Harry and Tonto (1974)
MOVIE REVIEW
Art Carney plays the titular Harry, a 70-plus widower, who lives in New York with his cat, Tonto, as his only permanent companion. Circumstances force him to look for another place to stay. One thing leads to another, and he ends up taking a road trip across America.
That pretty much sums up the plot of this movie. The story is told via slice-of-life snapshots. What is most remarkable about it is the way that relatively ordinary people, and episodes, come across as interesting, amusing, and involving. It is a triumph of writing and acting.
Director and co-writer Paul Mazursky was known for his masterful ability to blend the funny and the serious into crafting intimate portraits of everyday people. This ranks among the best of his work. Aided by a splendid supporting cast, he surrounds Harry with a bevy of captivating characters. But, without a doubt, the star of the show is Carney who gives an impeccable performance. As it happens, he won the Best Actor Oscar that year against an impressive line-up that included Jack Nicholson (Chinatown) and Al Pacino (The Godfather: Part II).