Harry and Tonto
Seen it?1974 | 115 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Saturday Specialearly ratingWhy it’s a Saturday Special
It earned strong reviews (90% on Rotten Tomatoes), it won an Oscar and it made about 9 times its budget. A strong pick for the weekend.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- One for anyone with a soft spot for road trips and animal lovers. It's a road trip, so the detours matter as much as the destination. Shelve it next to Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey or As Good as It Gets. Critics like it more than audiences, which usually means it takes its time or takes risks.
- The mood
- Funny with heart.
- The pace
- Quiet, then quietly devastating, at 1 hr 55 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: meant for adults.
- Made in 1974: an older pace and style.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
- Skip it if you're after something serious tonight.
Harry Coombes is a retired teacher in his 70s who has lived in the Upper West Side of New York City all his life. When his building is torn down to make way for a parking garage, Harry and his beloved cat Tonto begin a journey across the United States — visiting his children, seeing a world he never seemed to have the time to see before, making new friends, and saying goodbye to old friends.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
90% on Rotten Tomatoes, 72 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
Our audience score: 60%
- AwardsStrong
Won 1 Oscar: Academy Awards: Best Actor. Won 1 Golden Globe: Golden Globe Awards: Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. Also nominated for 1 more Oscar, 1 more Golden Globe and 1 WGA Award. Plus 2 other awards.
- Box office & staying powerStrong
$9 million worldwide on a $980K budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 72K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Paul Mazursky
- Art CarneyHarry
- Ellen BurstynShirley
- Geraldine FitzgeraldJessie
- Chief Dan GeorgeSam Two Feathers
- Larry HagmanEddie
- Philip BrunsBurt
- Herbert BerghofRivetowski
- Josh MostelNorman
- Melanie MayronGinger
- Avon LongLeroy