Robert Mitchum, Eleanor Parker, George Peppard and George Hamilton star in this family drama, directed by Vincente Minnelli. Mitchum has a bad reputation in his small hometown as an unfaithful husband to wife Parker and with other men's wives. He may even be shot by a jealous husband someday, I think somebody in the film said. Because of this and probably other reasons, Parker has been passively punishing him by withdrawing from him and withholding affection and attention. Hamilton is the son, babied by mama and practically ignored by daddy. But one day Mitchum decides Hamilton is to man-up, after Hamilton is a victim of one of the town's male citizens' pranks. Peppard is an employee of Michum's who works in the fields, does manual labor, etc. and basically goes wherever Mitchum goes. But there's a story there. This is the outline of this movie about a dysfunctional family and how they relate (or don't relate) to each other. I saw this back around 1997 or 1998 and I remember on the whole not liking it terribly much. I think I didn't like the dysfunction of the family and the miscommunication. But today, while I still don't consider it an entirely satisfying movie experience, I do appreciate the performances more and find the ending in a odd way very realistic. I read here in a few others' reviews that they consider this one of Minnelli's unsung classics; I do agree that it has the Minnelli touch with its grade-A production. But I think one's enjoyment of it depends on one's liking and involvement of the characters. "Home from the Hill" seems a bit played over the top in parts, but makes for a rather modest way of spending two hours and a half with good actors.
Review of Home from the Hill
