes to mind as another such movie, both for Clarice Starling and for Catherine Martin, the victim that traps Buffalo Bill's dog and uses it as a bargaining chip.)

I could not understand why Macon left his suitcase on a wall and then left, presumably for the airport, or even what he took out of the zippered pocket before leaving.There were other previous problems - why Muriel, who has a dog kennel business, has to ask Macon for cash when she gives him dog training lessons? William Hurt, who is a fine actor, goes through the film with a dazed expression on his face, as if he really belongs elsewhere (he does.) Why did Macon's sister inherit the house that is referred to as a family heirloom, when there were older boys in the line of succession. I understand that Kathleen Turner likes to show off her body (on the London stage, for example) but why only a prurient view of her naked back. Who writes this drivel?