Sam Elliott gives absorbing performance in lackluster 'Hero'
At the beginning of "The Hero," Lee Hayden, the aging Hollywood Western actor played by Sam Elliott, is recording a radio spot for barbecue sauce. And he's really, really good at it.
"Lone Star barbecue sauce," he intones, in a deep, luxuriant drawl. "The perfect pardner for your chicken."
You'd buy it in a second. Then again, Elliott - with his relaxed, confident presence and silvery, 72-year-old good looks - could pretty much sell us anything. And though in his long career he's never really been a lead actor, a little Elliott goes a long way.
Now, in Brett Haley's "The Hero," Elliott finally has a film all his own, and he doesn't squander the opportunity, giving an appealing, honest and nuanced portrayal of an aging actor facing a life crisis. If only the script were a match for Elliott's performance.
We meet Lee as he's facing a crossroads in life. Divorced, and distant from his adult daughter (Krysten Ritter), he lives a solitary existence in Malibu, his only friend a fellow actor, Jeremy (Nick Offerman), who doubles as his drug dealer. It's been decades since he made a movie that he's proud of, a Western of course.
His agent calls to say Lee has been chosen for a lifetime achievement award from something called the Western Appreciation Guild. This strange milestone comes at a sticky time for Lee, who's received a call from his doctor with frightening medical news. It's all making him look back at his life, and wonder how much there is to actually appreciate.
Enter Charlotte (Laura Prepon, of "Orange is the New Black"), the wisecracking younger woman he meets at Jeremy's house as she pops in for an illicit purchase. Charlotte takes an immediate shine to Lee. He's attracted to her, but not sure about the age gap.
But Lee needs a date for the lifetime achievement dinner and turns to Charlotte. To pep up the evening, she pops a pill into Lee's pre-dinner drink. He's particularly loose when he shows up for the event, and makes a grand gesture at the dinner that goes viral and launches him back onto the pop culture front burner.
It's tempting to give more detail, but that would be giving away too much, because, honestly, there's not a whole lotta there there. This is no fault of Elliott, who remains absorbing throughout. The supporting performances - from Prepon, Ritter and Katharine Ross, Elliott's real-life wife - are right on target. But the actors deserve more to work with.
The irony of the title here, of course, is that Elliott has never really played the hero of his own movie. This one's a start. Here's hoping he'll get some better material to pardner with.
“The Hero”
★ ★ ½
Starring: Sam Elliott, Laura Prepon, Nick Offerman, Krysten Ritter, Katharine Ross
Directed by: Brett Haley
Other: An Orchard release. Rated R for drug use, language and sexual situations. 93 minutes