Main Cast: Robert Mitchum, Eleanor Parker, George Peppard, George Hamilton, Everett Sloane
Release Year: 1960
Country: US
Run Time: 150 minutes
Plot
William Humphrey's novel Home From the Hill is compressed into 150 minutes for this MGM all-starrer. Robert Mitchum plays Capt. Wade Hunnicutt, a Texas millionaire, married to Hannah (Eleanor Parker). The Hunnicutts have two children of approximately the same age: Wade's biological son, Theron (George Hamilton in one of his earliest film roles), and his illegitimate son, Rafe (George Peppard). As the story opens, Wade conducts an extramarital affair; meanwhile, Theron (George Hamilton), disturbed by his parents' dysfunctional relationship, is not anxious to marry his true love, Libby Halstead (Luana Patten). The vicious cycle threatens to continue when Libby gives birth to Theron's out-of-wedlock son, but it is Rafe who turns Libby into an "honest woman" by acting as father to the child. Vincente Minnelli directs his material operatically, which is as it should be given the larger-than-life character and emotional entanglements he has to deal with. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
At first glance, Home from the Hill seems to be something of a Giant-wannabe, a "big" Texas-flavored epic, but as the film progresses, it's clear that director Vincente Minnelli is more interested in the relationships at the heart of the story. Minnelli's sensitive direction keeps the film on an even keel, preventing it from giving in to its more melodramatic impulses (until the end, at least). He and cinematographer Milton Krasner shoot Home with a loving attention to detail, and there's a rich lushness to the picture's visuals -- its compositions, angles, and juxtaposition of colors -- that is quite enticing. If Home's screenplay is a trifle overripe (and overlong), it does provide the opportunity for some fine performances. Robert Mitchum uses his quiet strength and understatement to good advantage, creating a character that is more complicated -- and appealing -- than he seems on the surface. George Hamilton is good as the legitimate son, and Eleanor Parker does well with a part that is not as fleshed out as it might be, but the real acting honors go to George Peppard, whose Rafe is a small masterpiece. Peppard's performance is all nuance, saying a great deal with a half smirk or a sidelong glance, all of which is buoyed up by the sheer likeableness that Peppard imparts. Home is not a great film, but it has a number of moments (the revelation scene between Hamilton and Peppard, the boar hunt) and performances that are exceptional. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
