Harry and Tonto

R

Released Aug 12, 1974

1h 55m

Drama

List

88%

32 Reviews

Tomatometer

81%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Harry Coombes (Art Carney) is a man in his seventies who is evicted from his Manhattan apartment when the building is set to be demolished. After staying briefly with his son Burt (Phil Bruns), Harry decides to travel across the country, accompanied by his cat, Tonto, to visit his other grown children. However, his visits to a former love (Geraldine Fitzgerald), his daughter, Shirley (Ellen Burstyn) in Chicago, and his youngest son, Eddie (Larry Hagman), in Los Angeles, defy his expectations.

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Critics Consensus

Making his sorely belated debut in a big-screen leading role, Art Carney brings Harry and Tonto brilliantly to life.

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Desmond Ryan

Philadelphia Inquirer

"Harry and Tonto" is an unusual film which addresses itself to the matter of growing old in America and it manages to do so without foundering in mawkish sentimentality or delivering a sermon on the dignity of age.

Jun 11, 2021

Full Review

Phil Strassberg

Arizona Republic

Mazursky is to be commended for this wonderful portrait because too few movies deal with the elderly and contain the wit and originality as does this one.

Jun 11, 2021

Full Review

Joe Pollack

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

An excellent motion picture, wise and entertaining and upholding the basic dignity of man in a world that often moves too fast for him.

Jun 11, 2021

Full Review

Edward Porter

Sunday Times (UK)

A lively tour... and we spend it in good company: Art Carney’s Harry is a loveable type.

Nov 7, 2022

Full Review

Chase Burns

The Stranger (Seattle, WA)

The film has curdled into camp.

Jan 20, 2022

Full Review

Michael Larsen

San Francisco Examiner

As a slice of contemporary American life, the story's wit and humanity will be a refreshing relief from some of the excesses moviegoers are currently being subjected to.

Jun 11, 2021

Full Review

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Blobbo X

Carney big under-rated actor. Good movie.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

Full Review

Shioka O

Lots of small events around harry and tonto. But I don't remember what happened.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

10/26/22

Full Review

dave s

Reminiscent of (and possibly inspired by) Tokyo Story and Make Way for Tomorrow, Paul Mazursky's Harry and Tonto tells the story of Harry Combes (Art Carney), an elderly man who finds himself homeless after his New York City apartment is demolished. Along with his cat Tonto, he travels across the country to reunite with his children, along the way discovering that he may have more of a connection with the strangers he meets than with his immediate family. While the film doesn't really offer anything new, it features an Oscar-winning performance from Carney, an interesting supporting cast (including Geraldine Fitzgerald, Larry Hagman, Ellen Burstyn, etc.), a scenic road trip vibe, and an insightful script from Mazursky.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

delysid d

best old man and cat movie

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/06/22

Full Review

georgan g

A portrait of aging that brings you into Harry's decisions. Realistic yet funny. And no wonder Art Carney won an Oscar for best actor!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

An old man is evicted from his condemned apartment building in New York City. Being a widower with an orange cat, he has three adult children, none of whom he can really live with. He tries flying to California, but he cannot take his cat through airport security, then takes a bus, but has to leave it when the cat needs to urinate, then hitchhikes and meets different people, then buys an old car, meeting his various children. The idea is good, but the movie is too slow-moving and bland, and has no particular point to it. Mildly entertaining but that is it.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

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Paul Mazursky

Director

Art Carney

Harry Coombes

Ellen Burstyn

Shirley Mallard

Chief Dan George

Sam Two Feathers

Geraldine Fitzgerald

Jessie Stone

Larry Hagman

Eddie Coombes

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Synopsis

Harry Coombes (Art Carney) is a man in his seventies who is evicted from his Manhattan apartment when the building is set to be demolished. After staying briefly with his son Burt (Phil Bruns), Harry decides to travel across the country, accompanied by his cat, Tonto, to visit his other grown children. However, his visits to a former love (Geraldine Fitzgerald), his daughter, Shirley (Ellen Burstyn) in Chicago, and his youngest son, Eddie (Larry Hagman), in Los Angeles, defy his expectations.

Director: Paul Mazursky
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Twentieth Century Fox
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 12, 1974, Original
Release Date (DVD): Sep 6, 2005
Runtime: 1h 55m