Truly Dreadful Film

How wonderful it is to see this fine actress carry a film and carry it so beautifully.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Blistering performances.

I like movies that are focused and don't have too many sideplots. My experience is that sideplots often make a movie worse."Harry and Tonto" is the perfect movie for people like me who like focused movies. The movie is about an old man and his cat. It follows Harry, played by Art Carney in an Oscar winning performance, as he travels around the USA after his New York City apartment building is converted into a parking garage.I didn't think that I'd be interested in a movie about this topic, but Harry has many interesting experiences as he travels to Los Angeles, including shacking up in a motel with a teen girl and meeting a hooker as he is hitchhiking. In addition, his devotion to his cat Tonto is charming. Initially, he wants to fly to Chicago, but airport authorities want to separate them and he is against this.The major problem I have with the movie is a big one -- Tonto gets sick suddenly and dies and Harry doesn't seem to be as bothered by this as he should be. There was no hint that Tonto was old until he got sick. I think, in retrospect, that Harry should have talked more about his passion for Tonto with his children and others and should have revealed his concern about traveling with an old cat (that I didn't realize was old until a minute before he died).I deducted one point from the movie because it wasn't exciting enough, interesting enough, and thought provoking enough to earn a 10 and another point because of how the death of Tonto was handled. I am still tempted to deduct another point because Harry didn't talk enough to Tonto -- and I still might.

If you want to positively change your outlook on your life..and your views on death…watch this great film! Art Carney so deserved the Oscar he received for this role. He brings such a real and positive presence to the screen that will ingrain itself in you (hopefully!). Kudos to the filming team for creating such a true and steady pace in the storyline that almost seems like it is occurring in real time. The script couldn't be more original and fascinating, the cinematography captures every location with a unique style and the acting is perfect though out. I happened to catch this film on a streaming service and it turned out to be one of the best movie experiences I have ever had. Many films of this era seem dated, but Harry and Tonto has a theme and a tone that is timeless..

When this movie premiered in 1974 I was only five years old. I loved this movie for many reasons. First, the movie encapsulates scenery and the feel of 1974. When Harry walks into the airport in New York I noticed the red carpet. Well, back in 1974 my parents took me to our native India and on the way we went through the New York airport on our way back where I met my Mom's brother for the first time. He was living in New York then and I always remembered the red carpet. Art Carney delivers a wonderful performance as Harry. Carney exudes likability and warmth. No wonder he makes friends so easily and yet at the same time he weathers tragedies like the passing of his wife, friends and ultimately Tonto with grace. This film presents many wonderful character actors. Ellen Burnstyn looks so pretty. Larry Hagman made me empathize with "Eddie's" desperation paying his bills. Burt, the oldest and his wife, along with the bus driver, just encapsulate the New York of 1974. Tonto proves to be a wonderful companion for Harry. Melanie Mayron and Josh Mostel add flavor and have a lot of screen time. Harry connects with the youngsters and in life how many times do we see a senior citizen and a young man or woman relate to one another? The answer, quite often, we see this dynamic. All in all this movie stands the test of time and remains a wonderful little treasure.

Art Carney's performance of Harry Coombes earned him a well-deserved Academy Award for Lead Actor and a Golden Globe Award as well. In this wonderful film, he plays a 72 year old retired New Yorker with his beloved cat, Tonto, even on a lease as well. Except for the end, I loved the film and it was done on location with an all star cast such as Larry Hagman and Ellen Burstyn playing his adult children in Los Angeles and Chicago. He begins the film by losing his beloved New York City apartment to be turned into a parking lot on the Upper West Side in Manhattan. He moves reluctantly to the suburbs with his son, Burt, and his family. I have to say that Dolly Jonah did a terrific performance as his daughter-in-law Elaine and I'm surprised that she didn't work more in films and television. He decides to travel to Chicago but won't fly because he refuses to let the airline employees mishandle his beloved Tonto who is also the star of the film. It's a great film with memorable moments and Art Carney's finest performance in film.