Tim

Gentle, Interesting Romance
Before Mel Gibson became the controversial director of the edgy hit, "The Passion of the Christ," he starred in an almost forgotten but award-winning 1979 movie, "Tim." It is an understated, yet excellently crafted love story.

Tim Melville has the innocence and desire to love of Forrest Gump, but is not the cartoon of a character as Tom Hanks portrayed. He lives with his soon-to-be-married sister and parents in a small, working class home.

Like in 1981's "Gallipoli," Gibson is a young Australian, complete with an accent. Here, he is a slow, but gentle laborer who does yard work for Mary, an older woman, played by Piper Laurie.

Slowly, they discover that although 20+ years separate them, they are falling love. His parents and sister protect him and want the best for him. They show mixed feelings about the relationship that Tim and Mary do not realize exists.

This is a romance, but it is also about the love of Tim's father for his son, and of...

Mel Gibson at his best!
"Tim" is a wonderful Australian story of the relationship between a very handsome, though mentally and emotionally challenged, young man and an attractive transplanted American older woman. The innocence of it is what is so powerful!

Mel is absolutely believable as the over-protected adult son of two working class parents and jealous older sister. When he meets Mary (Piper Laurie) his world is changed in an instant as he goes about doing yard work at her elaborate home. What develops between them is rarely seen in films today, a slow and progressively blossoming relationship.

I would have liked to have seen more of the relationship between Tim and his sister, the affection between the parents and Tim, and Tim's unraveling bond with his dad, but the movie is top notch nonetheless.

The story has some very sad moments, and the lighting is terrible in some areas of the movie. But with Tim's sweetness of spirit and brevity of wardrobe, he is utterly...

TIM IS TOPS...
This is a gem of a film, starring the underrated Piper Laurie in the role of Mary Horton, a well-to-do, but lonely, business woman, who befriends Tim Melville, a very nice, good looking day laborer, earnestly played by a very young Mel Gibson. Tim happens to be a little simple. His family describes him as being "a few short of a full quid".

While he does work around her house, Mary gets to know Tim, as well as his working class family. As time goes on, a deep fondness that ripens into love develops between the two. He brings her out of her shell, and she teaches him to read and explains concepts that will enable him to function better in the world around him. Based upon Colleen McCollough's book of the same name, this is a very well acted-film, with fine performances by the supporting cast, as well as the leads.

The quality of the DVD, however, is bargain basement with no additional features. Moreover, the DVD picture is best described as grainy. This is...

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