"William Hurt gives an exquisite performance as a man shattered by the death of his son, who comes out of his shell when he meets a kooky, aggressive young woman (Geena Davis) who couldn't be less his type. Finelhy wrought, extremely faithful adaptation of Anne Tyler's novel dares to take its time; may be too slow ffor some viewers, but offers many rewards." (from Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide). I think Leonard Maltin is right, that many viewers won't like the slow pacing. But that's exactly what I love about the movie. It was such a refreshing respite from the loud, shaky-cam, crashing and GCI explosions of some recent superhero blockbusters.
Also I like the premise that the William Hurt character - Macon Leary - is a writer of travel books for business travelers. The movie starts off kind of sad, with his marriage dissolving with his wife (Kathleen Tuner), but then he meets Geena Davis' character who brings a bit of spark back into his life.
Geena Davis, as the dog trainer to Macon's dog, won the 1988 Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, but her role could be considered a lead role. I love the dog in this movie, which was the same dog that was in the 1990s TV show Dharma and Greg.Also there are some nice scenes of Baltimore (the film is set there and was filmed there).
A less-interesting (but still entertaining) subplot in the film involves Macon's sister (Amy Wright) falling in love with his boss, a book publisher played by Bill Pullman. His sister and and his two brothers (Ed Begley Jr and David Ogden Stiers) are portrayed as being a bit more eccentric than he is.
Directed by Lawrence Kasdan. Nominated for Best Picture of 1988.