Wins Oscar

Duvall wins the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of country western singer Mac Sledge in Bruce Beresford’s Tender Mercies. Duvall:

I think we set out to make a film, a very truthful film, a very good film. I think Bruce Beresford, Horton Foote, the Hobels, EMI, should all be commended for a very wonderful job that they did in putting this film together. I think it’s a valid film, valid enough that we have gotten very much applause of a certain kind from certain members of the country western community, such as my friend Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings. And this is certainly a very high level of criticism coming from those people.